Editing Koch family foundations

{{short description|Philanthropy of Charles and David H. Koch}}
{{for|the political activities of the Koch family|Political activities of the Koch brothers}}

The '''Koch family foundations''' are a group of [[charitable foundation]]s in the [[United States]] associated with the [[Koch family|family]] of [[Fred C. Koch]].  The most prominent of these are the '''Charles Koch Foundation''' and the '''David H. Koch Charitable Foundation''', created by [[Charles Koch]] and [[David Koch]], two sons of Fred C. Koch who own the majority of [[Koch Industries]], an oil, gas, paper, and chemical [[conglomerate (company)|conglomerate]] which is the US's second-largest privately held company.<ref name="mayer2010">[http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all#ixzz0yDnax8KY Covert Operations: The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama.], Mayer, Jane, ''[[The New Yorker]]'', Aug 30, 2010.</ref> Charles' and David's foundations have provided millions of dollars to a variety of organizations, including [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] and [[conservative]] think tanks. Areas of funding include [[think tanks]], political advocacy, [[climate change denial]], higher education scholarships, cancer research, arts, and science.

In May 2019, the Kochs announced a major restructuring of their philanthropic efforts. Going forward, the Koch network will operate under the umbrella of [[Stand Together]], a nonprofit focused on supporting community groups. The stated priorities of the restructured Koch network include efforts aimed at "increasing employment, addressing poverty and addiction, ensuring excellent education, building a stronger economy, and bridging divides and building respect".<ref name=hohmann>{{cite news |last1=Hohmann |first1=James |title=The Koch network is reorganizing under a new name and with new priorities |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2019/05/20/daily-202-the-koch-network-is-reorganizing-under-a-new-name-and-with-new-priorities/5ce1a94fa7a0a435cff8c0d3/ |access-date=20 May 2019 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=May 20, 2019}}</ref>

==Foundations==
=== Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation ===
The Koch family foundations began in 1953 with the establishment of the Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation. The Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation was established to support non-profits in [[Kansas]] focusing on "arts, [[environmental stewardship]], [[human services]], enablement of [[At-risk students|at-risk youth]], and education" through the funding of diversity programs at [[Kansas State University]]; the program [[Youth Entrepreneurs Kansas|Youth Entrepreneurs]], a high-school level entrepreneurial and business program;  the [[Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History]], which develops programs to enhance the schools' history curricula;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gilderlehrman.org/about|title=About Us|publisher=Gilderlehrman.org|access-date=17 November 2014}}</ref> and the [[Bill of Rights Institute]], an organization that holds seminars and workshops for teachers and administrators to provide "educational resources on America's Founding documents and principles" to enhance the learning experience for students.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billofrightsinstitute.org/about-us/|title=Bill of Rights Institute: About Us|work=Bill of Rights Institute|access-date=17 November 2014}}</ref> The foundation's environmental aid includes support for science education,<ref name="Fred and Mary Koch Foundation">{{cite web|url=http://www.fmkfoundation.org/focusAreas.asp|title=Fred and Mary Koch Foundation|publisher=Fmkfoundation.org|access-date=17 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129131111/http://www.fmkfoundation.org/focusAreas.asp|archive-date=29 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> and donations to organizations such as [[The Nature Conservancy]] to help preserve the [[Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve]], as well as the creation of the Koch Wetlands Exhibit in the [[Cheyenne Bottoms]] wetlands in Kansas.<ref name="Fred and Mary Koch Foundation"/><ref name="F&M About">{{cite web|publisher=Koch Family Foundations|title=The Fred and Mary Koch Foundation|url=http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/FoundationsFMK.asp|access-date=31 July 2013|archive-date=13 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813225013/http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/FoundationsFMK.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation ===

The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation was established in 1980 by [[Charles Koch]].<ref name="Koch Family Foundations">{{cite web|url=http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/FoundationsCGK.asp|title=Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation|publisher=Koch Family Foundations|access-date=17 November 2014|archive-date=12 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112212411/http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/foundationscgk.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation was established with the stated purpose of advancing social progress and well-being through the development, application and dissemination of "the Science of Liberty".<ref name="Koch Family Foundations"/>

