Searle Freedom Trust

The Searle Freedom Trust (SFT), formerly called the D&D Foundation, is a conservative 501(c)(3) private foundation, consisting of wealth inherited from pharmaceutical G.D. Searle & Company, which created the artificial sweetener aspartame marketed as "NutraSweet" and is now part of Pfizer. Daniel C. Searle formed the trust in 1988 in order to back his ideas as a "free enterprise conservative," according to former board member Howard J. Trienens. The foundation funds Americans for Prosperity, the American Enterprise Institute, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the Heartland Institute, State Policy Network, and many other right-wing groups. Kimberly O. Dennis is its executive director. The trust describes itself as intending to "foster research and education on public policy issues that affect individual freedom and economic liberty."

In 2011, SFT reported a total annual revenue of $12,934,631 and distributed $14,965,418 in grants, contributions, and gifts.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council
Searle Freedom Trust gave $125,000 to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in 2011. The organization funded the research and publication of at least the third and fifth editions of ALEC's Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index report.

2011 Finances and Donations
In 2011, SFT reported a total of $2,795 received in contributions, gifts, and grants. SFT paid a total of $14,965,418 in contributions, most of which went to conservative organizations. Searle Freedom Trust donated to State Policy Network (SPN) and the following SPN members:


 * American Legislative Exchange Council - $175,000
 * Atlas Economic Research Foundation - $50,000
 * Cato Institute - $225,000
 * Competitive Enterprise Institute - $175,000
 * DonorsTrust - $1,796,000
 * Goldwater Institute - $75,000
 * Heritage Foundation - $125,000
 * Manhattan Institute - $500,000
 * Pacific Research Institute - $350,000
 * State Policy Network - $464,000
 * Texas Public Policy Foundation - $100,000

Another major industry-connected right wing organization that received donations from the Searle Freedom Trust in 2011 was the Philanthropy Roundtable, which received $100,000.

2010 Finances and Donations
In 2010, SFT reported a total of $17,157,662 received in contributions, gifts, and grants, which came from the related DC Searle Trust (named for Daniel C. Searle). SFT paid a total of $14,499,689 in contributions, most of which went to conservative organizations. Searle Freedom Trust donated to the following members of the State Policy Network:


 * American Legislative Exchange Council - $125,000 for "Rich States Poor States, 3rd Edition" (see above)
 * Americans for Prosperity Foundation $100,000 for "RightOnline blogger development" ("a project of Americans for Prosperity Foundation dedicated to advancing liberty and prosperity for all Americans through greater citizen participation online")
 * Cato Institute - $200,000
 * Competitive Enterprise Institute - $175,000
 * DonorsTrust - $30,000 for marketing
 * Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (which fights anti-bullying laws on campus, among other things) $75,000 for "Spotlight website"
 * Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity $87,500 for "watchdog websites"
 * Goldwater Institute - $50,000
 * Heritage Foundation - $295,000 for "Case Against Tenure book," "marketing of book by Naomi Riley on tenure," and "nuclear energy film"
 * Institute for Humane Studies (also at George Mason University) $325,000 for "Dan Searle Fellowships," "popular culture initiative," and "journalism internships"
 * Manhattan Institute - $450,000 for "Center for the American University," "SFT Fellowship for Nicole Gelinas"; "Center for State & Local Leadership/Moving Men into the Mainstream," and "Center for Energy Policy & the Environment"
 * Mercatus Center (also at George Mason University) $250,000 for "new program of Masters degrees in Applied Econ.," "Regulatory Studies Program; Veronique de Rugy & Jerry Brito's work on budget," and "financial markets working group"
 * National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation $75,000 for "card check legal defense program"
 * National Taxpayers Union Foundation $40,000 for "Bill Tally"
 * Pacific Research Institute - $200,000 for "truth about ObamaCare" and "environmental almanac"
 * State Policy Network- (a network of right wing think tanks in all 50 states) $371,500 for "State Budgets in Crisis project" and "RFP on state spending policy"
 * Texas Public Policy Foundation - $95,000 for Center for Tenth Amendment Studies

