Alliance Defending Freedom

Basic facts
Location:| Scottsdale, Arizona
Type:| 501(c)(3)
Year founded:| 1994
Website:| Official website

The Alliance Defending Freedom, formerly known as the Alliance Defense Fund, is a 501(c)(3) legal alliance based in Arizona. Founded in 1994, the organization advocates for and litigates cases related to religious freedom and family issues.[1] Among the group's founding members was James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family.[1][2]

## Contents

* 1 Mission
* 2 Background
* 3 Work
* 4 Leadership
* 5 Finances
* 6 Tax status
* 7 Recent news
* 8 See also
* 9 External links
* 10 Footnotes

## Mission[edit]

According to the organization's website, the mission statement for the Alliance Defending Freedom is as follows:[1]

“  | To keep the doors open for the Gospel by advocating for religious liberty, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family.[3] | ”

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## Background[edit]

The Alliance Defending Freedom was founded as the Alliance Defense Fund in 1994 by five individuals: Dr. Bill Bright, Larry Burkett, Dr. James C. Dobson (founder of Focus on the Family), Dr. D. James Kennedy, and Marlin Maddoux.[4][1][2]

In 2012, the organization changed its name from the Alliance Defense Fund to the Alliance Defending Freedom.[4]

As of July 2017, the ADF website reported that the organization has either represented clients, filed amicus briefs, or provided financial assistance in 51 cases that have gone before the United States Supreme Court.[4]

## Work[edit]

According to the organization's tax filings, the Alliance Defending Freedom operates programs in the following three areas:[5]

* Legal advocacy: ADF aims to build a legal network that can litigate cases "to develop effective legal strategies and approaches to establish important legal precedents in state courts, federal courts, the U.S. Supreme Court, and international courts and governing bodies of law."
* One of ADF's litigation efforts involved the ADF legal team representing the plaintiffs in Lemons v. Bradbury, an Oregon-based lawsuit revolving around Oregon Ballot Measure 303 (2008).[6]

* Public education: ADF aims to educate the public concerning "the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and religious freedom through printed materials, mailings, webinars, social media, email alerts, newsletters, media and personal appearances, blogs, op-eds, and events."

* Allied support and trainings: ADF holds an academy for attorney training, provides continuing legal education credit, fellowships, and has a network of attorneys that do pro bono work.

## Leadership[edit]

As of July 2017, Michael P. Farris was the president, CEO, and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom.[7]

## Finances[edit]

The following is a breakdown of the finances for Alliance Defending Freedom for fiscal years 2012-2014.[5][8][9]

Annual assets and expenses for ADF, 2012-2014

Fiscal Year  | Total Assets  | Total Revenue  | Total Expenses
2014 | $38,683,986 | $48,310,833 | $49,935,954
2013 | $38,238,058 | $43,596,651 | $42,742,612
2012 | $37,261,744 | $39,891,396 | $38,182,925

## Tax status[edit]

The Alliance Defending Freedom is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Its 501(c) designation refers to a section of the U.S. federal income tax code concerning charitable, religious, and educational organizations.[10] Section 501(c) of the U.S. tax code has 29 sections that list specific conditions particular organizations must meet in order to be considered tax-exempt under the section. Organizations that have been granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service are exempt from federal income tax.[11] This exemption requires that any political activity by the charitable organization be nonpartisan in nature.[12]

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Alliance Defending Freedom. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Alliance Defending Freedom - Google News

## See also[edit]

* 501(c)(3)
* Focus on the Family

## External links[edit]

* Alliance Defending Freedom website
* Alliance Defending Freedom on Facebook
* Alliance Defending Freedom on Twitter

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Alliance Defending Freedom, "FAQ," accessed July 1, 2017
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Focus on the Family, "About," accessed July 1, 2017
3. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Alliance Defending Freedom, "History," accessed July 1, 2017
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Guidestar, "Alliance Defending Freedom IRS Form 990, 2014," accessed July 1, 2017
6. ↑ Alliance Defending Freedom, "Lemons v. Bradbury," accessed July 1, 2017
7. ↑ Alliance Defending Freedom, "Leadership," accessed July 1, 2017
8. ↑ Alliance Defending Freedom IRS Form 990, 2013," accessed July 1, 2017
9. ↑ Alliance Defending Freedom IRS Form 990, 2012," accessed July 1, 2017
10. ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exempt Purposes - Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)," accessed January 13, 2014
11. ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Life Cycle of a Public Charity/Private Foundation," accessed July 10, 2015
12. ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exemption Requirements - 501(c)(3) Organizations," accessed January 13, 2014

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