The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation funded college study groups called Koch Scholars who gather and read "an assortment of select books, movies, and podcasts surrounding the principles of a free society."<ref name=utah>{{cite news|title=Koch Scholars|url=http://huntsman.usu.edu/kochscholars/|publisher=Huntsman.usu.edu|access-date=28 April 2011}}</ref> Such groups exist at the [[Jon M. Huntsman School of Business]] at [[Utah State University]]<ref name=utah /> and the [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]].<ref name="utah"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Koch Scholarship Program|url=https://scholarships.uncf.org/Program/Details/748efb79-ba8a-4416-86ef-f59610355741|website=Scholarships UNCF|publisher=UNCF}}</ref>

The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation granted [[Willie Soon]], a researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics who says that most global warming is driven by the sun, at least $230,000 over 14 years, according to documents obtained by [[Greenpeace]] under the US [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|Freedom of Information Act]].<ref name="doubtful">{{cite news | author=Justin Gillis |author2=John Schwartz | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/us/ties-to-corporate-cash-for-climate-change-researcher-Wei-Hock-Soon.html |title= Deeper Ties to Corporate Cash for Doubtful Climate Researcher |date=Feb 21, 2015 |access-date=2015-02-21 |newspaper=[[New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Suzanne |last=Goldenberg |title=Work of prominent climate change denier was funded by energy industry|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/21/climate-change-denier-willie-soon-funded-energy-industry |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=Feb 21, 2015 |access-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref>

In 2011, the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation granted $25,000 to the [[Heartland Institute]], an American conservative and libertarian public policy [[think tank]] based in [[Chicago]], a prominent supporter of [[global warming deniers]].<ref name=Gillis>Gillis, Justin & Kaufman, Leslie.[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/science/earth/in-heartland-institute-leak-a-plan-to-discredit-climate-teaching.html?ref=science&pagewanted=all#h Leak Offers Glimpse of Campaign Against Climate Science], retrieved from NYTimes.com, Feb 16, 2012. Also published in ''[[The New York Times]]'', p. A23 with the title: "In Documents, a Plan to Discredit Climate Teaching".</ref>

In 2011, the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation split into the Charles Koch Institute and the Charles Koch Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation |url=http://www.cgkfoundation.org/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528022945/http://cgkfoundation.org/ |archive-date= 28 May 2013 |quote=We are pleased to announce that the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation has split into two separate entities – The Charles Koch Foundation and the Charles Koch Institute. |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Charles Koch Institute ===
{{main|Charles Koch Institute}}
The [[Charles Koch Institute]] was established in 2011, and is active in the area of professional education, research and training programs for careers in advancing economic freedom. It runs the Koch Internship Program, the Koch Associate Program, and Liberty@Work.<ref name=institute>{{cite web|publisher=Koch Family Foundations|title=Charles Koch Institute, About|url=http://www.charleskochinstitute.org/about-institute/|date=2011|access-date=29 July 2014|archive-date=4 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704045404/http://www.charleskochinstitute.org/about-institute/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Charles Koch Institute has advocated bipartisan criminal justice reforms. Among the planned reforms are reducing recidivism rates, lower barriers into the workforce for the rehabilitated, and eliminate the systemic overcriminalization and overincarceration of persons from generally low-income minority communities.<ref name=wapos>{{cite news| last =Horwitz| first =Sari| title =Unlikely Allies| newspaper =Washington Post| date =Aug 15, 2015| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2015/08/15/clemency-the-issue-that-obama-and-the-koch-brothers-actually-agree-on/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2015/1020/Congress-s-big-bipartisan-success-that-might-be-just-beginning | title=Congress's big, bipartisan success that might be just beginning | work=Christian Science Monitor | date=Oct 20, 2015 | author=Gass Henry}}</ref> The reforms would also put an end to [[asset forfeiture]] by law enforcement, which deprives the incarcerated of, very often, the majority of their private property.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://cjonline.com/news/2015-10-15/forfeiture-reform-aligns-likes-billionaire-charles-koch-aclu | title=Forfeiture reform aligns likes of billionaire Charles Koch, ACLU | work=The Topeka Capital Journal | date=Oct 15, 2015 | author=Hudetz, Mary}}</ref>

