irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2021
what they reported doing
Program narrative the organization filed with the IRS. Ordered by program spending.
- #1 primary $20.71MAllied support and training: As an alliance-building legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith, ADF is committed to equipping allies to defend and promote religious liberty to the best of their abilities, and to transform law and culture so true freedom can flourish. To this end, ADF offers world-class training for Christian attorneys and professionals, law students, and college students interested in pursuing a career in law, public policy, government, journalism, and other culture-shaping fields. Continued on Schedule O:Through the ADF Summit on Religious Liberty, Legal Academy programs, and other training events, practicing attorneys, legal advocates, business leaders, clergy, policy leaders, and media leaders are invited to participate in world-class training, strategy, and networking sessions. More than 2,100 U.S. and international attorneys have completed an ADF Legal Academy training, and attorneys have reported volunteering pro bono legal advocacy services to local and international communities valued at over $228 million. This amount far exceeds the cost of these programs. Most state bar associations accept accreditation for portions of the legal advocacy training with continuing legal education credit. Through the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, ADF trains top Christian law students from around the world in legal theory and practice, equips them with the professional skills and networks to thrive in the legal profession, and inspires them to reimagine their careers as a way of serving God. Blackstone prepares these students for careers marked with integrity, excellence, and leadership. The program consists of courses taught by prominent lecturers, internships with influential organizations, and professional career services. To date, over 2,800 students are alumni of the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, representing 232 law schools worldwide. ADF offers similar international programs for university students and young professionals who seek to live out their faith in the fields of law, government, public policy, and journalism, as well as a U.S.-based Journalism Academy for young professionals or college students pursuing careers in media and communications. To date, more than 1,000 participants have graduated from these programs. And many of those international participants who were interested in law have gone on to attend the Blackstone Legal Fellowship after entering law school.
- #2 $19.20MPublic education: ADF provides information to the public about the importance of proper laws concerning freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the sanctity of every human life, parental rights, and the values of marriage and family in the United States and throughout the world. This is done through various means, including op-eds at prominent publications, comprehensive webinars, press releases, and our Freedom Matters video series on YouTube and Facebook, which has garnered over 64 million views since launching in the spring of 2020. Continued on Schedule O: ADF engages in this public education to inform and raise awareness of the following: Domestic and international challenges to religious freedom, freedom of speech, the sanctity of life, parental rights, and marriage and family; and how and where civil liberties have been jeopardized or thwarted and the efforts of ADF and its allies to reclaim those freedoms. ADF public education efforts also serve to recruit potential allies and to highlight the advocacy work of the alliance in order to position ADF to serve as the first line of defense for individuals and organizations whose religious freedom is at risk. ADF also requests that the recipients of these educational communications remember our activities in prayer.
named programs · 7 · from sources
what they call their work
ADF Church Alliance
Provides affordable religious freedom legal advice to Christian churches of all sizes
ADF Ministry Alliance
Offers religious freedom legal counsel to Christian ministries facing threats to their religious liberty
ADF Summit on Religious Liberty
Gathers leaders in law, policy, media, business, education, and ministry to collaborate on strategies to protect religious liberty
Allied Attorney Program
Network of attorneys who have contributed over 1 million pro bono hours defending religious freedom
Blackstone Legal Fellowship
Trains Christian law students to impact law and culture; has trained over 2,000 students
Center for Academic Freedom
Protects free speech on public university campuses; has secured over 400 legal victories against speech codes and viewpoint discrimination
Viewpoint Diversity Score
Annual Business Index that evaluates major corporations and banks on their free speech practices and resistance to cancel culture
activities · 4 clusters
what they do
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Religious Liberty & Free Speech Litigation 14 activities
- Advancing legislation and policy to protect religious and parental rightsAdvocates for state and federal laws that strengthen protections for religious freedom and parental rights, including drafting model legislation like Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act and providing expert legal testimony to legislative bodies.
- Advancing legislation to protect religious and parental rightsAdvocates for state and federal laws that strengthen protections for religious freedom, parental rights, and sex-specific spaces. Provides expert legal testimony and helped draft key legislation such as Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act.
- Advocacy against corporate and governmental religious discriminationOpposes religious discrimination by major corporations (including tech and financial institutions) and challenges government policies that penalize individuals or organizations for their beliefs. Leverages financial and legal strategies to combat corporate "cancellations" and advocates for equal participation of religious organizations in public programs.
- Advocacy against corporate and governmental religious discriminationOpposes religious discrimination by major corporations (including tech and financial firms) and government entities, leveraging legal and public advocacy to protect individuals and organizations from punitive actions based on their beliefs.
- Center for Academic Freedom litigation and policy workOperates the Center for Academic Freedom, which has secured over 400 legal victories challenging speech codes, censorship zones, and viewpoint-discriminatory policies at public universities. Represents faculty and students whose First Amendment rights are violated on campus.
