Evergreen Freedom Foundation

The Evergreen Freedom Foundation, commonly operating under the name Freedom Foundation, is a United States nonprofit policy organization founded in Washington state in 1991 by Lynn Harsh and Bob Williams, a former Republican legislator and gubernatorial candidate. It is organized as a 501(c)(3) charitable entity and presents itself as a conservative, free-market think tank whose central objective is to promote individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and what it describes as responsible self-government. The organization works on state and local public-policy questions involving government budgets, taxation, labor policy, welfare, health care, education, citizenship, and governance. Its public-policy research has included analysis of minimum-wage increases and mandatory paid sick leave. Although it has maintained a broader policy portfolio, its most prominent activity has been opposition to public-sector unions and efforts to persuade government employees that they can decline union membership or stop paying union dues and agency fees where legally permitted. The foundation's labor campaign expanded following a series of legal developments concerning public-employee union financing and associational rights. It supported litigation and public education connected with Davenport v. Washington Education Association, Harris v. Quinn, and Janus v. AFSCME. After the 2018 Janus decision, which held that public employees cannot be compelled to pay agency fees to unions for nonmember political and ideological activity, the organization developed an opt-out campaign. This campaign provides information and generates forms for public employees seeking to leave unions or discontinue payments. The organization reported that it had helped more than 115,000 union members opt out by July 2022, although that figure is the foundation's own reported measure. The Freedom Foundation also uses strategic litigation, administrative complaints, legislative advocacy, direct outreach, and community organizing. It has challenged union political spending and disclosure practices and has filed complaints with state regulators. Its activities have generated counter-campaigns from labor-aligned organizations, lawsuits by the Washington attorney general, disputes over campaign-finance reporting, and controversy concerning the scope of activity permissible for a tax-exempt charitable organization. The organization has expanded beyond its original Washington base. It has maintained offices in Washington, Oregon, California, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and announced in 2021 that it intended to extend its work nationally across all 50 states. In March 2025, it established the Teacher Freedom Alliance, described as a national organization offering educators professional support and resources as an alternative to traditional teachers-union representation. The foundation has received private philanthropic support from conservative and free-market donors and policy networks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it also received a Paycheck Protection Program loan, an event that attracted criticism because of its longstanding opposition to government spending and its stated preference for limited government.

