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ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM

EIN 54-1660459 SCOTTSDALE, AZ

Revenue 2024
$119,839,751
Expenses 2024
$108,568,981

Program services were 77.9% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
R600
Classification
1000
Street
15100 N 90TH ST

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM EXISTS TO KEEP THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE GOSPEL BY ADVANCING EVERY PERSON'S GOD-GIVEN RIGHT TO LIVE AND SPEAK THE TRUTH. WE CONTEND FOR THE TRUTH IN LAW, POLICY, AND THE PUBLIC SQUARE, AND EQUIP THE ALLIANCE TO DO THE SAME.

Activities or mission (Part I)

ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM EXISTS TO KEEP THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)GOSPEL BY ADVANCING EVERY PERSON'S GOD-GIVEN RIGHT TO LIVE AND SPEAK THE TRUTH. WE CONTEND FOR THE TRUTH IN LAW, POLICY, AND THE PUBLIC SQUARE, AND EQUIP THE ALLIANCE TO DO THE SAME.

  • LEGAL ADVOCACY: ADF IS A GLOBAL RELIGIOUS LEGAL ORGANIZATION THAT CONTENDS FOR TRUTH IN LAW, POLICY, AND THE PUBLIC SQUARE BY ENGAGING IN LITIGATION AND ADVOCACY ADVANCING FREE SPEECH, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, PARENTAL RIGHTS, AND THE SANCTITY OF LIFE AND MARRIAGE. ADF OFFERS EXPERTISE IN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL LEGAL SYSTEMS. FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATORS HAVE SOUGHT ADF'S COUNSEL, INVITING ADF ATTORNEYS TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS AND STATE LEGISLATURES. ADF'S IMPACT IS ALSO BEING FELT IN CORPORATE AMERICA, AS ADF ATTORNEYS PROMOTE AN ETHIC OF FREE SPEECH, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, AND HUMAN DIGNITY IN THE CORPORATE SPHERE. ADF ALSO PROVIDES GRANTS TO SUPPORT OUR NETWORK ATTORNEYS WORKING ON MATTERS ALIGNED WITH ADF'S STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.

    Expenses $41,333,531 · Grants $10,573,070 · Revenue $2,691,250

  • ALLIED SUPPORT AND TRAINING: ADF SEEKS TO CULTIVATE ALLIES ACROSS MULTIPLE PROFESSIONS WHO CONTEND FOR TRUTH IN LAW, POLICY, AND THE PUBLIC SQUARE. ADF PROVIDES TRAINING, EDUCATION, EVENTS, AMICUS CURIAE OPPORTUNITIES, AND OTHER SUPPORTIVE INITIATIVES SO THAT ADF'S MISSION CAN BE MULTIPLIED THROUGH A COMMITTED COMMUNITY.

    Expenses $26,096,273 · Grants $1,354,900 · Revenue $1,924,274

  • EDUCATION: AS A LEGAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION, ADF SEEKS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING THE FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS WITHIN ITS MISSION. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A VARIETY OF CHANNELS, INCLUDING PUBLIC SPEAKING; DIGITAL, ELECTRONIC, AND PRINT RESOURCES; SOCIAL MEDIA; EVENTS; AND A COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITE. KEY EXAMPLES INCLUDE A PARENTAL RIGHTS TOOLKIT TO HELP PARENTS KNOW THEIR RIGHTS AND A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE ENTITLED FAITH & JUSTICE. THESE AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT KEY CULTURAL AND LEGAL ISSUES OF THE DAY, WHILE SERVING TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL ADF ALLIES.

