2017-10-23T21:03:38-05:00 2016-12-31 363990892 Capin Crouse LLP 972 Emerson Parkway STE A Greenwood IN 46143 990 2016-01-01 382926822 Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty ACTO 6164543080 98 E Fulton St No 101 Grand Rapids MI 49503 Kris Mauren Executive Director 6164543080 2017-10-23 1 Daren Daiga P01074795 3178852620 173.240.105.108 2017-10-23 20:03:30 MD P DA0B0EA13279BD9F6B2BDBF0D2CD97F78A192210 40D8E578998C630A575E14F9C1D0AFD01746A6CA 2016 2021-01-29 14:40:06Z Robert Sirico 98 E Fulton St No 101 Grand Rapids MI 49503 10984483 0 X www.acton.org X 1990 MI To promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty 14 12 50 10 444502 341563 9752063 8291603 569132 479620 327252 475244 35565 362983 10684012 9609450 165161 349823 0 0 3234321 3602118 0 0 775760 7017002 6035751 10416484 9987692 267528 -378242 17967919 17524494 380145 240668 17587774 17283826 X Mission of the Acton Institute is to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles. 0 0 3475700 178009 270984 Education:Acton's Education Department targets current and future religious, business, and community leaders, both nationally and internationally, and works to promote an understanding of market principles and to encourage the economic freedom that creates opportunity for all. The Institute sponsors conferences aimed at educating leaders of all denominations and provides opportunities for awards and scholarships through various programs of the outreach area.The Institute sponsored domestic conferences for current and future leaders with an emphasis on those who shape the moral culture. The conferences included Acton University which is an annual comprehensive four-day exploration of the intellectual foundations of a free society. Many students selected to attend our conferences receive a full or partial scholarship, which covers room and board expenses as well as conference fees. In 2016, over 1,000 students from more than 75 different countries attended, and limited travel scholarships were provided in cases of need.Expenses were also incurred for a discovery process to identify and educate clergy, students, religious leaders and seminary faculty members who can assist us in furthering our programs. We maintained an active networking effort to build strategic alliances and partnerships with evangelical churches, nonprofits, and seminaries.The Education Department is also an international educational resource dedicated to advancing the business ethics model of entrepreneurial stewardship, encouraging and supporting business leaders in the active integration of integrity with their profession. 2261216 171814 197436 Research:The Institute's academic investigations are conducted by its Research Department. This work centers on theology, economics, philosophy, and history, among other topics. Additionally, the investigations produced at the Acton Institute are delivered locally in Grand Rapids as well as at national and international conferences with the goal of reaching the scholarly community at large.The Research Department publishes books, journals, monographs and occasional papers, and its staff regularly publishes books with external publishing houses. The Journal of Markets & Morality is a semi-annual refereed journal that provides a forum for scholars to engage issues concerning the morality of the marketplace. The Christian Social Thought Series examines, in each volume, a key economic issue facing Christians. Non-Christians have also written articles and books addressing relevant themes of interest to the Acton Institute. The Research Department also manages Acton's academic scholarship programs. Fellowships were awarded to provide financial assistance, in the form of academic fellowships and travel grants, to promising seminarians and graduate students who are advancing an understanding of the connection between economic liberty and religious values. The annual Novak Award recipient is presented with a prize to acknowledge and reward new research on the relationship between religion, economic freedom, and the free and virtuous society.Lastly, the Research Department manages a number of programs, including (1) small specific conferences for scholars and graduate students that mostly are held in Grand Rapids, (2) larger conferences for leading religious figures, and (3) the scholarly and programmatic outreach of Acton's Rome office.Internationally, we have held conferences on various topics such as economic liberty, poverty and development, Catholic social teaching, Judaism and the economy, intellectual property rights, and limited government. Our office in Rome also held regular small lectures at the office. 