Alliance Defending Freedom

The information on this page was last updated 5/11/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary

Alliance Defending Freedom is the world's largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life. We defend your most cherished liberties in Congress, state legislatures, and courtrooms across the country-all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.

We don't just stand for freedom-we win. ADF has won 12 victories at the Supreme Court since 2011, and we're winning nearly 80 percent of all our cases-but we don't do it alone.

When 35 Christian leaders came together to build a ministry that would defend religious liberty and keep the doors open for the Gospel, they knew it would take an alliance.

Like the Body of Christ, the alliance is one body made up of many parts. Attorneys play different roles than church and ministry leaders. Non-profit volunteers play different roles than legislators. And business professionals play a different role than grassroots advocates. Each person must play his or her particular role, under one shared vision, to ensure that religious freedom thrives.


Contact information

Mailing address:
Alliance Defending Freedom
15100 North 90th Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85260-5260

Website: adflegal.org

Phone: (800) 835-5233

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 541660459

CEO/President: Kristen K. Waggoner

Chairman: Terry Schlossberg

Board size: 8

Founder: Bill Bright, Don Wildmon, & et al

Ruling year: 1993

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 06/30

Member of ECFA: Yes

Member of ECFA since: 1995


Purpose

Alliance Defending Freedom (fka Alliance Defense Fund, Inc.) ("ADF") was formed in 1993 to serve and litigate on behalf of those individuals and charities that promote religious liberty, sanctity of human life, and family values. ADF provides individuals and charities with strategic planning, training, educational materials, and funding to coordinate and expand their ability to fight legal cases.

ADF's mission is to fund the legal defense and advocacy of religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and family values. ADF aims to dismantle the wall of legal precedents that negatively affect Christians. A seven-member Grants and Review Committee of volunteer attorneys reviews and evaluates each request for funding.


Mission statement

ADF is a servant organization that provides the resources that will keep the door open for the spread of the Gospel through the legal defense and advocacy of religious freedom, sanctity of life, and family values.


Statement of faith

Based on our adherence to the inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God in Scripture, we profess with the Christian Church throughout time and around the world the faith expressed in the Apostles' Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Donor confidence score

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Transparency grade

A

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Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Advocacy

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating890 of 107738 of 41
Fund acquisition rating686 of 107830 of 41
Resource allocation rating612 of 107831 of 41
Asset utilization rating969 of 107735 of 41

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
10%12%13%15%17%17%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
8%12%13%14%17%16%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
98%96%96%94%100%98%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
8%14%14%15%17%17%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
2%4%4%6%0%2%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
80%76%75%72%73%74%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
92%85%91%94%99%98%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
70%65%68%68%73%73%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
8%15%9%6%1%2%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
12%20%14%10%2%3%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
10%10%11%13%9%9%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
1.420.861.221.271.561.44
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
1.262.782.362.562.382.25
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
2.032.382.873.263.713.24
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
9.894.024.232.663.233.77
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.100.250.240.380.310.27
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
5.643.793.192.302.232.72
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20212020201920182017
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
16%27%12%17%16%15%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
0%17%0%0%0%0%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
60%85%72%65%54%59%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20212020201920182017
Cash$17,515,594$5,602,192$3,560,360$5,465,237$13,205,034
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$1,716,008$1,679,289$3,438,787$1,626,659$2,301,549
Short-term investments$9,027,947$13,360,275$10,582,762$7,661,828$2,127
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$28,259,549$20,641,756$17,581,909$14,753,724$15,508,710
Long-term investments($136,989)($130,237)($132,123)($128,883)($140,209)
Fixed assets$32,521,021$15,541,126$15,554,702$14,847,594$15,704,062
Other long-term assets$17,828,150$12,667,917$12,006,899$5,623,546$3,779,282
Total long-term assets$50,212,182$28,078,806$27,429,478$20,342,257$19,343,135
Total assets$78,471,731$48,720,562$45,011,387$35,095,981$34,851,845
 