    Expenses $17,144,153 · Revenue $1,282,850

As filed on the 2024 return.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • KRISTEN WAGGONER

    CEO, PRESIDENT & CHIEF COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $622,744
    From this org
    $584,869
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $37,875
    Hours/week
    60 + 3 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $584,059
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $810
    Deferred
    $7,900
    Nontaxable benefits
    $29,975
    Filer's total
    $622,744

  • JOHN ROGERS

    CHAIRMAN

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    7 + 1 related

  • MARK MADDOUX

    SECRETARY/TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4 + 1 related

  • MICHAEL WHITEHEAD

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 1 related

  • SCOTT SCHARPEN

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 1 related

  • LISA FULLERTON

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 1 related

  • CALEB ROBINSON

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 1 related

  • MICHAEL TREMAIN

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 1 related

  • KERRI KUPEC URBAHN

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 1 related

  • REBECCA EGGLESTON

    EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - PART YEAR

    Total calculated
    $399,286
    From this org
    $363,537
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $35,749
    Hours/week
    50 + 2 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $332,720
    Bonus
    $30,307
    Other
    $510
    Deferred
    $12,897
    Nontaxable benefits
    $22,852
    Filer's total
    $399,286

  • MARK TJERNAGEL

    EVP OF OPERATIONS - PART YEAR

    Total calculated
    $47,839
    From this org
    $45,316
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $2,523
    Hours/week
    50 + 2 related

  • JIM CAMPBELL

    CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $407,645
    From this org
    $370,542
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $37,103
    Hours/week
    50

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $339,875
    Bonus
    $30,307
    Other
    $360
    Deferred
    $6,277
    Nontaxable benefits
    $30,826
    Filer's total
    $407,645

  • LANCE BAUSLAUGH

    SVP OF DEVELOPMENT

    Total calculated
    $331,348
    From this org
    $295,379
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $35,969
    Hours/week
    50

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $284,519
    Bonus
    $10,307
    Other
    $553
    Deferred
    $6,194
    Nontaxable benefits
    $29,775
    Filer's total
    $331,348

  • RYAN BANGERT

    SVP OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

    Total calculated
    $333,850
    From this org
    $291,418
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $42,432
    Hours/week
    50 + 1 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $270,541
    Bonus
    $20,407
    Other
    $470
    Deferred
    $11,522
    Nontaxable benefits
    $30,910
    Filer's total
    $333,850

  • JOHN BURSCH

    VP OF APPELLATE ADVOCACY, SR COUNSEL

    Total calculated
    $348,900
    From this org
    $312,710
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $36,190
    Hours/week
    50

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $305,653
    Bonus
    $6,307
    Other
    $750
    Deferred
    $12,475
    Nontaxable benefits
    $23,715
    Filer's total
    $348,900

  • GRANT DAWSON

    SVP OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

    Total calculated
    $334,194
    From this org
    $306,967
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $27,227
    Hours/week
    50

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $306,348
    Bonus
    $307
    Other
    $312
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $27,227
    Filer's total
    $334,194

  • TIM CHANDLER

    SR COUNSEL, VP OF CHURCH & MINISTRY ALLIANCE ENGA

    Total calculated
    $327,439
    From this org
    $284,954
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $42,485
    Hours/week
    50

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $274,170
    Bonus
    $10,307
    Other
    $477
    Deferred
    $11,650
    Nontaxable benefits
    $30,835
    Filer's total
    $327,439

  • JEREMY TEDESCO

    SR COUNSEL, SVP CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT

    Total calculated
    $322,282
    From this org
    $280,202
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $42,080
    Hours/week
    50

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $249,205
    Bonus
    $30,307
    Other
    $690
    Deferred
    $11,465
    Nontaxable benefits
    $30,615
    Filer's total
    $322,282

  • MICHAEL FARRIS

    FORMER PRESIDENT AND CEO

    Total calculated
    $525,000
    From this org
    $525,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    0

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $0
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $525,000
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $525,000

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $119,839,751
    Expenses
    $108,568,981
    Contributions
    $109,839,346
    Grants paid
    $11,927,970
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $110,713,980
    Expenses
    $106,394,230
    Contributions
    $103,101,312
    Grants paid
    $14,107,398
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $101,821,939
    Expenses
    $97,103,483
    Contributions
    $95,442,827
    Grants paid
    $5,776,021

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $104,490,113
    Expenses
    $81,311,475
    Assets (EOY)
    $85,085,772