1724170 216049 General Education and Communications:The Institute reaches out to business leaders, policymakers, students, and religious and community leadership groups through lectures, media products, web and social media, and various writings. The 2016 annual dinner celebrating 26 years of the Acton Institute was held to promote outreach and to thank supporters for their partnership. The dinner and program festivities included discourse with prominent public speakers and Institute supporters. The Faith and Freedom Award was given to Rev. Paul Scalia on behalf of his late father, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Over 800 attended, representing 20 states and several foreign countries, and admission was charged to defray expenses incurred. The Acton Lecture Series and Acton Film Series hosted over 23 local events during the year in our conference center with an average attendance of more than 70 people per event for discussions of current events of local interest. The Institute also sponsored several other luncheon and dinner lectures around the country. Our facility in Grand Rapids allowed us to host an increasing number of downtown events offered to the general public.Acton Institute also operates a bookstore to promote and sell its own publications, in addition to outside publications, related to our mission and program outreach areas. These educational materials were sold, distributed and exhibited at a variety of events throughout the world.Our rich and robust web presence centers on the Acton website (www.acton.org), and includes other Acton sites such as the PowerBlog as well as a great deal of current and historical Acton-produced content. The Institute has a broad and growing presence in social media. This platform has steadily increased the scope and frequency of Acton's outreach to the general public. In 2016 we launched an initiative to expand our flagship publication Religion and Liberty into an online magazine covering Acton's Transatlantic work to bring attention to issues of religious liberty, the breakdown of the welfare state, advancing secularism, and the health of civil society in the US, Canada, and EU.The Communications Department manages the growing family of Acton websites, blog, and social media which use leading technology to integrate text, audio, and video content in easily accessible formats and venues to promote Acton's message to web users. It publishes the print and digital editions of Religion & Liberty, Acton Notes, and the weekly email newsletter, Acton News & Commentary. The Communications Department also connects Acton experts with print and broadcast journalists covering faith and policy issues. 946725 8200 Media:The Media Department promotes Acton's message through various media products and outlets. The distribution of our feature-length films continued across the U.S. and internationally, including translation into several languages. Acton's media products were distributed with a focus on digital platforms. They can be found on familiar platforms such as Amazon, Netflix, and iTunes. A curriculum and related website about enterprise solutions to poverty in the developing world (PovertyCure) continued to be promoted. Many schools and universities have incorporated this resource into their curriculums. The project seeks to build a network of likeminded organizations as well as to promote a proper understanding of the human person and society. The media projects will encourage solutions that create opportunity and unleash the entrepreneurial spirit. Acton's documentary Poverty, Inc. has earned more than 45 film festival awards to date, including the $100,000 Templeton Freedom Award. The film has screened more than 400 times in 28 countries. 946725 8200 8407811 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 118 0 1 50 1 1 1 1 IT 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 X 14 12 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 AL AK AR CT FL KS KY ME MD MA MI MN MO NH NJ NC OK OR PA RI SC TN UT VA WV X X Tom Vogt 6164543080 98 E Fulton St No 101 Grand Rapids MI 49503 Rev Robert A Sirico President 50.00 X X 240579 0 4437 David Humphreys Chairman 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Frank Hanna III Vice Chairman 1.00 X X 0 0 0 JC Huizenga Secretary 1.00 X X 0 0 0 John Kennedy III Treasurer 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Kris Mauren Executive Director 50.00 X X 241819 0 17570 Dr Alejandro Chafuen Director 1.00 X 0 0 0 Dr Gaylen Byker Director 1.00 X 0 0 0 Elsa D Prince Broekhuizen Director 1.00 X 0 0 0 Sean Fieler Director 1.00 X 0 0 0 John Crowe Director 1.00 X 0 0 0 James Rahn Director 1.00 X 0 0 0 Leslie Graves Director 1.00 X 0 0 0 John M Gordan Jr Director (part year) 1.00 X 0 0 0 David A Durell Director 1.00 X 0 0 0 Tom Vogt Director of Finance 50.00 X 84314 0 20224 Sam Gregg Director of Research 50.00 X 152077 