Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Simple Liberty Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. EIN (Tax ID): 42-3420651.

One-time donations: No goods or services were provided in exchange for your gift. It is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Member and Commoners Club donors: Your donations are tax-deductible except for the value of commenting access, which we estimate at $5 per month. Your year-end giving statement will show the tax-deductible portion of your gifts.

Every dollar fuels the work: Original research on real solutions, the people who produce it, and the platform where citizens develop it together. We’re a lean team, not an institution - your support goes to the mission, not bloat.

Your support primarily funds three things:

1. The hours it takes to research issues - through meaning, evidence, impact, and solution - and to run our Commoners Corner challenges and online discussions with Members.

2. Serving Members as we respond to issues with solutions, and refine our work - respectfully, transparently.

3. Outreach (not paid advertising) to discuss our work with others, including major influencers on podcasts, the media, and in other organizations seeking to sustain American freedoms.

As a 501(c)(3), our IRS filings are public - anyone will be able to look them up starting in 2027. We will also publish a plain-English annual report right here: What came in, what went out by category, and what the work produced. We will not publish individual salaries or itemized expenses. Ask us anything else and we will answer.

The Commons is our online community - where members consider America’s challenges. What are the major issues? What are the topics within those issues? What claims are being made - presented as solutions? Then, our 4Q Scrolls’ questions about a claim:

#1 | Meaning - What’s it mean?
#2 | Evidence - Why is it true? (based on the facts)
#3 | Impact - Who and what is impacted by this claim?
#4 | Solution - What’s the best solution for the common good of all Americans?

The Commons is the gathering place of Simple Liberty - similar to a pub, town square, or city gate where wise people met to respectfully discuss and resolve the challenges of their community - listening, considering the opinions of others, contributing, and finding common ground to extend the life of their people through the next generation.

Both are donor memberships - a commitment to support our work.

We want anyone to be able to participate. Therefore, all Members may comment in Commoners Corner and The Commons.

$1,500 - the amount one Commoners Club membership provides in a year - is the minimum cost for us to fully research one claim through all four questions: Meaning, Evidence, Impact, and Solution. Plus, our time to publish and discuss our content with Members at each level.

Part of the work with Issues and Claims may be done by volunteers, but we always need paid staff involved to finalize our reports, present them online - free for anyone to view - update them as new information becomes available, and explain them to the public.

As our funding grows, we expect to research more claims per dollar - with better tools and processes, without cutting corners on the work itself.

Because you committed first. We want the first 1,000 donating Members to be equals in as many ways as we fairly can. Some can afford the $125/month donation as Commoners Club members, whereas $10/month to be a Member is a stretch for others. Everyone matters. Everyone’s voice counts.

Yes - and it is often the better way. Most American wealth is not cash. It is in appreciated stock, real estate, business interests, and retirement accounts. Giving an appreciated asset directly, instead of selling it first, can mean more going to our work and less going to taxes. Most people never realize this is an option.

Tell us what you have in mind using this form, and David will reply within one business day. We will work with your CPA or advisor on the details.

Contributions are charitable gifts and are not refundable. You can cancel your membership at any time from your member account to stop future contributions.

One exception is billing errors. Duplicate or mistaken charges are always refunded.

No. We are not aligned with any party, candidate, or campaign. We examine any organization’s published claims and content on their merits. We start from facts and America’s founding values, and we follow them to what’s best for the common good of all Americans - today and into the future. Our loyalty is to the truth and to free people staying free.

Never. We do not sell, share, or rent member information. No ads. No data brokers. We do not publish membership lists. Your participation is private to The Commons and the Simple Liberty organization. See our Privacy page for details.