Liabilities20212020201920182017
Payables and accrued expenses$6,179,514$4,383,634$6,192,252$4,443,380$4,111,558
Other current liabilities$848,902$501,227$405,710$127,005$0
Total current liabilities$7,028,416$4,884,861$6,597,962$4,570,385$4,111,558
Debt$13,125,000$0$0$0$0
Due to (from) affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other long-term liabilities$929,938$1,022,002$1,083,823$1,124,160$1,144,179
Total long-term liabilities$14,054,938$1,022,002$1,083,823$1,124,160$1,144,179
Total liabilities$21,083,354$5,906,863$7,681,785$5,694,545$5,255,737
 
Net assets20212020201920182017
Without donor restrictions$56,650,476$40,281,593$34,840,957$27,909,891$27,418,939
With donor restrictions$737,901$2,532,106$2,488,645$1,491,545$2,177,169
Net assets$57,388,377$42,813,699$37,329,602$29,401,436$29,596,108
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20212020201920182017
Total contributions$76,026,674$62,651,682$57,373,863$55,125,355$50,199,237
Program service revenue$1,639,151$1,071,563$440,982$150,145$0
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$437,775$515,111$510,652($346,969)$91,634
Other revenue$729,450$949,199$2,623,736$259,465$883,081
Total other revenue$2,806,376$2,535,873$3,575,370$62,641$974,715
Total revenue$78,833,050$65,187,555$60,949,233$55,187,996$51,173,952
 
Expenses20212020201920182017
Program services$51,041,730$44,605,083$41,454,382$40,065,109$37,376,602
Management and general$6,661,765$6,422,866$7,188,442$5,156,898$4,538,941
Fundraising$9,439,398$8,271,239$8,619,190$9,463,288$8,389,104
Total expenses$67,142,893$59,299,188$57,262,014$54,685,295$50,304,647
 
Change in net assets20212020201920182017
Surplus (deficit)$11,690,157$5,888,367$3,687,219$502,701$869,305
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$11,690,157$5,888,367$3,687,219$502,701$869,305

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
Michael FarrisPresident and CEO$503,909
Alan SearsFounder$485,633
Kristen WaggonerGeneral Counsel$336,865
Wayne SwindlerEVP Finance & Administration$322,348
Tim ChandlerSr. Counsel, SVP of Alliance Adv$292,829
Jeffery VentrellaSr. Counsel, SVP of Training$276,050
Brett Harveyr. Counsel, VP of Allied Legal Affairs$266,099
Jeremy TedescoSr. Counsel, SVP of Corporate Engagement$258,005
David CortmanSr. Counsel, VP of U.S. Litigation$257,114
Lance BauslaughSVP of Development$245,992
John BurschVP of Appellate Advocacy, Sr. Counsel$243,887
Tony JohnsonSVP of Operations & Direct Response$230,944
Glen LavyCorporate Counsel$227,049

Compensation data as of: 6/30/2021


Response from ministry

No response has been provided by this ministry.


The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 5/11/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

ADF uses the following to express its history:

Responding to the urgent need for the legal defense and advocacy of religious freedom, the leaders of more than 30 ministries came together in 1993 to launch ADF. These leaders included the late Dr. Bill Bright, the late Larry Burkett, Dr. James Dobson, Dr. D. James Kennedy, and Marlin Maddoux. Their prime concern was the dramatic loss of religious freedom in America's courts and the resulting challenges to people of faith to live and proclaim the Gospel.


Program accomplishments

Alliance Defending Freedom provides strategic planning and coordination for attorneys and like-minded groups in preparation for and during litigation, trains attorneys to effectively argue court cases involving religious freedom, family values, and the sanctity of life, and provides grants to attorneys arguing cases that have a high likelihood of establishing positive precedents in areas of law consistent with ADF's mission.


Needs