About
Founded in 2010, Heritage Action for America (Heritage Action) is the 501(c)(4) advocacy arm of The Heritage Foundation. According to its website, the group’s lobbyists on Capitol Hill work with lawmakers and their staff “to implement conservative solutions… drawn from our partners at The Heritage Foundation.” The group has successfully advocated and lobbied for voter suppression and anti-abortion legislation, and is getting more deeply involved in the Right’s anti-ESG movement.
Heritage Action works closely with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF), and the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) as part of a larger coalition committed to fighting ESG initiatives. Heritage Action publishes the website esghurts.com, promotes Heritage’s model anti-ESG legislation, and shares its lobbyists with other right-wing anti-ESG organizations. Towards the end of 2022, Heritage Action endorsed ALEC’s model bill known as the Eliminate Political Boycotts Act, which would prevent states from doing business with companies that have in turn chosen not to do business with fossil fuel producers.
Heritage Action is also part of a rightwing coalition promoting the Heritage Foundation’s State Pension Fiduciary Duty Act, model legislation that seeks to ban the consideration of ESG factors in the management of public pensions.
Heritage Action only lists two employees on its website: Executive Director Jessica Anderson and Vice President Garrett Bess. However, a pamphlet obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy indicates that the organization employs at least 10 regional legislative coordinators. It also claims to have over 20,000 grassroots activists.
Operatives
- Executive Director Jessica Anderson
- Director of State Advocacy Catherine Gunsalus
- Upper Midwest Coordinator Eli Huber
- Paul Watkins (position unknown)
Top Funders
- Judicial Crisis Network: $2,860,000 (2020-2021)
- America First Works: $994,000 (2020)
- Heritage Foundation: $900,000 (2020-2022)
- Stand Together: $675,000 (2012–14)
Note: Heritage Action is not required by law to disclose its donors. The Center for Media and Democracy identified its top funders through an examination of IRS filings.
Core Financials
- Total Revenue: $20,906,989
- Total Expenses: $21,985,466
- Net Assets: $4,968,549
Source: 2022 IRS 990 filing
For more information, visit the Heritage Action page on SourceWatch.