The institute, steered by the Koch family, has worked closely with the Obama administration, the [[ACLU]], the [[Center for American Progress]], [[Families Against Mandatory Minimums]], the [[Coalition for Public Safety]], the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation|MacArthur Foundation]] and other left-leaning organizations to promote these reforms.<ref name=dbeast>{{cite news| last =Mak| first =Tim| title =Koch Bros to Bankroll Prison Reform| newspaper =The Daily Beast| date =Jan 13, 2015| url =http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/13/koch-bros-to-bankroll-prison-reform.html}}</ref><ref name=tAtl>{{cite web| last =Ball| first =Molly| title =Do the Koch Brothers Really Care About Criminal-Justice Reform?| work =The Atlantic| date =Mar 3, 2015| url =https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/03/do-the-koch-brothers-really-care-about-criminal-justice-reform/386615/}}</ref> Both President [[Barack Obama]] and [[Van Jones|Anthony Van Jones]] have applauded the commitment to progress over party.<ref name=wapos/><ref>{{cite web| last =Nelson| first =Colleen Mccain; Fields, Gary| title =Obama, Koch Brothers in Unlikely Alliance to Overhaul Criminal Justice| work =Wall Street Journal| date =Jul 16, 2015| url =https://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-koch-brothers-in-unlikely-alliance-to-overhaul-criminal-justice-1437090737}}</ref>

=== Charles Koch Foundation ===

The Charles Koch Foundation was established in 2011, and is focused on grants and supporting higher education programs that analyze how free societies advance the well-being of mankind. It supports the Koch Institute's programs.<ref name=CKF>{{cite web|publisher=Koch Family Foundations|title=Charles Koch Foundation|url=http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/FoundationsCGK.asp|date=2011|access-date=29 July 2014|archive-date=12 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112212411/http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/foundationscgk.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{as of|2014}}, the Charles Koch Foundation has given grants to almost 300 colleges and universities, according to their website.<ref name=listof300>{{cite web|title=Colleges and Universities with Programs Supported by the Charles Koch Foundation April 2014|url=http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/pdfs/CKFUniversityPrograms.pdf|publisher=Kochfamilyfoundations.org|date=April 2014|access-date=November 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172739/http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/pdfs/CKFUniversityPrograms.pdf|archive-date=October 14, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Brian Hooks (nonprofit executive)|Brian Hooks]], who formerly led the [[Mercatus Center]], has served as the foundation's president since 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Levinthal|first1=Dave|title=Spreading the Free-Market Gospel|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/spreading-the-free-market-gospel/413239/|access-date=18 July 2016|publisher=The Atlantic|date=Oct 30, 2015}}</ref>

In 2014, Koch Industries Inc. and the Charles Koch Foundation granted $25 million to the [[United Negro College Fund]] (UNCF).<ref>{{cite news|title=Koch brothers donate $25 million to United Negro College Fund|author=Sullivan, Sean|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/06/06/koch-brothers-donate-25-million-to-united-negro-college-fund/|date=Jun 6, 2014|access-date=August 26, 2014|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> In protest of the Kochs, the [[American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees]], a major labor union, ended its annual $50,000–$60,000 support for the UNCF, saying that the UNCF's involvement with the Charles Koch Foundation was 'a betrayal of everything the UNCF stands for' because, they said, the Koch brothers were 'the single most prominent funders of efforts to prevent African-Americans from voting'.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2014/07/10/koch-brother-grant-halts-union-support-for-united-negro-college-fund/ |title=Union halts support for United Negro College Fund over Koch brothers' grant |date=Jul 7, 2010 |access-date=2014-07-11|agency=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[New York Post]]}}</ref>

