About State Policy Network

WHAT WE DO

To accomplish our mission, State Policy Network supports the growth of a 50-state Network by:

• Empowering and investing in state-based Durable Freedom Infrastructure across our Network, helping our Affiliates achieve enduring policy wins that defend liberty in their state and spread those reforms from state to state.
• Accelerating and amplifying the growth and influence of state-based organizations, with a commitment to advancing and protecting federalism, civil society, and free enterprise.

We do this by offering the following wraparound services:

• Strategy and Organization Accelerators
• Grant Opportunities
• Startup and New CEO Support
• One-on-One Coaching
• Fundraising Training
• Center for Practical Federalism/Policymaker Training Program
• Peer Groups
• Leadership Training
• Policy Working Groups
• Strategy Development
• Communications Training

• Connecting state leaders to share best practices, strengthen each other, and foster nationwide collaboration.
• Catalyzing networks of state and local officials, helping them understand and use their lawful authority to resist federal overreach and defend states as test labs of liberty.

OUR COMMITMENT TO NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE

State Policy Network endeavors to inspire and raise the level of effectiveness of affiliate member organizations so that they can be forces for the public good. To positively influence their states, they must educate, inform, and engage people in their communities. Effective communication requires trust, so they must be well run and have the highest standards if they want to earn the confidence of citizens and policymakers. State Policy Network works alongside our members to foster high performance through training and peer mentoring in leadership, board management, staffing, compliance, ethics, stewardship, finance, operations, research, communications, public engagement, and issue advocacy.

While we focus on supporting others, SPN also strives to model excellence in the Network by adhering to nonprofit best practices in our policies, procedures, and practices.

STATE POLICY NETWORK BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lawson Bader (Chairman)
DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund

Tracie J. Sharp (President and CEO)
State Policy Network

John Hood (Vice Chairman)
John William Pope Foundation

Stanford D. Swim (Treasurer)
Bill of Rights Institute

Carrie Tynan (Secretary)
Adolph Coors Foundation

George Coates

Nicole Hoplin
Hoplin Jackson

Adam Meyerson
Stand Together

Bridgett G. Wagner
The Heritage Foundation

State Policy Network originated in 1986 as the Madison Group, an informal confederation of state think tanks and their supporters named after the Madison Hotel in Washington, DC, where they first met. In 1992, SPN was established as an independent 501(c)(3) educational organization providing services to its members — the state-focused, free-market think tanks and their national think tank partners. At that time, the goal was to encourage cooperation and collaboration within the fledgling state think tank movement, maintaining a basic schedule of meetings and providing advisory services as needed during its first five years of operations.

As the state policy research community rapidly grew and matured during the 1990s, SPN’s Board of Directors realized the need for a stronger organization that would provide additional services. After extensive discussions, the existing Board took a bold and historic step in September 1998, dissolving itself and appointing a transitional Board to fulfill the broader role envisioned for the organization. SPN’s primary mission continues to be serving and supporting independent, state-focused, market-oriented policy research organizations, and these institutional changes created the flexibility to provide a broader range of services to state think tanks.

SPN’s Board, staff, and physical location changed during 1999. Byron Lamm, SPN’s founding Executive Director, passed the reins to President Tracie Sharp in January 2000. Tracie’s career spans 30 years in the state think tank community, helping to establish and develop two successful state think tanks — the Washington Policy Center (Seattle) and the Cascade Policy Institute (Portland, OR). She has been involved with SPN since its formative years as the Madison Group.

Unfortunately, in the midst of all these changes, SPN lost a leading light when Tom Roe, its long-time Chairman of the Board, passed away in January 2000. Tom had an abiding vision for SPN as a service and networking organization that would help coordinate state and national efforts to promote freedom and free enterprise.

Carl Helstrom, then Executive Director for The JM and Milbank Foundations, succeeded Tom as Chairman of SPN in October 1999. In addition to a Board of Directors consisting of free-market leaders, the President’s Advisory Council advises the President on management and policy issues facing state think tanks.

When SPN was founded, there were 12 independent, market-oriented, state-focused think tanks. Today — in less than 35 years — there are 64 representing all 50 states.

About Founding Chairman THOMAS A. ROE (1927-2000)

SPN’s Founding Chairman, Thomas Anderson Roe, Jr., was born and raised in Greenville County, South Carolina. Everyone who knew Tom credited his remarkable vision and down-to-earth nature for his many successes. He was an outstanding businessman and philanthropist and a devoted friend of freedom and free enterprise both at home and abroad.

Tom graduated from Greenville’s Furman University in 1948, worked as a research assistant in the University’s cancer research project funded by a Carnegie Foundation grant, and co-authored several research papers. He also earned a business degree from LaSalle Extension University and a certificate in advanced studies from the Brookings Institution Program on Urban Policy.