0 20483 Michael Miller Director of Media 50.00 X 103479 0 20596 David Milroy Chief Operating Officer 50.00 X 146090 0 16864 968358 0 100174 5 0 1 0 Atomic Object LLC 1034 Wealth Street SE Grand Rapids MI 49506 Website development 146072 Allegra Print and Imaging 3983 Lincoln Ave SE Grand Rapids MI 49548 Printing services 124379 2 1178 232670 8057755 226387 8291603 Education 900099 273984 273984 Research 900099 197436 197436 Media 900099 8200 8200 479620 449024 444502 4522 164613 101920 62693 62693 62693 955099 1800 930679 0 24420 1800 26220 26220 51975 232670 182601 -130626 -130626 346652 159833 186819 186819 Property tax refund 900099 216667 216667 27430 27430 244097 9609450 693869 444502 179476 X 69500 69500 171814 171814 108509 108509 610367 465176 52051 93140 130 130 2353039 1793276 200676 359087 65716 50084 5604 10028 378165 288208 32250 57707 194701 148386 16604 29711 94312 16318 77994 30052 30052 1541397 1481941 35588 23868 171124 170825 299 581326 467837 20336 93153 106082 95574 3585 6923 217949 160442 44417 13090 429604 358034 43873 27697 2156086 2149002 3899 3185 274596 161377 87692 25527 12206 8205 2881 1120 Equipment 140184 116699 11242 12243 Tax on UBI 111753 111753 Meals and Entertainment 102655 77251 11237 14167 66425 49223 12387 4815 9987692 8407811 804121 775760 68604 39442 6283779 3643058 1665566 1351319 77712 77043 245473 155003 280972 369023 8582583 1402145 7284874 7180438 370732 2812968 1690207 1896200 17967919 17524494 379145 213668 1000 27000 380145 240668 X 13284414 12750890 4303360 4032936 0 500000 17587774 17283826 17967919 17524494 X -378242 228520 -154226 X X 0 1 X 1 0 X 12329257 10169050 8183452 9752063 8291603 48725425 12329257 10169050 8183452 9752063 8291603 48725425 12447132 36278293 122976 153041 180471 162499 169135 788122 248165 207004 288361 225729 342563 1311822 47972 43820 46269 41150 296072 475283 51300652 3102509 0.70720 0.72940 X Schedule A, Part II, Line 10, Explanation of Other Income: Miscellaneous Revenue - 2012 Amount: $ 5,592. 2013 Amount: $ 2,045. 2014 Amount: $ 5,244. 2016 Amount: $ 27,430. Special Events - 2012 Amount: $ 42,380. 2013 Amount: $ 41,775. 2014 Amount: $ 41,025. 2015 Amount: $ 41,150. 2016 Amount: $ 51,975. Property tax refund - 2016 Amount: $ 216,667. RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 0 2500000 11650 0 0 0 2511650 0.00370 0.19910 0.79720 0 0 1080000 1080000 6068824 531022 5537802 1316105 758971 557134 117654 112152 5502 7180438 Common Stock of Privately Held Corporation 1896200 F 1896200 27000 27000 X 10261591 228520 475927 101920 806367 9455224 154226 154226 9609450 10565539 475927 101920 577847 9987692 0 9987692 Part X, Line 2: The financial statement effects of a tax position taken or expected to be taken are recognized in the financial statements when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination. Interest and penalties, if any, are included in expenses in the statements of activities. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Institute had no uncertain tax positions that qualify for recognition or disclosure in the financial statements. 1 Europe (Including Iceland & Greenland) 1 3 Program Services Education 178344 South America 0 0 Grants to Recipients 63700 Europe (Including Iceland & Greenland) 0 0 Grants to Recipients 37559 East Asia and the Pacific 0 0 Grants to Recipients 3750 North America 0 0 Grants to recipients 3500 1 3 0 0 1 3 286853 0 286853 South America The Acton Institute has established relationships with several international affiliate organizations that share our mission and seek to promote ideas of the Acton Institute. The affiliates are independent organizations that work with Acton to promote the ideas of a free and virtuous society in their own countries and within their own cultural context. Acton provides these affiliates with small grants for conferences, publications, website maintenance, translation, and other activities. 63650 Electronic transfer 1 0 Education and travel assistance South America 1 50 Wire Education and travel assistance Europe (Including Iceland & Greenland) 10 37559 Wire Education and travel assistance East Asia and the Pacific 1 2500 Wire 0 0 0 0 0 0 Part I, Line 2: Grant recipients are required to submit a written report detailing how the grant funds were used. The reports are reviewed by Acton staff to verify proper use. Some grants relate to Acton sponsored events and can be verified internally. Grant funds may be revoked for use outside of grant purpose. Part I, line 3: Expenditures are accounted for using the accrual method of accounting. Annual Dinner 284645 232670 51975 32221 92199 6000 52181 284645 232670 51975 32221 92199 6000 52181 182601 -130626 1 The Kings College 56 Broadway New York NY 10004 131810448 501(c)(3) 17500 Organization support Aquinas