Key Facts
Type
501(c)(3)
Sector
ngo
Industry
Not specified
Status
Draft
Country
United States
Headquarters
Madison, WI, United States
Founded
1/1/1999
Dissolved
Active
Also Known As
The Searle Freedom TrustD&D FNDTND&D Foundation
Tags
conservativelibertarianfree-marketphilanthropypolicy advocacyright-winganti-affirmative action
Overall Confidence
90%
Internal Notes
No notes
Key Information
Leadership
No leadership added
Positions
No positions added
EIN
36-7244615
State of Incorporation
Illinois
Mission Statement
The trust aims to foster research and encourage public policies that promote individual freedom and economic liberty while at the same time advancing a commitment to personal responsibility and a respect for traditional American values. One of the foundation’s chief objectives is to help develop policies that advance liberty without encouraging license, and that demand personal responsibility without compromising freedom. Issues the foundation supports include: Tax and budget issues, cost-benefit analysis of regulatory practices, welfare policy, K-12 reform, environmental policy, and legal reform.
Annual Revenue
$-220,157
Program Areas
Tax and budget issuesRegulatory cost-benefit analysisWelfare policyK-12 education reformEnvironmental policyLegal reformHigher education policyJudicial educationAnti-affirmative action litigation
About
The Searle Freedom Trust is a U.S.-based private conservative foundation established by the estate of pharmaceutical heir Daniel C. Searle. It is a major funder of Donors Trust and supports conservative and libertarian causes, including think tanks and advocacy groups focused on free-market policy research and advocacy. The Trust has been linked to foreign funding networks through its grantees and donors. Kimberly O. Dennis serves as both President and CEO of the Searle Freedom Trust and Chairman of DonorsTrust.
Key Relationships
American Enterprise Institute
major_donor
The Searle Freedom Trust, directed by figures close to Searle's family, has donated millions to AEI since the 1990s, including over $2 million in recent years, to support policy research on deregulation and economic liberty.
Since 1990
Barre Seid
major_donor
Barre Seid has been a major donor and collaborator with the Searle Freedom Trust, providing significant financial support that enables the foundation to fund conservative and libertarian think tanks, policy organizations, and other initiatives. This joint support promotes free-market principles, limited government, deregulation, and opposition to progressive legislation, aligning with his ideological and philanthropic goals and helping to amplify the Trust's influence in shaping policy debates. While the Searle Freedom Trust is U.S.-based, it has funded organizations such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Heritage Foundation, which have potential foreign ties. Consequently, the Trust's grantees and funding networks may include foreign-linked entities, creating indirect channels for foreign influence.
Barre Seid
merged_with
Barre Seid's philanthropic efforts have intersected with the Searle Freedom Trust, particularly in funding conservative think tanks and policy organizations. While not a formal merger, their collaborative funding efforts have amplified the impact of their shared ideological goals.
Since 2010
Barre Seid
intermediary
Seid has used the Searle Freedom Trust as an intermediary to coordinate funding with other conservative donors, including the Koch brothers and Richard Uihlein. The trust's role as a pass-through allows Seid to pool resources with other megadonors while maintaining anonymity, amplifying the impact of their contributions on policy and judicial outcomes.
Since 2012