Organization Dossier
Turning Point USA
Founded June 5, 2012 by Charlie Kirk (18) and Bill Montgomery. Phoenix, Arizona. Led by Charlie Kirk 2012–2025; by Erika Kirk since September 18, 2025. Mission: "to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government."
$115.5M
FY2025 revenue
$389M
Raised 2012–23
458
Employees FY24
850+
Chapters claimed
$7.2M
PAC raised 2024
Tax Returns & Contributions
Follow the Money
Every figure traces to IRS Form 990 filings (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 80-0835023), FEC.gov committee records, or named press reporting. Self-reported claims and single-sourced figures are flagged in place. FY2026 — the fiscal year covering the post-assassination surge — is not yet filed.
TPUSA revenue by fiscal year · Form 990
Turning Point Action (c)(4) revenue
Chase the Vote reality check: the stated 2024 goal was $108M. TPAction's combined revenue across the two fiscal years spanning the election was ~$64.7M, and FEC-reported independent expenditures ran only $1.39M (via Turning Point PAC — c4 field spending is not FEC-itemized). The "315,000+ ballots chased" figure is self-reported.
Largest documented donors
01
Bradley Impact Fund
Largest intermediary/DAF channel · since 2014
$23.6M
02
Wayne Duddlesten Foundation
Largest direct donor in IRS records
$13.1M
03
Jack Roth foundation
$8.7M
04
Bernie Marcus foundation
First gift $72,600 in 2015
$7.1M
05
Charles B. & Ann Johnson
$4.6M
06
William Dunn
$4.5M
07
Dean Buntrock
$4.1M
08
Ed Uihlein Family Foundation
2014–2016, incl. $175K in 2016
$275K
09
Foster Friess
First donor — met Kirk at the 2012 RNC; widow pledged $1M in 2025
$10K first
10
Robert Shillman (Cognex) — canceled
The "$2M a year" donor in Kirk's authenticated final texts — withdrew over refusing to cancel Tucker Carlson
−$2M/yr
Donor visibility is limited by design — heavy flow through donor-advised funds (DonorsTrust, Bradley Impact Fund) obscures original donors. ~500,000 donors gave $85M in FY2024 (Fortune). Post-assassination: no official surge total disclosed; a "$240M in 60 days" figure circulates but is single-sourced and unverified. Documented pieces: Lynn Friess $1M · GiveSendGo $5.4M · family fund $2.3M.
Scrutiny on record
Sen. Whitehouse IRS letters (2021, 2024)
Asked the IRS to review 501(c)(3) status over political activity; no enforcement action documented. American Bridge filed a parallel complaint.
Arizona dark-money complaint
TP political arms accused of violating Arizona disclosure law; unresolved in the public record.
Form 990 oddities
FY2024 gap between a $6M printing-contractor payment and $1.3M in listed printing expense (Paddock Post); first-class/charter travel disclosed. Charity Navigator: 3/4 stars.
Owens claim — flagged, hers alone
Candace Owens says Kirk expressed concerns about TPUSA finances before his death (Ep 243). Unsubstantiated; disputed by TPUSA.
Electoral Record · Turning Point Action & Turning Point PAC
Helped Elect · Tried and Failed
TPUSA (the c3) does not endorse. Electoral work runs through Turning Point Action and Turning Point PAC. Field spending is c4 activity largely invisible to the FEC; dollar figures are the PAC's reported independent expenditures. Sitting leaders link to their True Vote profiles.
Wins
Donald Trump · President · 2024
Chase the Vote ballot-chasing in AZ/WI (+GA, NV, MI-07). AP-verified: ~30,000 dormant AZ Republicans turned out vs ~20,000 Democrats — credit shared with the RNC, the campaign, and America PAC. PAC IEs: $872,820 pro-Trump, $508,491 anti-Harris.
JD Vance · VP selection 2024 · Senate OH 2022
Kirk advocated "in public and private" for the VP pick (per Vance himself); $10,947 in PAC support for his 2022 Senate run.
Tom Barrett · U.S. House MI-07 · 2024
TPAction concentrated its entire Michigan program on this district; claims ~16,000 additional voters.