The organization was established in Washington state in 1991 as the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. Its founders were Lynn Harsh and Bob Williams, a former Republican state legislator and gubernatorial candidate. From the beginning, the foundation presented itself as a free-market and limited-government organization. Its stated mission has been to reduce dependence on government, explain the principles of liberty, and encourage citizens to participate in public life. During its early development, the foundation addressed a broad range of state-policy issues. Its research and advocacy have covered taxation, state budgets, welfare, labor, health care, education, citizenship, and governance. It has also analyzed policy effects associated with minimum-wage increases and mandatory paid sick leave. Rather than functioning as a commercial brand, the organization operates as a nonprofit policy institution that combines research, communications, direct activism, and litigation. Labor policy became the foundation's defining area of activity. It argued that public-sector unions exert excessive influence over government budgets, elections, legislation, and public policy, and it sought to challenge the use of compulsory fees for political or ideological purposes. In 2007, it filed a complaint involving the Washington Education Association's use of worker fees for political activity. The resulting legal dispute contributed to Davenport v. Washington Education Association, in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that states may require public-employee unions to obtain authorization before using certain fees for political purposes. The foundation subsequently criticized changes to Washington law that it believed weakened the practical impact of that ruling. The organization later supported and participated in litigation concerning home-care workers and public-employee union fees. In 2014, the Supreme Court's Harris v. Quinn decision held that the First Amendment barred compulsory agency fees for certain nonconsenting home-health-care workers. In 2017, the foundation began an outreach effort aimed at informing Washington home-care workers of their ability to leave or stop supporting a union. It also filed a 2015 federal action on behalf of family child-care providers who objected to fees associated with SEIU 925. The Supreme Court's 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision significantly reinforced the foundation's central campaign. The decision held that public employees could not be compelled to pay agency fees to a union for nonmember political and ideological activity. The Freedom Foundation had filed an amicus brief in support of the position adopted by the Court. After the ruling, it developed a systematic opt-out operation, producing forms and contacting government workers about their rights. The organization described the campaign as a means of weakening public-sector unions through education, litigation, legislative work, and community activation. The foundation's tactics have included highly visible outreach. In 2015, representatives dressed as Santa Claus outside government buildings to inform employees that they could leave their unions. The activity provoked a response from labor-aligned groups, including the creation of the Northwest Accountability Project and efforts to challenge the foundation's tax-exempt status. The dispute also involved criticism and personal attacks directed at then-chief executive Tom McCabe. In Washington, legislators passed measures restricting the public availability of employee birth dates, a change associated with concerns about the foundation's ability to contact state workers. The foundation has also been involved in campaign-finance disputes. In 2015, the Washington attorney general sued over alleged violations relating to the organization's opposition to Initiative 1501. Although the foundation initially prevailed in superior court, the Washington Supreme Court later ruled for the attorney general in a divided decision, after which the foundation sought further review. In 2019, the attorney general filed another case alleging that the foundation failed to report staff expenditures opposing a proposed progressive income tax initiative in Olympia. Separately, complaints filed by the foundation contributed to campaign-disclosure settlements involving SEIU affiliates, including a 2019 agreement under which SEIU paid $128,000 in fines. By 2021, more than 70 labor-related lawsuits were reportedly pending. The organization had also extended its physical presence beyond Washington to Oregon, California, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. That year it announced an ambition to operate nationally. Its funding has come from private donors and conservative or free-market philanthropic institutions, including foundations associated with the Koch family, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, Donors Trust, the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation, and the State Policy Network. The Bradley Foundation awarded it $1.5 million over three years for work intended to educate union workers about their rights. The foundation's receipt of a federally backed Paycheck Protection Program loan during the 2020 pandemic became a point of public controversy. The reported loan amount was between $350,000 and $1 million, and the organization said the funds supported the retention of 82 jobs. Critics viewed the assistance as inconsistent with the foundation's opposition to government spending and its published statement that it accepted no government support. In March 2025, the organization created the Teacher Freedom Alliance, a national initiative intended to provide educators with professional resources and support outside traditional teachers unions. This marked an extension of its union-competition strategy from public-sector workers generally into the education profession. The Freedom Foundation therefore remains best understood as a policy advocacy nonprofit whose most consequential work has involved public-sector labor, union finances, employee association rights, and conservative state-policy campaigns.

• 2025

  Teacher Freedom Alliance launched

  [1]Freedom Foundation (Washington)en.wikipedia.org

  The organization established a national educator-support initiative positioned as an alternative to teachers unions.

• 2021

  National expansion announced

  [1]Freedom Foundation (Washington)en.wikipedia.org

  The foundation announced plans to expand its work nationally across all 50 states.

• 2020

  Paycheck Protection Program assistance

  [1]Freedom Foundation (Washington)en.wikipedia.org

  The organization received federally backed pandemic loan assistance and said it would help retain 82 jobs.

• 2018

  Janus-related opt-out campaign

  [1]Freedom Foundation (Washington)en.wikipedia.org

  Following Janus v. AFSCME, the foundation expanded its program helping public employees understand and exercise their ability to decline union fees.

• 2015

  Family child-care provider lawsuit and employee outreach

  [1]Freedom Foundation (Washington)en.wikipedia.org

  The foundation filed a federal action for family child-care providers and conducted public outreach to government employees about union-membership rights.

• 2014

  Harris v. Quinn decision

  [1]Freedom Foundation (Washington)en.wikipedia.org

  The Supreme Court ruled that certain home-health-care workers could not be compelled to pay agency fees to a union when they objected to doing so.