- Corporate accountability and opposition to deplatforming of religious beliefsOpposes corporate policies by tech companies and financial institutions that penalize individuals or organizations for holding traditional religious beliefs, leveraging significant financial assets to combat such "cancellations."
- Global defense of religious freedom and opposition to blasphemy lawsDefends victims of religious persecution internationally by opposing blasphemy laws and other human rights violations through a network of lawyers, including achieving legal victories at the European Court of Human Rights.
- Legal advocacy for parental rights in education and child welfareConducts litigation and legislative advocacy to protect parental rights in children’s education, health care, and gender identity policies, including high-profile cases involving school notification practices and adoption certification requirements.
- Legislative advocacy and policy developmentAdvances state and federal legislation to strengthen protections for religious freedom, parental rights, and free speech, including drafting the Mississippi Gestational Age Act and providing expert legal testimony to legislative bodies.
- Legislative and policy advocacy to advance religious and free speech protectionsAdvocates for state and federal laws that protect religious organizations from discrimination, oppose corporate censorship, and ensure equal access to public programs; includes drafting model legislation such as Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act and testifying before legislatures.
- Strategic litigation to protect religious freedom, free speech, and parental rightsEngages in nationwide and international litigation to defend religious freedom, free speech, sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights, with a documented success rate of nearly 80% across thousands of cases, including 17 victories at the U.S. Supreme Court and 40 at the European Court of Human Rights.
- Strategic litigation to protect religious freedom, free speech, and parental rightsConducts high-impact litigation in U.S. and international courts to defend religious liberty, free speech, sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights. The organization has won nearly 80% of its cases, including 17 victories at the U.S. Supreme Court, and has secured rulings protecting individuals and organizations from government coercion and discrimination.
- Strategic litigation to protect religious freedom, free speech, and sanctity of lifeEngages in nationwide and international litigation to defend religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, marriage and family, and the sanctity of life, with a documented success rate of nearly 80% across thousands of cases, including 17 victories at the U.S. Supreme Court and 40 at the European Court of Human Rights.
- Strategic litigation to protect religious freedom, free speech, and sanctity of lifeConducts high-impact litigation in U.S. and international courts to defend religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life. The organization has won nearly 80% of its cases, including 17 victories at the U.S. Supreme Court and 40 at the European Court of Human Rights. It has played a central role in landmark cases such as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and represented clients ranging from individuals to states in challenges involving abortion, gender-affirming care, and religious expression.
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Direct Religious Freedom Legal Representation 5 activities
- Pro bono legal representation for individuals and organizationsProvides direct legal services to individuals, churches, ministries, and organizations facing religious discrimination or free speech violations. Supported over 3,200 churches and ministries with legal assistance during the pandemic and represents clients in cases involving compelled speech, parental rights, and religious expression.
- Pro bono legal representation for individuals and organizationsProvides direct legal services to individuals, churches, ministries, and organizations, including over 3,200 churches and ministries supported during the pandemic and pro bono representation in high-profile constitutional cases.
- Pro bono legal representation for individuals and organizationsProvides direct legal services to individuals, churches, ministries, and organizations facing religious freedom or free speech violations, including over 3,200 churches during the pandemic and high-profile clients such as Jack Phillips and Kelvin Cochran.
- Pro bono legal representation for individuals and religious organizationsProvides direct legal services to individuals, churches, and ministries facing religious discrimination or free speech violations, including pandemic-related restrictions. Supported over 3,200 churches and ministries with legal assistance.
- Pro bono legal representation for religious organizations and individualsProvides direct legal assistance to churches, ministries, and individuals facing religious discrimination, including over 3,200 churches during the pandemic, and supports a network of allied attorneys who have contributed over one million pro bono hours.
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Religious Legal Fellowship and Pro Bono Network Development 5 activities
- Training Christian law students and mobilizing pro bono legal networksBuilds legal capacity through the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, which has trained over 2,000 Christian law students, and mobilizes a network of Allied Attorneys who have contributed over one million pro bono legal hours in defense of religious freedom.
- Training and capacity building for Christian legal professionalsDevelops the next generation of religious liberty attorneys through the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, which has trained over 2,000 Christian law students in constitutional law and advocacy.
- Training and mobilizing Christian legal professionalsBuilds capacity within the Christian legal community through the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, which has trained over 2,000 law students, and the Allied Attorneys network, which has contributed over one million pro bono legal hours.
- Training and mobilizing next-generation Christian legal professionalsOperates the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, which has trained over 2,000 Christian law students, and manages a network of Allied Attorneys who have contributed one million pro bono legal hours in defense of religious freedom.