A student campaign, spearheaded by [[Greenpeace]], Forecast the Facts, and the [[American Federation of Teachers]], called UnKochMyCampus claimed the Charles Koch Foundation at [[Florida State University]] stipulated final approval of hiring economics professors in return for their donation. [[Kimberley A Strassel]] criticized UnKochMyCampus in her March 27, 2015 Potomac Watch column of ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Kimberley Strassel|author-link=Kimberley Strassel|title=The Campus Climate Crusade|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/kimberley-strassel-the-campus-climate-crusade-1427411529|access-date=March 27, 2015|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=Mar 27, 2015|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Strassel wrote that the campaigns' website directs student activists to a list of universities Koch foundations have donated to and provides instructions for how to "expose and undermine" any college thought that works against "progressive values."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Strassel|first1=Kimberly|title=The Campus Climate Crusade|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/kimberley-strassel-the-campus-climate-crusade-1427411529|newspaper=WSJ|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=29 July 2015}}</ref>

Between 2011 and 2018, the foundation gave $300,000 to the online magazine ''[[Spiked (magazine)|Spiked]]'', which has written articles against those in opposition to Koch brothers' interests.<ref>{{cite news|last=Monbiot|first=George|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/07/us-billionaires-hard-right-britain-spiked-magazine-charles-david-koch-foundation|title=How US billionaires are fuelling the hard-right cause in Britain|work=The Guardian|date=July 22, 2018|access-date=April 23, 2019}}</ref>

=== David H. Koch Charitable Foundation ===

[[David H. Koch]] established the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, which, according to its website, "has given nearly $200 million to support diverse causes nationwide including science and medical research, education, the arts, and more".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.davidhkochfoundation.org/about-julia-f-koch|title=About Julia F. Koch {{!}} David H. Koch Foundation|website=DHK Foundation|language=en|access-date=2020-02-05}}</ref> The foundation has funded cancer research and a number of arts and science organizations, including the [[American Ballet Theatre]], [[New York City Ballet]], [[Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts]], the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], and the [[American Museum of Natural History]].<ref name="mayer2010"/><ref name="kochfamilyfoundations.org">{{cite web|publisher=Koch Family Foundations|url=http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/FoundationsDHK.asp|title=David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and Personal Philanthropy|access-date=17 November 2014|archive-date=9 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109170430/http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/FoundationsDHK.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2015, an open letter to museums from 36 members of the scientific community demanded that the Smithsonian and other museums cut any ties with the Kochs, because of worries that they would remove information on climate change. The Smithsonian countered by stating both exhibits in question did examine in great detail the impacts of climate change. The Koch Foundation responded they "have pledged or contributed more than $1.2 billion dollars to educational institutions and cultural institutions, cancer research, medical centers, and to assist public policy organizations."<ref name="Colby Itkowitz">{{cite news|title=Scientists to Smithsonian: Cut ties with Koch brothers|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2015/03/24/scientists-to-smithsonian-cut-ties-with-koch-brothers/|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=23 April 2015|date=Mar 24, 2015 |author=Colby Itkowitz}}</ref>

David Koch donated $35 million in 2012 to the Smithsonian's [[National Museum of Natural History]] and $20 million to the [[American Museum of Natural History]] in [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2015/03/24/scientists-to-smithsonian-cut-ties-with-koch-brothers/ |title=Scientists to Smithsonian: Cut ties with Koch brothers |first=Colby |last=Itkowitz |date=Mar 24, 2015 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> Joe Romm of [[ThinkProgress]] stated "David Koch did not personally intervene to affect the exhibit".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/25/3638515/scientists-urge-museums-drop-koch-money/|title=Museums' Ties To The Koch Brothers Are Not OK, Scientists Say |work=ThinkProgress}}</ref> David Koch was a member of the board of trustees of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington.<ref name="Colby Itkowitz"/>

