State Policy Network

About State Policy Network

State Policy Network’s recent grantmaking centers on independent state think tanks, with general operating grants repeatedly backing organizations that advance federalism, limited government, and free-market policy solutions. The largest recent award in the data is $434,000 to the Georgia Center for Opportunity, followed by $397,000 to the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy and $387,000 to the Pelican Institute for Public Policy. Those grants sit alongside a broader pattern of support for affiliated policy organizations that are expected to report on progress, communicate outcomes, and sustain ongoing policy work. The foundation also uses its platform to support organizational capacity, not only program activity. Its published programs include grant strategy assistance, proposal coaching, accelerator workshops, and targeted grant opportunities tied to policy reform campaigns. Recent grants show repeated support for groups such as the Beacon Center of Tennessee, South Carolina Policy Council, Institute for Reforming Government, and Georgia Public Policy Foundation, all receiving substantial unrestricted support across multiple years. The result is a funder profile built around recurring investment in state-level policy infrastructure rather than one-off project support.

What State Policy Network Funds

A central theme in State Policy Network’s grantmaking is state policy infrastructure. General operating grants to groups such as the Illinois Policy Institute and Commonwealth Foundation show support for organizations that carry out ongoing research, advocacy, and policy development. Capacity-building is another clear lane. The network describes advisory services for grant strategy and proposal coaching, and its LaunchPad accelerator supports startups and new CEOs inside the network. Education policy also appears in specific prize programs. Through Ed-Prize (LaunchPad), SPN funds innovative K-12 projects, while the Pathways to Prosperity Prize supports market-based responses to poverty-related challenges that can include education, health, housing, food, and criminal justice. A third area is targeted reform funding. RFP programs and State Solutions Grant Funds support state think tanks and allied organizations pursuing policy reforms identified by SPN policy working groups.

How State Policy Network Gives