American Legislative Exchange Council: mission, leadership and finances
Membership group of state legislators and private-sector members that drafts model state legislation, founded in 1973.
Also known as ALEC
Organization
| Founded | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Arlington, VA |
| EIN | 52-0140979 |
| Tax status | 501(c)(3) |
| Website | alec.org |
Finances (IRS Form 990)
| Total revenue | $11.3 million |
|---|---|
| Total expenses | $11.2 million |
| Total assets | $8.9 million |
| Tax year | 2023 |
What it does
The American Legislative Exchange Council, known as ALEC, is a membership organization of state lawmakers and private-sector members. It develops model bills on topics such as taxes, education, energy and criminal justice, which legislators can adapt.
American Legislative Exchange Council is listed here in the category "State policy". A listing on 4conservative.com describes an organization; it is not an endorsement of it or of its positions.
History
ALEC was founded in 1973 by Paul Weyrich and others. It holds annual meetings and task force sessions at which members debate model policies.
American Legislative Exchange Council is a state policy think tank. It is headquartered in Arlington, VA. Its IRS tax status is 501(c)(3). Like other organizations in this collection, it is described here from its own published material and from public records, and the facts on this page are limited to what those sources state.
Leadership and funding
ALEC is funded by member dues and corporate sponsorships and files a Form 990, shown here.
The IRS figures on this page come from the latest Form 990 filing that ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer lists for the organization, for tax year 2023: total revenue of $11.3 million, total expenses of $11.2 million and total assets of $8.9 million at year end. ProPublica lists the filer as American Legislative Exchange Council. The figures describe a single tax year and can differ sharply from year to year; check the filing itself and the organization's own site for the current picture.
Where it stands
ALEC supports limited government, free markets and federalism. Critics argue that its model bill process gives corporations too much influence, and it disputes that characterization.
These summaries reflect the organization's own stated mission and publicly known activities as of the date below; they are neutral descriptions, not evaluations. Related organizations on this site include State Policy Network, The Heritage Foundation, The Heartland Institute.
Sources
Profile last reviewed November 8, 2026