{{Short description|Former public advocacy organization}} {{Infobox organization | name = Freedom Partners | image = Freedom Partners.png | caption = Freedom Partners logo | founder = | type = Chamber of commerce 501(c)(6) | tax_id = 45-3732750 (EIN) | registration_id = | founded = {{Start date|2011|11}} | location = Arlington, Virginia | coordinates = | origins = | key_people = | region_served = | focus = | mission = | method = | revenue = $255,674,218 (FY 2011) | endowment = | num_volunteers = | num_employees = | num_members = 200 | subsid = | former_name = Association for American Innovation | website = | dissolved = 2019 | footnotes = <ref name=Surgey /><ref name=2011-990 /> }} '''Freedom Partners''' was a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The organization, which was founded in 2011 under the name Association for American Innovation, was purposed to promote "the benefits of free markets and a free society."<ref name=About /> It was partially funded by the Koch brothers,<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|author1=Chris Rufer|title=End This Corporate Welfare|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/23/opinion/end-this-corporate-welfare.html?ref=opinion&_r=0|access-date=4 April 2015|work=NY Times|date=23 March 2015|format=Opinion Pages}}</ref> and sponsored various Republican politicians and conservative groups. The group was dissolved in 2019 amidst a restructuring of the Koch family's giving.<ref name=hohmann>{{cite news |last1=Hohmann |first1=James |title=The Koch network is reorganizing under a new name and with new priorities |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2019/05/20/daily-202-the-koch-network-is-reorganizing-under-a-new-name-and-with-new-priorities/5ce1a94fa7a0a435cff8c0d3/ |access-date=20 May 2019 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=May 20, 2019}}</ref>
==Membership== Freedom Partners was structured as a chamber of commerce and was composed of around 200 members who each paid a minimum US$100,000 in annual dues. In 2012, the organization raised $256 million.<ref name=Allen />
The organization was partially funded by the Koch brothers,<ref name="nyt"/> although it operated independently of Koch Industries.<ref name=KochFacts /> A majority of Freedom Partners board was made up of long-time employees of Koch entities.<ref name=Confessore /><ref name=Seitz-Wald /><ref name=Blumenthal />
==Activities== Freedom Partners gave grants worth a total of $236 million to conservative organizations including Tea Party groups like the Tea Party Patriots and organizations which opposed the Affordable Care Act prior to the 2012 election. In 2012, Freedom Partners made a grant of $115 million to the Center to Protect Patient Rights.<ref name=Surgey /> Ahead of the 2012 presidential election, Freedom Partners donated $8.1 million to the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fang |first1=Lee |title= "Libertarian" Koch brothers finance group protesting gay marriage at supreme Court |url= https://theintercept.com/2015/04/28/anti-gay-marriage-group-demonstrating-front-supreme-court-financed-libertarian-koch-brothers |website= The intercept |date=28 April 2015 |publisher= First Look Media |access-date=28 July 2018}}</ref>
It awarded grants to advocacy organizations with the goal of raising public awareness about "important societal and economic issues".<ref name=About />
==See also== * Americans for Prosperity * KochPAC * Stand Together
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=About>{{cite web | url=http://freedompartners.org/us/ | title=About Us | publisher=Freedom Partners | access-date=September 16, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113113714/http://freedompartners.org/us/ | archive-date=November 13, 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name=KochFacts>{{cite web |url=http://www.kochfacts.com/kf/koch-and-freedom-partners/ |title=Koch and Freedom Partners |website=kochfacts.com |publisher=Koch Industries | date=September 12, 2013 | access-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref>
<ref name=Confessore>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/us/politics/tax-filings-hint-at-extent-of-koch-brothers-reach.html?_r=0 | title=Tax Filings Hint at Extent of Koch Brothers' Reach | work=New York Times | date=September 12, 2013 | access-date=September 17, 2013 | author=Confessore, Nicholas}}</ref>
<ref name=Seitz-Wald>{{cite web | url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/koch-brothers-break-new-ground-in-dark-money-20130913 | title=Koch Brothers Break New Ground in Dark Money | work=National Journal | date=September 13, 2013 | access-date=September 16, 2013 | author=Seitz-Wald, Alex}}</ref>
<ref name=Blumenthal>{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/12/koch-brothers-freedom-partners_n_3914157.html | title=Koch Brothers Respond To Report On Freedom Partners, Their New Political Organization | publisher=Huffington Post | date=September 12, 2013 | access-date=September 16, 2013 | author=Blumenthal, Paul}}</ref>
<ref name=Surgey>{{cite web | url=http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/09/12244/revealed-extensive-koch-links-new-right-wing-250-million-mega-fund | title=Revealed: Extensive Koch Links to New Right-Wing $250 Million Mega Fund | publisher=PR Watch | date=September 16, 2013 | access-date=September 16, 2013 | author=Surgey, Nick}}</ref>
<ref name=Allen>{{cite web | url=https://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/behind-the-curtain-exclusive-the-koch-brothers-secret-bank-96669.html | title=The Koch brothers' secret bank | publisher=Politico | date=September 11, 2013 | access-date=September 16, 2013 |author1=Allen, Mike |author2=Vandehei, Jim}}</ref>
<ref name=2011-990>{{cite web | url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/797553-freedom-partners-2011-clear.html | title=Freedom Partners 2011 Form 990 Federal Tax Return | publisher=OpenSecrets | access-date=September 20, 2013}}</ref> }}
==External links== *[https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/797553-freedom-partners-2011-clear.html Freedom Partners 2011 Federal Tax Return]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Freedom Partners}} Category:2011 establishments in Virginia Category:501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations Category:Chambers of commerce in the United States Category:Conservative organizations in the United States Category:Organizations based in Arlington County, Virginia Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States Category:Koch network Category:2016 United States presidential election Category:American organizations established in 2011