Tim Sheehy · U.S. Senate MT · 2024
PAC IEs $11,277; unseated Jon Tester.
Anna Paulina Luna · U.S. House FL-13 · 2022
The PAC's largest 2022 House spend: $103,271.
Mike Lee · U.S. Senate UT · 2022
$50,000 in PAC independent expenditures.
Ron Johnson · U.S. Senate WI · 2022
$10,649 in PAC support.
Losses
Blake Masters · U.S. Senate AZ · 2022
The PAC's signature bet: $192,419 support plus anti-Kelly spending, on top of the home-state ground game. Lost by ~5 points.
Mehmet Oz · U.S. Senate PA · 2022
Largest 2022 IE: $225,000 (+$25,000 opposing Fetterman).
Herschel Walker · U.S. Senate GA · 2022
PAC IEs $13,326; lost the December runoff.
Kari Lake · Governor AZ 2022 · Senate AZ 2024
Full TPAction home-state effort twice. 2024: lost by 2.4 points while Trump won Arizona by 5.5 — ran ~8 points behind him.
Karoline Leavitt · U.S. House NH-01 · 2022
PAC IEs $42,703; lost the general. Later White House press secretary.
Brad Schimel · WI Supreme Court · Apr 2025
Commit 100 redeployed: 30+ "Super Chase" events, Kirk and Don Jr. rallies. Lost by 10 points.
John Gibbs · U.S. House MI-03 · 2022
Beat impeachment-voter Peter Meijer in the primary, then lost the seat to Democrats — the canonical "won the primary, lost the seat" case.
The pattern a fair scorecard shows: demonstrably strong at turning out voters for Trump and winning Republican primaries; repeatedly unable to carry non-Trump Republicans in generals (Masters, Oz, Walker, Lake twice, Schimel). The 2022 "candidate quality" fight cut both ways — the candidates whose quality was questioned were exactly the ones the PAC spent for.
Primary fights & party power
RNC chair, Jan 2023 — LOST, then won late
Kirk and Bowyer led the Dhillon-over-McDaniel push; McDaniel won 111–51 — then was pushed out in March 2024 with Kirk among the loudest voices.
2026: Ken Paxton over John Cornyn — WON
Endorsed Feb 9, 2026; Paxton took the runoff 63.8% — first Texas senator denied renomination since 1970.
2026: Zach Lahn (IA governor) — WON, beating Trump's own pick
Lahn defeated Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra June 2 (~80,504 to 78,737).
2026 slate pending — Nov 3
Julia Letlow v. Bill Cassidy (LA) and Ralph Norman v. Lindsey Graham (SC) unresolved.
Endorsees include:
Plus ~50 House endorsements. Chase the Vote reopened in Arizona.
January 6 record
The buses
Kirk tweeted Jan 4, 2021 of "80+ buses full of patriots" — deleted after the riot; a spokesperson later said seven. One police-assaulting rioter documented on a Turning Point bus (Media Matters). Kirk pleaded the Fifth to the Jan 6 committee, Dec 2022.
Tyler Bowyer, fake elector
Indicted April 2024 (nine counts, AZ). Federal pardon Nov 2025 — doesn't reach state charges; state case dismissed without prejudice, refiling possible as of Aug 2026. Remains TPAction COO.
2028 positioning
All-in on Vance
AmFest Dec 2025 straw poll: Vance 84.2% — record margin. Erika Kirk endorsed Vance for 2028 from the AmericaFest stage; the org is reported to be preparing to deploy for him in key states. Trump's presidential record →
Major Events & Tours
Timeline
Founded by Charlie Kirk (18) and Bill Montgomery
First donor: Foster Friess, $10K, met at the 2012 RNC. Montgomery handled incorporation; secretary/treasurer until 2020.
Professor Watchlist launches
250+ professors listed by December; 12,000+ faculty sign an AAUP solidarity letter asking to be added.
New Yorker exposé
Field director Crystal Clanton's “i hate black people” texts revealed; Trump praises TPUSA the next day.
Turning Point UK collapses at launch
“A tsunami of online mockery” (BBC); 100+ parody accounts.