- Training and mobilizing next-generation Christian legal professionalsOperates the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, which has trained over 2,000 Christian law students, and coordinates a network of Allied Attorneys who have contributed over one million pro bono legal hours in defense of religious freedom.
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Prayer Engagement and Intercession Support 4 activities
- Advocacy and public engagement through prayer and communication networksDistributes monthly prayer updates, shares reports on legal victories, and provides prayer guidance for ongoing cases to a subscriber base, fostering engagement with supporters around key litigation.
- Engaging supporters through prayer and case updatesDistributes monthly prayer updates and reports on legal victories to supporters, and provides guidance on prayer for ongoing legal cases.
- Prayer mobilization and supporter engagementDistributes monthly prayer updates, case-specific prayer guidance, and reports on legal victories to a network of prayer supporters to engage spiritual advocacy around ongoing litigation.
- Prayer mobilization and supporter engagementDistributes monthly prayer updates, shares reports on legal victories with prayer supporters, and provides guidance on prayer for key legal cases to engage a faith-based support network.
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financials · form 990 · fy2021
the money
revenue
Total revenue$104.49M
Contributions & grants$96.81M93%
Program service revenue$2.26M2%
Investment income$2.61M2%
Other revenue$2.82M
expenses
Total expenses$81.31M
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising12%
Salaries & benefits$43.97M
Grants paid out$5.44M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$85.09M
Cash$18.82M
Investments$8.46M
Liabilities$10.09M
Net assets$75.00M
Liquid reserves4.0 mo
3 years on record · 2019–2021 · YoY revenue +32.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021
who runs it
paid leadership · 12
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Farris | President and CEO | 60 | $645K |
| Kristen Waggoner | General Counsel | 50 | $424K |
| Wayne Swindler | EVP Finance & Administration | 42 | $327K |
| John Bursch | VP of Appellate Advocacy | 50 | $309K |
| Tim Chandler | Sr. Counsel, SVP of Alliance Advancement | 50 | $296K |
| Lance Bauslaugh | SVP of Development | 50 | $276K |
| Rebecca Eggleston | Chief of Staff to the General Counsel | 50 | $271K |
| Jeremy Tedesco | Sr. Counsel, SVP of Corporate Engagement | 50 | $261K |
| Jeffery Ventrella | Sr. Counsel, SVP of Training | 50 | $257K |
| Tony Johnson | SVP of Operations & Direct Response | 50 | $257K |
| David Cortman | Sr. Counsel, VP of U.S. Litigation | 50 | $256K |
| Glen Lavy | Corporate Counsel | 50 | $240K |
board members · 8
- Gary Smith — Director
- John Rogers — Director
- Mark Maddoux — Secretary/Treasurer
- Michael Whitehead — Director
- Ruth Ross — Director
- Scott Scharpen — Director
- Seth Morgan — Vice Chairman
- Terry Schlossberg — Chairman
relationships · 18
who they work with
- Bethel Ministries Partner — Client organization represented by Alliance Defending Freedom in legal matters.
- Biden administration Government — Engaged in legal and policy opposition over definitions of sex and gender in federal law.
- Church and Ministry Alliance Network — Network providing legal and educational resources to churches and religious ministries.
- City of Atlanta Partner — Defendant in a First Amendment case resulting in a $1.2 million settlement for violating a client’s rights.
- City of Phoenix Partner — Defendant in a case where ADF represented artists challenging compelled speech.
- Colorado Civil Rights Commission Partner — Government body challenged by ADF in multiple cases involving religious liberty.
- Grant Park Christian Academy Partner — Client organization represented by Alliance Defending Freedom in legal matters.
- Kirkland & Ellis LLP Partner — Firm collaborating with ADF and Paul D. Clement in Thompson v. Hebdon.
- Mississippi Partner — Represented by ADF before the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
- Mosaic Pregnancy and Health Centers Partner — Client organization supported by Alliance Defending Freedom in legal and advocacy efforts.
- Obria Group Partner — Represented the Obria Group in litigation against Washington’s attorney general over civil investigative demands targeting pregnancy centers.
- Paul D. Clement Partner — Lead counsel collaborating with ADF in Thompson v. Hebdon.
- Shawnee State University Partner — Defendant in a First Amendment case where ADF represented a professor whose rights were violated.
- The Babylon Bee Partner — ADF represents The Babylon Bee in litigation challenging California laws that censor political satire.
- The Heritage Foundation Partner — Collaborated to launch the Promise to America’s Parents campaign addressing government policies on racial division and gender ideology.
- Thomas More Law Center Partner — Co-counsel with ADF in litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia Partner — Represented by ADF in a U.S. Supreme Court case concerning religious discrimination in public benefit programs.
- U.S. Supreme Court Government — Litigates cases at the U.S. Supreme Court as part of its legal advocacy strategy.