The David H. Koch Charitable Foundation is a significant funder of [[Americans for Prosperity]],<ref name=npq20100915>{{cite news |first=Rick |last=Cohen |title=The Starfish and the Tea Party, Part II |date=Sep 15, 2010 |access-date=June 18, 2015 |url=http://nonprofitquarterly.org/2010/09/15/the-cohen-report-the-starfish-and-the-tea-party-part-ii/ |publisher=[[Institute for Nonprofit News]] |magazine=Nonprofit Quarterly |quote=The Koch family does show up as a major funder of another of the national Tea Party infrastructure, Americans for Prosperity.}}</ref> a libertarian/conservative political advocacy group. David H. Koch chaired the board of directors of the associated AFP Foundation.<ref name=mj20140205>{{cite news |title=The Koch Brothers Left a Confidential Document at Their Donor Conference |first1=Andy |last1=Kroll |first2=Daniel |last2=Schulman |date=Feb 5, 2014 |access-date=March 23, 2015 |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/02/koch-brothers-palm-springs-donor-list |magazine=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]}}</ref>

=== Koch Cultural Trust ===

The Koch Cultural Trust was founded 1986 as the Kansas Cultural Trust and renamed in 2008 as the Koch Cultural Trust closed January 2013 and filed termination with the IRS February 2014.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Koch Family Foundations|url= http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/FoundationsKCT.asp|title=Koch Cultural Trust |access-date=17 November 2014}}</ref>

=== Frederick R. Koch foundations ===

Another of Fred Koch's sons, Frederick R. Koch, is associated with the Frederick R. Koch Foundation and the Sutton Place Foundation, which are involved in supporting art and other cultural activities.<ref name=Schulman19May>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/society/2014/05/frederick-koch-brothers|title=The "Other" Koch Brother|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=December 29, 2015|date= May 19, 2014|first=Daniel |last=Schulman}}</ref>

==Other beneficiaries==
===American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)===
Between 2005 and 2011, the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC), a [[nonprofit organization]] of [[conservatism in the United States|conservative]] [[state legislature (United States)|state legislators]] and [[private sector]] representatives that drafts and shares model state-level legislation for distribution among state governments in the United States, was granted $348,858 from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, according to [[Greenpeace]], a [[non-governmental organization|non-governmental]]  [[environmentalism|environmental]] organization.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/american-legislative-exchange/|title=Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)|publisher=[[Greenpeace]]}}</ref>

===Citizens for a Sound Economy===
Between 1986 and 1990, the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, and the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, granted a combined $4.8 million to the [[Citizens for a Sound Economy]], a conservative [[politics|political]] group.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Elite Consensus |first=George |last=Draffan |publisher=Apex |isbn=978-1-891843-14-3|year=2003 }}</ref>{{page needed|date=February 2016}}

===Competitive Enterprise Institute===
The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, and David H. Koch Charitable Foundation, were among the funders of the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]], a non-profit, libertarian [[think tank]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/cgi/getdoc?tid=jot72e00&fmt=pdf&ref=results |title=Competitive Enterprise Institute |publisher=Legacy.library.ucsf.edu |access-date=March 18, 2015}}</ref>

===Americans for Prosperity Foundation===

David H. Koch Charitable Foundation granted $1 million in 2008 and the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation granted $67,556 in 2009 to the [[Americans for Prosperity Foundation]].<ref name="forbes">{{cite news |title=Tracking Koch Money and Americans for Prosperity |first=Laurie |last=Bennett |work=[[Forbes]] |date=Mar 31, 2012 |access-date=March 3, 2015 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriebennett/2012/03/31/tracking-koch-money-and-americans-for-prosperity/}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Donors Trust]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/ Koch Family Foundations] ''Official Site''
* [http://www.kochind.com Koch Industries]
* Archive of [[IRS tax forms#990|federal disclosures]] at the [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/ Nonprofit Explorer] published by [[ProPublica]]:
** [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/486113560 Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation]
** [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/274967732 Charles Koch Institute]
** [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/480918408 Charles Koch Foundation]
** [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/480926946 David H. Koch Charitable Foundation]
** [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/480989992 Koch Cultural Trust]

{{Koch family}}

[[Category:Political and economic research foundations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Koch family|Family Foundations, Koch]]
[[Category:Conservative organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:Libertarianism in the United States]]
[[Category:Charities based in Kansas]]
[[Category:Koch network]]
[[Category:Climate change denial]]