American Unity Fund
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| American Unity Fund | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(4) |
| Top official: | Margaret Hoover, President |
| Year founded: | 2013 |
| Website: | Official website |
American Unity Fund is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that aims to support same-sex marriage policies and LGBT issues within the Republican Party.[1] The organization is related to, but operates independently of, American Unity PAC, an independent expenditure-only committee.
Mission
American Unity Fund lists the following mission statement on its website:[1]
| “ | The mission of American Unity Fund, a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, is freedom. We are dedicated to advancing the cause of freedom for LGBT Americans by making the conservative case that freedom truly means freedom for everyone.[2] | ” |
History
The American Unity Fund was founded in 2013 as the lobbying and social welfare arm of American Unity, an organization that advocates for LGBT rights within the Republican Party. Initially funded by billionaire donors Paul Singer, Clifford Asness, David Herro, and Seth Klarman, the organization began by focusing on state-level legislation concerning same-sex marriage. The group was founded on the belief that the issue of marriage equality is also an issue of individual liberty. Singer told The Washington Post, "I believe marriage equality is critical to the future of individual liberty and the strength of the American family, and the Republican Party should stand for both."[3]
In April 2013, Singer elaborated on the group's perspective, telling The New York Times, "The concept of gay unions fits very well within our framework of individual liberty and our belief that strong families make for a stronger society. The institution of marriage is in very bad shape in this country, yet gay and lesbian couples want very much to be a part of it, to live as committed husbands and wives with their children in traditional family units. This should be what we want as conservatives, for people to cherish and respect this model and to want it for themselves."[4]
Work
Legislation
American Unity Fund's initial work was to lobby legislatures for same-sex marriage legislation in Illinois and Delaware, "where a handful of Republican votes could enable advocates to win passage of same-sex marriage legislation," according to The New York Times. The paper also reported that the group's early activity focused on Minnesota, West Virginia, and Utah.[4]
In 2015, Jeff Cook-McCormac left American Unity and Tyler Deaton, who had run programs for American Unity in multiple states, assumed the national leadership role. He told Buzzfeed of the group's plans for 2015:[5]
| “ | What we’re wanting to make clear in the coming year is that American Unity Fund is prepared to increase its commitment to our work in the states, investing up to $6 million in state efforts across the country to protect more LGBT Americans and build the momentum for a nationwide resolution on nondiscrimination. ... To that end, we’re going to have a two-prong approach, where we’ll be working to advance non-discrimination bills while also continuing to work to defeat anti-LGBT measures, like Arizona’s SB 1062, which we worked to defeat last year — along with a whole host of other anti-LGBT legislation.[2] | ” |
Republican Party platform
During the 2016 election cycle, American Unity Fund began working on efforts to remove opposition to same-sex marriage from the Republican Party platform. American Unity absorbed the group Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, a group that had already begun the process of reforming the platform in 2014. Jerri Ann Henry, who managed the campaign at the time of it's merger with American Unity, said, "If the first part of this campaign was about raising awareness and bringing attention to the needs to raise the platform, now we’re in the actual boots-on-the-ground, recruiting delegates in all 50 states and meeting with RNC committee members … and working on actually placing people on the platform committee and actually changing the language."[6] Politico reported further on the group's platform reform efforts, saying:[7]
| “ | The American Unity Fund wants the 2016 platform to look very different from its predecessor. From its headquarters, where about 10 staffers work, Henry keeps a spreadsheet of where each state stands on its delegate selection process. ... The group is looking to lobby delegates across the country — including in liberal, gay marriage-friendly states like California, and in more conservative strongholds like Georgia and Texas, where it is convinced some party figures may be receptive to message.[2] | ” |
Leadership
As of May 2016, the president of American Unity Fund was Margaret Hoover, and the group's senior advisor was Tyler Deaton.[1] Jeff Cook-McCormac also worked as an advisor to the organization from when it was founded in 2013 until 2015, when he left to work for Daniel Loeb, one of American Unity's largest donors.[4]
Tax status
American Unity Fund is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Its 501(c) status refers to a section of the U.S. federal income tax code concerning social welfare organizations.[8] Organizations that have been granted 501(c)(4) status by the Internal Revenue Service are exempt from federal income tax.[9] Section 501(c) of the U.S. tax code has 29 sections listing specific conditions particular organizations must meet in order to be considered tax-exempt under the section. Unlike 501(c)(3) organizations, however, donations to 501(c)(4) organizations are not tax-deductible for the individual or corporation making the contribution. 501(c)(4) organizations may engage in political lobbying and political campaign activities. This includes donations to political committees that support or oppose ballot measures, bond issues, recalls, or referenda.
- See also: 501(c)(4) organizations on Ballotpedia
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'American Unity Fund'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- American Unity PAC
- Paul Singer
- Seth Klarman
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 American Unity Fund, "About," accessed May 27, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Meet the billionaire hedge fund manager quietly shaping the GOP gay marriage debate," May 3, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The New York Times, "Pushing the G.O.P. to Support Gay Rights," April 26, 2013
- ↑ Buzzfeed, "Under New Leadership, Republican LGBT Group Aims To Spend $40 Million This Cycle," February 19, 2015
- ↑ Washington Blade, "High hopes for LGBT inclusion in 2016 party platforms," December 2, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "The GOP’s (other) convention nightmare," April 4, 2016
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "IRC 501(c)(4) Organizations," accessed July 10, 2014
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