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American Conservative Union Foundation
| American Conservative Union Foundation | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Alexandria, Virginia |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Top official: | Matt Schlapp |
| Year founded: | 1973 |
| Connections | |
| •American Conservative Union •Carly Fiorina •Amy Noone Frederick •Matthew Schlapp •CPAC | |
American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF) is a conservative 501(c)(3) headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. Founded in 1973, the organization is a branch of the American Conservative Union. The ACUF is aimed at educating and informing conservatives. The organization also hosts the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.
Background
In 1973, the ACU Education and Research Institute (ACU-ERI), a scholarly and educational foundation that produced political studies and issue analyses, was established. By 1984, the ACU-ERI had become independent of the American Conservative Union (ACU), but in its stead the John M. Ashbrook Educational Foundation was created, and, subsequently, renamed the American Conservative Union Foundation.[1]
As of 2021, the American Conservative Union Foundation's (ACUF) website said the organization's mission was:[2]
| “ |
Our purpose is to educate voters, office-holders and opinion leaders as to why conservative principles work better to solve problems, as well as to equip them to become better conservatives and effective problem-solvers. Our policy centers bring together respected thought leaders under a range of issues, sharing thoughts and conservative solutions with fellow conservatives and the public.[3] |
” |
Leadership
The following individuals were in leadership positions in the American Conservative Union Foundation as of July 2025:
- Matthew Schlapp, chairman[4]
Work and activities
Conservative Political Action Conference
- See also: Conservative Political Action Conference
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is an annual conference organized by the American Conservative Union since 1974. On its website, CPAC described itself as "the largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world."[5]
CPAC 2025 took place on February 19-22, 2025, in National Harbor, Maryland.[6] Speakers included President Donald Trump (R), Vice President J.D. Vance (R), former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, and Elon Musk.[7]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the American Conservative Union Foundation's revenues and expenses from 2001 to 2024. The information comes from Internal Revenue Service reports.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $627,472 | $790,962 |
| 2002 | $575,595 | $632,757 |
| 2003 | $745,654 | $759,128 |
| 2004 | $763,590 | $713,586 |
| 2005 | $1,068,592 | $1,151,894 |
| 2006 | $1,124,590 | $1,059,260 |
| 2008 | $1,253,499 | $1,267,385 |
| 2009 | $1,183,096 | $1,378,150 |
| 2010 | $1,351,773 | $1,442,184 |
| 2011 | $1,588,699 | $1,954,492 |
| 2012 | $385,014 | $333,168 |
| 2013 | $1,439,439 | $1,022,567 |
| 2014 | $881,049 | $1,855,873 |
| 2015 | $2,610,461 | $1,894,416 |
| 2016 | $2,471,116 | $2,357,551 |
| 2017 | $2,790,918 | $2,810,575 |
| 2018 | $1,998,282 | $2,035,497 |
| 2019 | $4,975,967 | $4,175,543 |
| 2020 | $6,098,234 | $5,470,676 |
| 2021 | $4,056,346 | $4,702,691 |
| 2022 | $9,427,841 | $7,817,710 |
| 2023 | $8,195,246 | $9,298,061 |
| 2024 | $9,273,258 | $6,157,058 |
See also
- What is an influencer?
- Carly Fiorina
- Amy Noone Frederick
- 501(c)(3)
- Conservative Political Action Conference
- American Conservative Union
- CPAC
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ ACU, "History," accessed June 10, 2015
- ↑ ACUF, "Our Mission," accessed July 28, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Practicing Law Institute, "Matthew A. Schlapp," accessed July 28, 2025
- ↑ CPAC, "Home," accessed February 24, 2021
- ↑ CPAC, "CPAC in DC 2025," July 28, 2025
- ↑ C-SPAN, "Conservative Political Action Conference," accessed July 28, 2025
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