Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization founded by Charlie Kirk in 2012, amassed nearly $400 million in donations under his leadership by the middle of 2023, according to tax filings. The group's financial growth has been striking: it raised just $79,000 in its first year but hit $80 million in annual contributions a decade later as Kirk's national profile grew, Forbes reports. The largest direct backer is the Texas-based Wayne Duddlesten Foundation, which contributed $13.1 million. The foundation's support of the organization was apparently previously unreported, Forbes notes.
Other notable donors include foundations tied to late advertising executive Jack Roth ($8.7 million), Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus ($7.1 million), and several other high-net-worth individuals. Many additional contributions have come through donor-advised funds like the Bradley Impact Fund and DonorsTrust, obscuring the identities of some contributors and underscoring the persistent lack of transparency typical in the nonprofit sector. For example, the Bradley Impact Fund alone funneled $23.6 million to the group—though its individual donors remain anonymous.
Turning Point USA operates as a 501(c)(3), aiming to promote free markets and limited government to students. The organization claims representation at thousands of high schools and colleges, in addition to hosting events and faith-based initiatives. The first major donation came from Republican donor Foster Friess, who contributed $10,000 at meeting Kirk at the Republican National Convention in 2012. Kirk's network eventually expanded to include a roster of billionaires and their foundations. Friess continued to back the group until his death in 2021. After Kirk was killed, Friess' widow pledged another $1 million to launch new chapters.
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Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, has now taken the helm of Turning Point USA. How her fundraising will compare remains uncertain, especially since the Duddlesten Foundation is winding down operations by 2026, but analysts tell the Guardian that early signs are promising, with a surge in support from major donors since Kirk's assassination. They're "generating a lot of content which lionizes Kirk," says GOP consultant Chuck Coughlin. "They' re doing that to raise money and organize kids on college campuses. They're trying to figure out how to continue the mission of Kirk."
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