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $78,833,050
    Expenses
    $67,142,893
    Assets (EOY)
    $78,471,731

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $65,187,555
    Expenses
    $59,299,188
    Assets (EOY)
    $48,720,562

  • 2018 · 990

    Revenue
    $60,949,233
    Expenses
    $57,262,014
    Assets (EOY)
    $45,011,387

  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $55,187,996
    Expenses
    $54,685,295
    Assets (EOY)
    $35,095,981

  • 2016 · 990

    Revenue
    $51,173,952
    Expenses
    $50,304,647
    Assets (EOY)
    $34,851,845

  • 2015 · 990

    Revenue
    $51,537,691
    Expenses
    $57,646,405
    Assets (EOY)
    $32,795,628

  • 2014 · 990

    Revenue
    $48,310,833
    Expenses
    $48,935,954
    Assets (EOY)
    $38,683,986

  • 2013 · 990

    Revenue
    $43,596,651
    Expenses
    $42,742,612
    Assets (EOY)
    $38,238,952

  • 2011 · 990

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    $41,163,648
    Assets (EOY)
    $35,452,107

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Declared on its 2024 return

Declared as related by

Taxable family

From Schedule R Parts I, III and IV: entities that legally are the filer, and taxable partnerships, corporations and trusts it is related to. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money.

Disregarded entities on its 2024 return

  • 15100 LLC

    OWN REAL PROPERTY · AZ · income -$146,128 · assets $9,125,450

Related corporations and trusts on its 2024 return

  • 15100 SOLAR LLC

    C · OWN AND OPERATE SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT · AZ · 100% owned · share of income $98,213 · share of assets $949,447 · controlled entity

  • ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM INTERNATIONAL BELGIUM

    C · HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL WORK · BE

  • ADF INTERNATIONAL (UK) LIMITED

    C · HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL WORK · UK

  • ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM INTERNATIONAL FRANCE

    C · HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL WORK · FR

  • ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM INTERNATIONAL SWITZERLAND

    C · HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL WORK · SZ

  • ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM INTERNATIONAL DEUTSCHLAND EV

    C · HUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL WORK · GM

California fundraising campaigns

Campaigns run by paid fundraisers, commercial coventurers and thrift stores naming this organization, as California published them. Both figures are as filed, and what the first one counts depends on the campaign type — a coventurer or a thrift store files its own sales rather than money collected for the charity. The 990 reports this only as a yearly total, never per campaign.

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $320,534 raised

    2024 Commercial Fundraiser

    $155,082 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $290,200 raised

    2024 Commercial Fundraiser

    $133,608 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $428,025 raised

    2023 Commercial Fundraiser

    $237,339 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $288,720 raised

    2023 Commercial Fundraiser

    $113,780 to charity

  • INFOCISION INC.

    $0 raised

    2023 Commercial Fundraiser

    $0 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $322,753 raised

    2022 Commercial Fundraiser

    $171,615 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $108,286 raised

    2022 Commercial Fundraiser

    $63,002 to charity

  • INFOCISION INC.

    $53,624 raised

    2022 Commercial Fundraiser

    $46,184 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $82,168 raised

    2021 Commercial Fundraiser

    $40,052 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $66,934 raised

    2021 Commercial Fundraiser

    $6,671 to charity

  • INFOCISION INC.

    $17,749 raised

    2021 Commercial Fundraiser

    $6,821 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $57,832 raised

    2020 Commercial Fundraiser

    $21,719 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $51,598 raised

    2020 Commercial Fundraiser

    $8,127 to charity

  • INFOCISION INC.

    $32,998 raised

    2020 Commercial Fundraiser

    $23,634 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $65,858 raised

    2019 Commercial Fundraiser

    -$14,582 to charity

  • MDS COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

    $42,250 raised

    2019 Commercial Fundraiser

    $14,752 to charity

Amounts are as filed and do not add up: a commercial coventurer reports one promotion's whole gross once for each charity that shared in it. A campaign may also name more than one registered charity, in which case it appears on each.

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 26 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.