Tom became Chairman of the Board of Builder Marts of America, a company he transformed from a small building material supply company into an international corporation. He served as Vice President of American Holdings, a firm with ice cream, refrigerator, and furniture manufacturing interests in the United States, along with land holding, real estate, and air cargo operations in the Dominican Republic.

Tom was active in the South Carolina Republican Party from 1954 to 1964, serving numerous terms as a Greenville County Committeeman. Gradually disillusioned with practical politics, he was impressed with the work of national think tanks to promote sound ideas as a basis for prudent public policies.

In the Reagan era, Tom was considered a national player in US policy, advising former President Reagan and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He became a Trustee and played an active role in the development of The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC. In the mid-80s, he founded the South Carolina Policy Council with a group of Greenville-area businessmen.

Tom’s contributions to his state and country were recognized in numerous ways, including an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Furman University in 1980, the Order of the Palmetto of the State of South Carolina in 1995, and the Clare Boothe Luce Award from The Heritage Foundation in 1999.

Tom was dedicated to State Policy Network and its mission to extend and strengthen the state freedom movement. He worked tirelessly to make SPN a success, serving as Chairman for many years and providing untold hours of informal support in the early days of the state think tank movement. And, he provided funding through his own Roe Foundation, which continues to financially support free-market policy groups across the country.

In 1992, SPN established the annual Roe Award in Tom’s honor to recognize leadership, innovation and accomplishment in the free-market state think tank community.

In 2018, the Thomas Roe Legacy Society was established for donors to leave their legacy to safeguard freedom for future generations.

1. What is State Policy Network?

State Policy Network is the only organization in the country dedicated to building and mobilizing a Durable Freedom Infrastructure in the states. This means we support leaders and organizations building the necessary capacities – like research, litigation, advocacy, investigative journalism, voter insights, and leadership training – to secure wins that outlast election cycles and help change the culture and policy landscape of the state in favor of freedom. SPN supports a powerful movement of 64 independent state think tank affiliates and over 100 national partners across the 50 states. We do this by:

• Strengthening organizations and accelerating their development through strategic planning, training, and coaching;
• Connecting talented state leaders so they can learn, challenge, and grow together, with the aim of catalyzing state policy reforms that yield national impact;
• Promoting federalism and the authority states have to make decisions without federal government intrusion. This, in turn, protects the hard-fought victories of our 50-state Network; and
• Strategically investing in Durable Freedom Infrastructure to help secure enduring wins on behalf of American citizens.

2. What do state think tanks do?

State think tanks serve important roles in educating citizens about the effects of public policies on their everyday lives and holding governments accountable to the public. Today’s state think tanks are often the hub for deploying Durable Freedom Infrastructure, which is designed to help states secure enduring wins that last beyond an election cycle.

State think tanks foster healthy policy debate by providing technical expertise and practical public policy solutions to help solve some of our country’s greatest challenges at the state and national levels. The free-market policy approach employed by affiliated state think tanks helps to identify policies that are focused on helping all people flourish.

Think tanks also serve the important role of informing the public about the likely consequences of policy recommendations. Government has grown so big and complex over the years that it can be difficult for the average person with a job and family to dig into the details of complex policy, let alone identify all the potential consequences policy proposals can have on their lives and communities. Think tanks help to fill this void through research and analysis.

Think tanks also help to hold government accountable to the public. Government agencies often produce studies and analysis so complimentary to big government that most citizens feel disconnected, as though the system is insulating itself from the transparency and accountability that is essential to maintaining American liberties and prosperity. Thus, think tanks, with their independent research, were created to keep average citizens and policymakers informed so that government is accountable to the public.

3. What is Durable Freedom Infrastructure?

Durable Freedom Infrastructure (DFI) is a battle-tested model that deploys key capacities to not only push policy reforms across the finish line, but withstand legal challenges, win in the court of public opinion, and ensure hard-fought wins last beyond the next election cycle. These key capacities – often anchored by a strong state think tank – could include one or more of the following:

• Political Capacities – Using the necessary advocacy levers to pass policy into law (C4, C6, PAC)
• Litigation Centers – Strategic litigation for liberty
• Media and Investigative Journalism
• Uncovering political corruption, in depth reporting on state and local stories, and circumventing media bias
• Leadership Academies – Training friends of freedom to participate at all levels of state government
• Voter Insights – Understanding voter wants and needs to promote liberty

DFI is the vehicle we use to get to our destination. And where is that destination? It’s an America where all people can flourish because collaborative, entrepreneurial leaders have secured lasting social change, personal freedom, and economic opportunity at the state and local level.