• 2007

  Complaint involving Washington Education Association

  [1]Freedom Foundation (Washington)en.wikipedia.org

  The foundation filed a complaint alleging that the Washington Education Association improperly used worker fees for political activity, contributing to litigation that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

• 1991

  Foundation established

  [1]Freedom Foundation (Washington)en.wikipedia.org

  Lynn Harsh and Bob Williams founded the Evergreen Freedom Foundation in Washington state as a conservative free-market policy organization.

A conservative, free-market policy organization positioned as an advocate for limited government, individual liberty, and alternatives to public-sector union representation.

• Think-tank research

  Policy research and analysis

  Research and commentary addressing state budgets, taxation, labor regulation, welfare, health care, education, minimum wages, paid sick leave, citizenship, and governance. The work is framed around free markets, limited government, and individual responsibility.

• Employee-rights advocacy · 2017

  Public-sector union opt-out assistance

  Information, outreach, and form-generation services for public employees who want to leave a union or stop paying union dues or agency fees where permitted by law. The program became a central offering after the Harris and Janus decisions.

• Legal advocacy

  Strategic litigation and regulatory complaints

  Lawsuits, amicus participation, and administrative complaints challenging compulsory union fees, union political spending, employee outreach rules, and campaign-disclosure practices. More than 70 labor lawsuits were reported as pending in 2021.

• Educator support organization · 2025

  Teacher Freedom Alliance

  A national initiative established in 2025 to provide educators with professional support services and resources outside traditional teachers-union structures.

• 2020

  Paycheck Protection Program loan controversy

  The foundation received federally backed PPP assistance during the pandemic despite campaigning against government spending and stating that it accepted no government support. Commentators criticized the apparent tension between the loan and the organization's small-government position.

  Source

• 2015

  Conflict with labor-aligned opposition groups

  The Northwest Accountability Project and allied unions challenged the foundation's activities and sought to have its 501(c)(3) status revoked. The dispute also included hostile flyers and robocalls directed at then-chief executive Tom McCabe's community.

  Source

Read more

• 2025Teacher Freedom Alliance

  United States

  A national educator-support campaign intended to provide professional resources as an alternative to teachers-union representation.

  Source
• 2018Janus opt-out campaign

  United States

  The Freedom Foundation used the Janus ruling to contact public employees, explain their associational rights, and help prepare forms for leaving unions or discontinuing payments.

  Outcome. The organization reported more than 115,000 facilitated opt-outs by July 2022.

  Source
• 2017Home-care worker union opt-out outreach

  Washington

  The foundation began informing home-health-care workers about their ability to leave or decline support for a union after Harris v. Quinn.

  Outcome. The campaign developed into the organization's broader public-sector employee opt-out program.

  Source
• 2015Santa Claus public-employee outreach

  Washington

  Representatives dressed as Santa Claus outside government buildings to publicize employees' ability to leave their unions.

  Outcome. The tactic attracted attention and contributed to conflict with labor-aligned organizations.

  Source

• 2025

  Create Teacher Freedom AllianceProduct launch

  Background

  The foundation sought to broaden its union-alternative work into the education profession.

  Action taken

  It established a national organization offering educators professional support and resources outside teachers unions.

  Source

• 2021

  Announce national expansionStrategy

  Background

  The organization had developed offices and operations in several states beyond Washington.

  Action taken

  It announced an ambition to extend its work across all 50 states.

  Source

• 2018

  Scale public-sector union opt-out operationsStrategy

  Background

  The Janus v. AFSCME ruling made it unconstitutional to compel public employees to pay agency fees for nonmember political and ideological activity.

  Action taken

  The foundation expanded employee outreach, produced opt-out forms, and combined education with litigation and community organizing.

  Aftermath

  The campaign became the organization's most prominent national activity and was reported to have facilitated more than 115,000 opt-outs by July 2022.

  • Northwest Accountability Project — A labor-aligned opposition group challenged the foundation's campaign and sought regulatory action against it.

  Source

1. 1Freedom Foundation (Washington)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Freedom Foundation official websitefreedomfoundation.com