College 1700 Fulton E Grand Rapids MI 49506 381367080 501(c)(3) 15000 Organization support Texas A&M University 400 Bizzell St College Station TX 77843 756001353 501(c)(3) 8000 Organization support Westmont College 955 La Paz Road Santa Barbara CA 93108 951684793 501(c)(3) 7000 Organization support 4 0 Awards 1 10000 Travel Scholarships 365 135442 Research, Fellowship 68 26372 Part I, Line 2: Grant recipients are required to submit a written report detailing how the grant funds were used. The reports are reviewed by Acton staff to verify proper use. Some grants relate to Acton sponsored events and can be verified internally. Grant funds may be revoked for use outside of grant purpose. X 1 1 X X X X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rev Robert A Sirico President 228223 0 10000 0 2356 0 4000 0 942 0 245521 0 0 0 Kris Mauren Executive Director 223101 0 9000 0 9718 0 1000 0 16994 0 259813 0 0 0 Sam Gregg Director of Research 147077 0 5000 0 0 0 4000 0 17008 0 173085 0 0 0 David Milroy Chief Operating Officer 140077 0 6000 0 13 0 4000 0 13449 0 163539 0 0 0 Part I, Line 1a Kris Mauren utilizes the organization's membership with University Club for bona-fide business purposes to conduct offsite meetings with staff and donors. It is policy to have him reimburse the organization for any personal charges that are not considered bona-fide business expenses. X 10 207125 Fair market value X 1 14262 Fair market value X Decorations 1 5000 Fair market value 0 0 1 0 Part I, Column (b): The number of contributions represent the number of contributions received, not the number of items donated. Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 6 The corporation is organized on a membership basis. There are two classes of members: full members and associate members. Only full members are entitled to vote. The full members elect one or more members of the governing body, the Board of Directors. The original members were appointed in the founding documents of incorporation. New members may be added by a two-thirds vote of the full members. The Board of Directors, by unanimous action, may terminate the membership of any member who fails to comply with the bylaws or regulations. Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 7a Members have the ability to elect or appoint one or more members of the organization's governing body, the Board of Directors. The by-laws grant members the power to fill vacancies or remove existing directors by a majority vote. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 11b The Form 990 is prepared by an independent CPA firm. It is reviewed in detail by the Director of Finance. A draft copy of the Form 990 is electronically provided to the members of the Board of Directors for review prior to filing. In addition, a copy of the Form 990 draft will be available in a secured part of the website. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 12c Officers and board members sign annual conflict of interest statements which are reviewed by in-house counsel. Should any potential conflicts of interest be disclosed, the board member or officer would be asked to refrain from participation in any decision with regard to matters affected by the relationship. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 15 The Board investigates and determines the compensation package for the President and Executive Director. The Executive Director and Human Resources determine the compensation for all other officers. The process includes comparison to similar organizations and salary surveys as well as analysis of responsibilities and performance. The approval process is documented in the minutes. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, line 19 The organization's governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements are made available upon request. Form 990, Part IX, line 11g Payroll services: Program service expenses 1,284. Management and general expenses 8,505. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses 9,789. Contracted services: Program service expenses 1,167,964. Management and general expenses 20,947. Fundraising expenses 23,342. Total expenses 1,212,253. Honorariums: Program service expenses 312,292. Management and general expenses 0. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses 312,292. Credit card services: Program service expenses 401. Management and general expenses 6,136. Fundraising expenses 526. Total expenses 7,063. Form 990, Part XI, line 9: Book to tax difference for UBTI reported on Schedule K-1 -154,226. Form 990, Part XII, Line 2c The organization's Board assumes responsibility for oversight of the audit of its financial statements and selection of its independent accountant. This process has not changed since the prior year.