State Policy Network

Name

State Policy Network

Legal name

State Policy Network

Website

https://spn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Advocacy Network

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Policy network coalition
• State policy advocacy
• Think tank network
• Free-market policy research
• Federalism education

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, SPN generates revenue through grants and donations from foundations, individual donors, and investors who support the network's mission of advancing free-market policy solutions at the state level.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

State Policy Network (SPN) is a national nonprofit coalition that accelerates the success of 63 state-based think tank affiliates and 130+ national nonprofit partners advancing free-market policy solutions. SPN provides its network with Durable Freedom Infrastructure, including strategy support, targeted grants, leadership training, and intentional peer connections, while also engaging state and federal officials with policy tools and federalism education.

Product overview

State Policy Network (SPN) operates as a coalition/network organization rather than a traditional product company. SPN functions as a unified platform connecting 63 state-based think tanks with over 130 national nonprofit partners, all dedicated to advancing free-market policy solutions through federalism. The core offering includes the Durable Freedom Infrastructure (DFI) strategic framework, Policy Solutions resources, Training & Strategy programs, and Grants/Awards initiatives. SPN provides shared infrastructure through the Week in Review newsletter, Network Directory, and Network Jobs Board. The organization also operates the Center for Practical Federalism as a research sub-brand and hosts the annual SPN Annual Meeting. Individual affiliate organizations have developed their own products including voter engagement tools (TennSight), judicial accountability platforms (Court Watch), and school comparison tools (CompareMySchool.com), though these are not SPN's own products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Practical Federalism: An initiative focused on educating the American public and policymakers on the benefits of federalism.

Products and services

• Durable Freedom Infrastructure (DFI)

Quantifiable outcome

• 244 trainings and events per year bringing the Network together
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 63 State-Based Think Tank AffiliatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore network of 63 state-based think tanks across 46 states that serve as SPN's primary affiliates. Examples include American Experiment (MN), Buckeye Institute (OH), Goldwater Institute (AZ), Mackinac Center (MI), John Locke Foundation (NC), and many others. These affiliates advance free-market policy solutions within their respective states with support from SPN.
• 130+ National Nonprofit PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partners including organizations like Texas Public Policy Foundation, Pelican Institute, Pacific Research Institute, Foundation for Government Accountability, and many others that collaborate within the SPN ecosystem to share best practices and replicate successful policies nationally.
• Center for Practical FederalismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPN's Center for Practical Federalism aims to educate the American public and policymakers on the benefits of federalism - a system where national government has some authority but much more resides with states, communities, and the American people. Publishes the 'Dispatch from DC' newsletter.
• 100 State Leaders from 25 StatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition organized by SPN's Center for Practical Federalism in support of US Department of Labor's proposed rule clarifying independent contractor status. Includes 4 statewide officials and 96 state legislators who submitted formal public comment.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC): ALEC is the most direct functional peer to SPN: a coalition of state legislators that drafts and disseminates model free-market legislation across all 50 states. It operates a similar state-level coalition model with comparable policy objectives, distinguishing primarily by its legislator membership versus SPN's think-tank affiliate structure.
• Americans for Prosperity: Americans for Prosperity is a Koch-aligned advocacy organization with a heavy state-level grassroots footprint. It competes with SPN affiliates for donor attention and overlaps in free-market policy priorities, while differing by emphasizing direct citizen mobilization rather than think-tank research and replication.
• Americans for Tax Reform: Americans for Tax Reform operates at the state and federal level on tax and free-market policy, with affiliated state-level chapters. It is comparable to SPN in policy focus and multi-state organizing, though narrower in issue scope.
• FreedomWorks: FreedomWorks engages in state and federal free-market policy advocacy with grassroots mobilization. It shares ideological alignment and state-level engagement with SPN, serving as both a collaborator and a competing voice in the same donor ecosystem.
• Heartland Institute: Heartland Institute operates state-level affiliates and policy shops (e.g., in Illinois, Michigan) advancing free-market principles, functioning similarly to SPN's state affiliate model. Some Heartland affiliates overlap with SPN's network, making it a direct peer in the state-policy infrastructure space.
• Mackinac Center for Public Policy: The Mackinac Center is a flagship SPN affiliate and one of the nation's largest state-level free-market think tanks. It is directly comparable as a state-level policy organization that operates within SPN's coalition network and exemplifies the affiliate model.

Broad incumbents

• Heritage Foundation: Heritage Foundation is a broad incumbent in conservative policy research that increasingly funds and partners with state-level initiatives. It is comparable to SPN's policy orientation but operates primarily at the federal level with a wider portfolio than SPN's state-only focus.
• American Enterprise Institute: AEI is a major Washington-based policy think tank that produces research informing state and federal policy debates. It is comparable as a free-market policy institution but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a state-coalition network.
• Manhattan Institute: Manhattan Institute produces state-relevant policy research (e.g., criminal justice, education, housing) and engages directly with state policymakers. It is comparable in policy scope and free-market orientation but lacks SPN's coalition-network model.

Regional players

• Council of State Governments: CSG is a nonpartisan organization serving all three branches of state government, comparable to SPN in coordinating state-level policy infrastructure. It differs ideologically and by serving government officials directly rather than independent think tanks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StatePolicy
• Facebookfacebook.com/StatePolicy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about State Policy Network