First Liberty Institute
First liberty institute provides pro bono legal services to advance and defend religious liberty for individuals, churches, and other ministries and organizations.
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First Liberty Institute is the largest non-profit legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
First liberty institute provides pro bono legal services to advance and defend religious liberty for individuals, churches, and other ministries and organizations.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 5 similar social services in United StatesConcerns
· None foundWhere every $1 goes
· FY2025 · IRS 990 (FY2025)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
GiveRadar's verified records show First Liberty Institute with a complete profile, cross-referenced across 4 independent sources including the IRS.
- Established in 1972, it predates 93% of the social services charities in the United States GiveRadar has a founding year for. View this cohort
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 96% of the 8,121 social services charities in the United States with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- Its integrity score of 90 places it in the top 1% of the 15,199 social services charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (6 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyFirst Liberty Institute is a registered social services nonprofit based in Plano, TX, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1972 and has been operating for 54 years. Its EIN is 751403169. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 90/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $29M in annual revenue. 81 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
First Liberty Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 751403169. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
First Liberty Institute has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 90/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 90 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 79% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for social services charities in United States is 90/100.
First Liberty Institute is located in Plano, TX, United States. The organization was established in 1972 and has been active for 54 years.
Based on official tax filings, First Liberty Institute has $29M in annual revenue. It allocates 79% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 74% for social services charities in United States. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $2M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
First Liberty Institute is classified as a Social Services organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a large organization. It has $29M in annual revenue. The organization has 81 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for First Liberty Institute. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.
According to GiveRadar's records, First Liberty Institute holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 79% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 74%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
First Liberty Institute is the largest non-profit legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans. First Liberty Institute is classified as a social services organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1972.
Among social services charities registered in United States: It allocates 79% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 74%. Its annual revenue of $29M is well above the peer average of $2M.
Yes, donations to First Liberty Institute are generally tax-deductible in the United States. First Liberty Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 751403169, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Filing history
6 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
FIRST LIBERTY INSTITUTE is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2025 filing
Officers & trustees (24)
Source: Public filings
24 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
3 articles found
From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.
Teach commanders religious liberty before they need it - stripes.com
White House Commission Releases Report on Protecting Religious Liberty - Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Steptoe Partners with First Liberty Institute and American Civil Liberties Union in First Amendment Challenge to WMATA Advertising Restrictions - Steptoe
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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Sign up to write a reviewCause areas in United States
How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United States
Causes charities work on most.
Sources and verification
- Registration and legal identity
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
- Financial filings
- IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 81 disclosed in the public registry.
- News and media coverage
- GDELT Project + Google News
- Supplementary verification
- Charity Navigator
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2025 on record
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Named leadership · 81 officers on file
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Executive pay · Disclosed
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 1972
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Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
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Quick facts about First Liberty Institute
- What is First Liberty Institute?
- First Liberty Institute is a social services supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in Plano, United States. First Liberty Institute is the largest non-profit legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.
- When was First Liberty Institute founded?
- First Liberty Institute was founded in 1972.
- Who leads First Liberty Institute?
- Austin Waugh serves as CFO.
- Where is First Liberty Institute located?
- Headquartered in Plano, TX, United States.
- What is First Liberty Institute's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately $10M-$100M. 79% of expenses go to program services.
- Is First Liberty Institute trustworthy?
- First Liberty Institute has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 90 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is First Liberty Institute's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 751403169.
- What is First Liberty Institute's website?
- http://www.firstliberty.org