Other Searle Freedom Trusts grantees in 2010 included a veritable who's who of right wing organizations and causes:


 * Philanthropy Roundtable - $100,000
 * American Enterprise Institute $100,000 for "tax and public finance"
 * Dick Armey's Freedomworks Foundation $60,000 for a "blogger conference"
 * George Mason University $1,149,949 for a range of departments and projects for "Case Against Tenure book," "marketing of book by Naomi Riley on tenure," and "nuclear energy film"
 * Lucy Burns Institute $25,000 for "Ballotpedia"
 * Property and Environment Research Center (former Political Economy Research Center, a think tank specializing in so-called "free market environmentalism") $246,000 for "workshops on environmental economics," "Julian Simon fellows," and "media fellows"
 * STATS - $154,000 for a "Gene Policy and Science Literacy Project" which has been | linked agribusiness think tanks

2008 Finances and Donations

 * ACCF Center for Policy Research	-	$60,000	for	Capital Gains Tax Research
 * Action Institute	-	$50,000	for	Documentary Video Shorts
 * Africa Fight Malaria	-	$50,000	for	Regulation of Counterfeit Drugs
 * America's Future Foundation	-	$31,000	for	College Blogger Award
 * American Enterprise Institute	-	$500,000	for	D.C. Searle Chair for Chris Dumuth; $1,000,000 for	Tax/Public Finance
 * American Family Business Foundation	-	$46,400	for	Dynamic Analysis of Death Tax Repeal
 * American Film Renassaince	-	$300,000	for	Seed Funding
 * American Legislative Exchange Council	-	$100,000	for	Rich States Poor States
 * Americans for Prosperity	-	$50,000	for	Earmarks and Electivity Project
 * Americans for Tax Reform	-	$44,000	for	Web 2.0 Training; $100,000	for	Web 2.0 Training
 * Capital Research Center	-	$35,000	for	Soros Watch
 * Center for Competitive Politics	-	$125,000	for	Litigation Program
 * Center for Independent Thought	-	$75,000	for	Stossel in the Classroom
 * Citizens Against Government Waste	-	$50,000	for	State Piglet Books
 * Claremont Institute	-	$75,000	for	Fellows Program
 * Collegiate Network	-	$140,000	for	Professionalism Journalism Development Award
 * Competitive Enterprise Institute	-	$50,000	for	Warrant T. Brookes Journalism Fellowship; $175,000 for	Climate Change/Tobacco Legislation
 * Donor's Trust	-	$40,000	for	Initiative on Race Preferences; $200,000	for	Litigation on Race Preferences; $30,000	for	Marketing; $100,000 for Supply Side Institute
 * Duke University Political Science	-	$53,100	for	Postdoctoral Fellowships
 * Encounter Books	-	$30,000	for	Manifest on Media Freedom
 * Ethics and Public Policy Center	-	$75,000	for	Work by Ed Whelan
 * Evergreen Foundation	-	$50,000	for	scrapthecode.org
 * Federalists Society	-	$300,000	for	Fellows in Law/Research Fellowships
 * Foundation for Individual Rights in Education	-	$75,000	for	"Spotlight" Website
 * Fraser Institute	-	$100,000	for	Economic Freedom
 * George Marshall Insitute	-	$60,000	for	Study on Impact of Mandate Greenhouse Reductions
 * George Mason University Foundation	-	$109,371	for	Reseach Sabbatical