4. What is the Center for Practical Federalism?

SPN’s Center for Practical Federalism aims to educate the American public and policymakers on the benefits of federalism—a system of government where some authority belongs to the national government, and much more resides with states, communities, and the American people. Federalism pushes power where it belongs, to citizens acting through their elected representatives, and it ensures that no one branch of government exerts too much power.

Federalism also enables experimentation with policy solutions tailored to states and communities. When policy is local, it takes into account unique community conditions, is more easily influenced by everyday citizens, and thereby leads to better outcomes for more of the people it governs. What’s more, the diverse array of policies that inevitably result under federalism allow us to learn what works better than a single, top-down approach.

The Center for Practical Federalism is launching a number of initiatives to educate state and local officials, as well as interested citizens, about the need to preserve state and local governing authority against overreach by the federal government. It will also offer training and resources for public officials interested in more effectively overseeing governmental agencies, making them accountable to We the People.

5. Are State Policy Network and the affiliated independent members nonpartisan?

While partisans support political parties, State Policy Network is in the business of advancing state organizations and solutions that transform the lives of citizens in each state, fostering a society where individuals can be healthier, happier, and more prosperous. That is why we and our affiliates maintain independence from any partisan activity or label so we can focus on what matters most to us: making the lives of everyday Americans better. SPN and its affiliates are nonpartisan and will work with any interested policymaker to ensure information is available to make sound decisions for the entire state.

6. How do I get in touch with a specific state member?

Visit the State Policy Network directory for contact information of a specific state think tank.

7. How many members does State Policy Network have?

There are 64 independent, nonpartisan state affiliate members, and more than 100 nonprofit national partners. A listing of all can be found here.

8. How can an organization join State Policy Network?

Affiliation with SPN is by invitation only. All affiliated state groups must be based in a state or US territory and focus primarily on free-market solutions to policy challenges facing states and the nation. State think tank affiliates must be nonpartisan, not accept government funding, and have a 501(c)(3) IRS designation. Please read our full requirements and guidelines.

9. Does State Policy Network direct the work of its members?

Since our founding and by design, each affiliate member is completely independent. SPN is an affiliate-driven operation: our services and training are prioritized and directed from robust affiliate surveys, evaluations, and feedback loops. State Policy Network exists to strengthen, support, and accelerate the success of these organizations. Visit our About page to review the Statement of Network Independence.

10. Do State Policy Network or the state members engage in issue advocacy?

Through training and the sharing of best practices, State Policy Network helps its members leverage communications strategies and tactics so that we can reach wider audiences with our policy research and analysis. When it comes to IRS regulations, the rules state that 501(c)(3) organizations “may take positions on public policy issues, including issues that divide candidates in an election for public office.”

11. Do State Policy Network or its state affiliates engage in lobbying?

Think tanks produce sound nonpartisan analysis and research on public policy and then seek to educate the public and legislators on the findings of their analysis in the broad social and economic context. Their primary role is policy education and not lobbying.

IRS regulations state that 501(c)(3) organizations like SPN, the Sierra Club, and the ACLU are permitted some lobbying, provided it is not a substantial part of the organization’s activities. SPN itself does not regularly or extensively engage in such lobbying, as we are a service organization founded to support public policy nonprofits.

12. How is State Policy Network funded?

State Policy Network is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. SPN partners with thousands of Americans from every corner of the country who invest in our mission to catalyze thriving, durable freedom movements in every state, anchored with high-performing, independent think tanks.

We receive support from individuals, charitable foundations, and businesses. More fundraising information can be found in the latest SPN Annual Report.

All our investors support our mission because they wish to partner with SPN to advance a free society. We support every American’s right to support causes they believe in. We maintain strict fidelity to our mission and vision, as established by the SPN Board of Directors, and we are proud that so many Americans have chosen to partner with us, many loyally renewing their support year after year.

2024 was a breakthrough year for the State Policy Network and the critical work happening in states across the country. Our 50-state Network delivered practical solutions to some of America’s most pressing challenges—everything from expanding education freedom to ensuring energy reliability to breaking down barriers to economic opportunity. These victories may not dominate headlines, but they’re transforming lives in communities from Alaska to Florida, and everywhere in between.

Our programs have strengthened our Network of leaders, accelerated critical policy victories, and built a Durable Freedom Infrastructure that ensures our victories are preserved for the long term.

• Our Network paved the way for policy wins that helped improve the lives of more than 90 million Americans across the nation in areas that matter most.
• More states are building Durable Freedom Infrastructure to political storms and secure wins for freedom that last for generations. 34 states have some form of this infrastructure in place.
• Our 32nd Annual Meeting, held in Phoenix, Arizona, welcomed 1,571 leaders from 525 organizations across all 50 states to learn from our past successes and pave the way for future ones.
• SPN and our Network were featured 115,000 times in media outlets across the nation like The Wall Street Journal, National Review and USA Today.

Together, we are making a national difference, one state at a time.