Turning Point Action founded (May) · Students for Trump acquired (July) · Culture War Tour
The fall tour's open-mic Q&As become the Groyper War — Nick Fuentes's followers ambush Kirk on Israel and immigration.
Bill Montgomery dies at 80 (COVID-19)
Co-founder's death draws renewed attention to his uncredited role.
The Charlie Kirk Show joins Salem Radio Network
500–750K daily downloads by 2024.
Turning Point Faith · School Board Watchlist · first AmericaFest
Faith arm claims 8,000+ church partners; AmericaFest grows to 20,000+ by 2024.
Blexit merges into TPUSA
Chase the Vote + You're Being Brainwashed Tour
$108M goal (~$64.7M raised across FY24–25); AZ/WI focus; Trump sweeps the swing states.
Charlie Kirk assassinated at Utah Valley University
First stop of the American Comeback Tour. Full evidence record: kirk-pattern-scan.vercel.app
Erika Kirk elected CEO and board chair, unanimously
54,000–62,000 chapter inquiries within days; “the biggest thing this nation has ever seen.”
Biggest AmericaFest ever — and open civil war on its stage
Vance 84.2% in the 2028 straw poll; Shapiro names the “charlatans.”
All-American Halftime Show
Claimed 20M+ views; no cost figures documented. Reported 60+ staff firings in the same period (unconfirmed).
Primary season power
Paxton over Cornyn; Lahn over Trump's Iowa pick; ~50 House endorsements pending Nov 3.
Named campus tours
Key Figures — tap for full profile
People
Charlie Kirk
Founder · President/CEO 2012–2025
Erika Kirk
CEO & Board Chair since Sept 2025
Bill Montgomery
Co-founder · c. 1939–2020
Tyler Bowyer
COO, Turning Point Action
Andrew Kolvet
Spokesman · Exec Producer, The Charlie Kirk Show
Mikey McCoy
Chief of Staff 2024–2025
Blake Neff
Producer, The Charlie Kirk Show
Justin Streiff
COO & Chief Development Officer, TPUSA
Board of directors · FY2024 Form 990
Erika Kirk
CEO/chair — succeeded Charlie Kirk, Sept 18, 2025
Tom Sodeika
Secretary & treasurer; president/CEO of Precision Payroll of America
Doug DeGroote
Director; wealth manager/CFP
David Engelhardt
Director; attorney and pastor of King's Church, Manhattan
Mike Miller
Director — named on the 990; no reliable public bio found (flagged)
Alignment Map
In Alliance With · In Opposition To
Allies
The Trump family
Trump spoke at TPUSA events from 2019 onward; Don Jr. toured with Kirk in 2019 and 2026; Kirk advised the 2024 transition at Mar-a-Lago.
JD Vance
Kirk introduced him into Trump's orbit (2022) and pushed his VP selection; the org is positioning for Vance 2028.
Salem Media Group
Radio/podcast home of The Charlie Kirk Show since Oct 2020.
Liberty University
Falkirk Center co-founded 2019 (Kirk + Falwell Jr.); ongoing convocation ties.
Major donors
Friess, Bradley orbit, Uihlein, Duddlesten, Fancelli. RNC cooperative post-2024; Bowyer sits on the RNC.
Daily Wire — informal, then fractured
Speaker overlap with no org-level deal; split publicly over Israel in 2025.
Opponents
SPLC
Listed TPUSA in extremism reporting; added to its “hate map” May 2025; Kirk called it a “laughingstock.”
Media Matters
Long-running critical dossiers on what it characterizes as staff racism episodes and extremist ties — its assessments, contested by TPUSA.
AAUP / academia
12,000+ faculty signed the anti-Watchlist letter; sustained academic-freedom criticism since 2016.
ADL
Added TPUSA to its extremism glossary in 2023; retired the entire glossary Sept 2025 under post-assassination pressure.
Nick Fuentes / groypers
The 2019 Groyper War ambushes; enmity through 2025; post-assassination, positioned as Kirk's de facto successor with the young online right.
Candace Owens (post-2025)
Former ally turned chief antagonist. Alleges TPUSA-connected involvement in the assassination — she frames it as investigation, TPUSA as conspiracy theory; no official finding supports her claims, and no court has tested either side. Cease-and-desists outstanding.