 * GMU Economics Department	-	$60,000	for	Postdoctoral Fellowships
 * Grassroot Insitute of Hawaii	-	$25,000	for	Akaka Bill Studies
 * Harris School of Public Policy	-	$29,650	for	Sabbatical for Chris Berry
 * Harvard University	-	$115,000	for	Graduate and Post Doc Fellowships; $50,000	for Program on Education Policy
 * Heritage Foundation	-	$80,000	for	Cost of Climate Change
 * Hoover Institution	-	$200,000	for	Uncommon Knowledge
 * Independent Women's Forum	-	$75,000	for	Family Medical Leave Act
 * Institute for Humane Studies	-	$250,000	for	Fellowships/Pop Culture Intitative
 * Institute for Research on Economics and Taxation	-	$80,000	for	Capital Gains Tax Research
 * Institute for Justice	-	$200,000	for	Strategic Research Program
 * Iowa State University	-	$50,000	for	Reaserach on 3R Policies
 * John Locke Foundation	-	$30,000	for	Carlina Journal TV
 * KTC Hedge Products	-	$37
 * Madison Dearborn Capital	-	$84
 * Manhattan Institute	-	$450,000	for	MMM Project
 * Mercatus Center	-	$40,000	for	Fellowships for M.A.S. in Economics; $190,000 for Regulatory Studies
 * Moving Picture Institute	-	$100,000	for	Internship
 * Natinal Right to Work Foundation	-	$75,000	for	Card Check Instant Organizaing Task Force
 * National Council on Teacher Quality	-	$100,000	for	Ratings of School Education
 * National Review Institute	-	$45,000	for	Fellows Program
 * National Taxpayers Union Foundation	-	$40,000	for	Bill/Vote Tally
 * Pacific Legal Foundation	-	$80,000	for	Endangered Species Act
 * Pacific Research Foundation	-	$180,000	for	Environmental Index; $100,000	for	Benjamin Rush Society
 * Philanthropy Roundtable	-	$100,000	for	Donor Recruiting
 * Property and Environment Reseach	-	$5,000	for	Fellows; $161,000	for	Workshops
 * Reason Foundation	-	$75,000	for	Grant for line plot; $160,000	for	New Media Fellowship; $500,000	for	Reason TV
 * School Performance, Inc.	-	$100,000	for	Brighter Choice
 * Searle Center on Law/Regulation	-	$400,000	for	Civil Justice Institute
 * Social Security Foundation	-	$50,000	for	Book Launch
 * Stanford Instute	-	$248,000	for	Postdoctoral Fellowships
 * State Policy Newtork	-	$30,000	for	RFP on State Spending Policy; $300,000	for	Budget/Tax RFP; $30,000	for	State Budget Cuts
 * Tax Foundation	-	$150,000	for	Putting a Face on America's Tax Returns; $77,500	for	Federal Tax and Spending Policies
 * Thackeray Partners	-	$10
 * The Advisors	-	$647
 * UC Regents	-	$100,000	for	Grant for Affirmative Action; $360,000	for	Initiative on Race Preferences
 * University of Chicago	-	$22,500	for	PHD Fellowships; $29,650	for	School Sabbatical
 * University of Pennsylvania	-	$40,000	for	Market and the Environment
 * University of Texas	-	$26,000	for	Edgewood Voucher Project
 * Witherspoon Insitute	-	$12,155	for	Fellowship Support Catherine Pakaluk
 * Yale University 	-	$249,600	for	Law Clinic

2006 Finances and Donations
Searle Freedom Trust's 990 Tax Form for 2006 shows that the foundation made the following grants and donations in the 2006 fiscal year:


