American Friends of Policy Exchange
US charity that raises money for the London think tank Policy Exchange
| American Friends of Policy Exchange
| |
|---|---|
| Type | US 501(c)(3) charity |
| Founded | August 2011 (tax exemption issued) |
| Headquarters | St Petersburg, Florida |
American Friends of Policy Exchange (American Friends of Policy Exchange Inc) is a US tax-exempt charity that supports the London think tank Policy Exchange, which is directed by Dean Godson.[1] It is registered in the United States under EIN 27-3088545, was granted tax exemption in August 2011, and is classified as a single-organisation support charity.[2] Policy Exchange does not publish the names of its donors in the UK, and the American charity's filings are one of the few public glimpses of its finances.[3]
Finances
The charity files Form 990 returns with the US Internal Revenue Service, summarised by ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. The returns for the two most recent years give the following figures.[2]
| Year ending March | Return filed | Contributions | Total revenue | Expenses | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 August 2025 | $243,673 | $320,584 | $158,091 | $2,014,418 |
| 2026 | 31 August 2026 | $424,369 | $498,349 | $263,482 | $2,249,285 |
Total revenue includes investment income of $76,911 in the year to March 2025 and $73,980 in the year to March 2026.[2]
In an analysis of US tax filings published on 2 November 2026, Peter Geoghegan of Democracy for Sale reported that contributions to the American Friends of Policy Exchange rose from $244,000 to $424,000, an increase of 74 per cent. According to the article, the charity transferred $200,000 to its British parent and held net assets of $2.25 million in March 2026. Geoghegan wrote that, across the American arms of four think tanks based in or around Tufton Street (the American Friends of the IEA, the American Friends of Policy Exchange and the US branches of the Global Warming Policy Foundation and the Henry Jackson Society), contributions and grants rose by $315,000 to $1.38 million.[3]
Geoghegan added that much of the money that can be traced reached the American affiliates through donor-advised funds, which do not reveal who supplied the money.[3] Policy Exchange did not respond to requests for comment. The article does not mention Dean Godson.[3]
Officers
The 990 returns list the following unpaid officers.[2]
- Returns filed on 26 August 2025 and 31 August 2026: Bob Bishop (director), Amanda Foreman (director), Danielle Crittenden Frum (director), Sheila McLaughlin (secretary) and Julia Mizen (treasurer).
- Returns filed between 4 August 2014 and 18 February 2025: Robert Rosenkranz as chairman, Amanda Foreman as vice chair or director, Kenneth David Burrows as secretary, and a director identified as David Frum in 2014 and as Danielle Crittenden Frum in later returns. The 2014 return also lists Sian Hansen and Mark Macgregor as treasurers and Susan Gilchrist as a member; Julia Mizen appears as treasurer in later returns.
Geoghegan described Bob Bishop as director of the American Friends of Policy Exchange and reported that Bishop had given more than $103,000 to support Ashley Moody, who was running for a Florida Senate seat, and $80,000 to the pro-Robert F. Kennedy Jr Make America Healthy Again political action committee. He added that Bishop's family foundation, Swordspoint, gave the American Friends of Policy Exchange $100,000.[3]
Donors
Geoghegan reported that Leonard Blavatnik, who has funded the Conservative Party, had given more than $200,000 to Policy Exchange, and had given $435,500 to Republican causes and $32,000 to Democrats since the 2024 US election. The article does not say that Blavatnik's gifts to Policy Exchange went through the American Friends of Policy Exchange.[3]
See also
Notes
- ↑ Policy Exchange, Meet the team, accessed 5 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 American Friends Of Policy Exchange Inc, Nonprofit Explorer, ProPublica, accessed 5 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Peter Geoghegan, NEW: US funding for 'Tufton Street' think tanks up 29%, Democracy for Sale, 2 November 2026, accessed 5 November 2026.