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Goldwater Institute
| Goldwater Institute | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Top official: | Victor Riches, President and CEO |
| Year founded: | 1988 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Goldwater Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Phoenix, Arizona that, according to its website, is "committed to empowering all Americans to live freer, happier lives, and we accomplish tangible results for liberty by working in state courts, legislatures, and communities nationwide to advance, defend, and strengthen the freedom guaranteed by the constitutions of the United States and the fifty states."[1] The institute was founded in 1988 with the blessing of former Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.).[1]
Background
The Goldwater Institute was founded in 1988 with the blessing of former Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.).[1] Goldwater represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate from 1952 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987.[2] The Washington Post's Bart Barnes wrote that Golwater "was acknowledged as the founder of a conservative movement that had become a vital element in mainstream Republican thinking and a major ingredient in [Ronald] Reagan's political ascendancy."[3]
According to the Goldwater's institute's website "is a free-market public policy research and litigation organization dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government, economic freedom, and individual liberty, with a focus on education, free speech, healthcare, equal protection, property rights, occupational licensing, and constitutional limits."[1]
Leadership
As of September 2025, the Goldwater Institute's Board of Directors included the following individuals:[4]
- Tom Hatten, Chair
- Christopher Gleason, Vice Chair
- Spike Lawrence, Treasurer
- Eric Crown, Board Member
- John Cotton, Board Member
- Barry Goldwater Jr., Board Member
- Randy P. Kendrick, Board Member
- Grover Norquist, Board Member
- Doug Ducey, Board Member
Work and activities
Center for Constitutional Litigation
The Goldwater Institute's website states that, through the Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation, "we litigate cases and file briefs to advance freedom and defend individual rights across the country, on issues ranging from free speech and property rights to school choice and equal protection under the law, and much more."[5]
Center for Constitutional Advocacy
The Goldwater Institute's website states that, through the Van Sittert Center for Constitutional Advocacy, it "defend[s] constitutional rights and promot[es] an understanding, appreciation, and support for the U.S. Constitution."[6] According to the 2024 iteration of the institute's annual report, Barbara and Logan Van Sittert funded the center in what was at the time the "largest gift in the Goldwater Institute's history."[6]
American Freedom Network
The Goldwater Institute's website states that the American Freedom Network (AFN) is a program in which the institute "matches cases and clients to AFN attorneys, and we provide litigation and media communications support along the way."[6] The attorneys work on "cases and projects that advance liberty around the country, on matters ranging from free speech to taxpayer rights to government transparency."[6] According to the 2024 iteration of the institute's annual report, the network consists of approximately 1,000 attorneys who work on the cases pro bono.[6]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the Goldwater Institute's revenues and expenses from 2011 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $31.7 million | $7.63 million |
| 2022 | $7.84 million | $5.51 million |
| 2021 | $6.17 million | $4.65 million |
| 2020 | $6.16 million | $4.03 million |
| 2019 | $5.62 million | $4.74 million |
| 2018 | $5.22 million | $4.38 million |
| 2017 | $6.42 million | $6.19 million |
| 2016 | $6.4 million | $5.5 million |
| 2015 | $4.43 million | $5.62 million |
| 2014 | $5.05 million | $5.34 million |
| 2013 | $4.45 million | $4.24 million |
| 2012 | $3.83 million | $3.46 million |
| 2011 | $4.19 million | $3.76 million |
See also
- Randy Kendrick
- Arizona
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Goldwater Institute, "About," accessed September 8, 2025
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Goldwater, Barry Morris," accessed September 8, 2025
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Barry Goldwater, GOP Hero, Dies," May 30, 1998
- ↑ The Goldwater Institue, "Meet the Team," accessed September 8, 2025
- ↑ Goldwater Institute, "Litigation," accessed September 9, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Golwater Institute, "2024 Annual Report," accessed September 9, 2025
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