 * Action Institute, Grand Rapids MI - $50,000
 * American Enterprise Institute, Washington D.C. - $194,000
 * American Docs. Inc., Yucaipa, CA - $225,000
 * American Film Renaissance, Dallas, TX - $75,000
 * Americans for Prosperity, Washington D.C. - $25,000
 * American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Washington D.C. - $100,000
 * Brookings Institute (to support economic institutes for judges), Irving CA - $100,000
 * Capital Research Center, Washington D.C. - $25,000
 * Case Western University (Center for Business Law and Regulations), Cleveland, OH - $16,125
 * Cato Institute, Washington D.C. - $100,000
 * Citizens Against Government Waste, Washington D.C. - $25,000
 * Claremont Insitute, Claremont, CA - $100,000
 * Clemson University (Post Doctorate Fellowship), Clemson, SC - $70,00
 * Collegiate Network, Wilmington, DE - $120,000
 * Competitive Enterprise Institute, Washington D.C. - $160,000
 * Donors Trust, Alexandria, VA - $692,000
 * Ethics and Public Policy Center (For work on judicial appointments), Washington D.C. - $50,000
 * Federalist Society, Washington D.C. - $150,000
 * The Foundation, Culver City, CA - $25,000
 * Free Enterprise Institute, Washington D.C. - $75,000
 * George Mason University (School of Public Policy/ ATC Study), Fairfax, VA - $20,000
 * George Mason University (Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science) - $45,000
 * George Mason University (Law and Economic Center) - $80,000
 * Harvard University, Cambridge, MA - $250,000
 * Heritage Foundation, Washington D.C. - $100,000
 * Institute for Humane Studies, Arlington, VA - $245,000
 * Institute for Justice, Arlington, VA - $150,000
 * Kinship Foundation, Northbrook, IL - $20,000
 * Manhattan Institute, New York, NY - $300,000
 * Mercatus Center, Arlington, VA - $100,000
 * Moving Pictures Institute, New York, NY - $100,000
 * National Council on Teacher Quality, Washington D.C. - $226,000
 * National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Springfield, VA - $65,000
 * National Taxpayers Union Foundation, Alexandria, VA - $40,000
 * Pacific Legal Foundation, Sacramento, CA - $100,000
 * Pacific Research Institute, San Francisco, CA - $140,000
 * PERC, Bozeman, MT - $85,000
 * Reason Foundation, Los Angeles, CA - $250,000
 * Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Stanford, CA - $10,800
 * State Policy Network (SPN), Richmond, CA - $248,500
 * Tax Foundation, Washington D.C. - $100,000
 * Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Washington D.C. - $40,000
 * University of Chicago (Becker and Murphy Course on Price Theory), Chicago, IL - $22,500
 * University of Chicago (Chicago workshop on black - white inequality) - $147,800
 * University of Virginia (Research on Housing Policy), Charlottesville, VA -$36,215

Personnel
As of November 2012:

Trustees

 * Kinship Trust Company, LLC
 * D. Gideon Searle

Grant Advisors

 * Christopher C. Demuth
 * Steven F. Hayward
 * Stephen Moore
 * James Piereson

Family Advisors

 * Michael D. Searle
 * Ethan O. Meers

Staff
As of October 2013:

Kimberly O. Dennis President and CEO (202) 375-7822 kdennis -at- searlefreedomtrust.org Courtney Myers Program Officer (202) 375-7834 cmyers -at- searlefreedomtrust.org Richard Tren Program Officer (202) 375-7824 rtren -at- searlefreedomtrust.org Gerard Alexander Consultant (202) 375-7826 galexander -at- searlefreedomtrust.org Jennifer Eakle Office Manager (202) 375-7827 jeakle -at- searlefreedomtrust.org

Contact Information
The contact information given on the organization's website as of June 2013 is: 1055 Thomas Jefferson St., NW, Suite L 26 Washington, DC 20007 Phone: 202-375-7820 Fax: 202-375-7821 Web: http://searlefreedomtrust.org/ Email: See above.

The address given on the organization's most recent (2011) IRS Form 990 is of the Kinship Trust Company which manages finances for private clients:

Kinship Trust Company 303 W. Madison Ave., Ste. 1800 Chicago, IL 60606

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Pfizer
 * DonorsTrust
 * State Policy Network
 * Kimberly O. Dennis

External Resources

 * Tom Philpott, The making of an Agribusiness Apologist, Mother Jones, Feb 24, 2012.