FAQ: How can we help you?

We refer to our organization's philosophy as classical liberalism, which advocates for individual rights, free enterprise, liberal democracy, and the rule of law. In some regions of the world, adherents of this viewpoint are simply called "liberal," while in the United States, people and organizations with these views are often called "libertarian," or "free-market" when describing our economic views. Any of these are accurate shorthand descriptions. To bring this all together in a sentence: "Atlas Network is a classical liberal nonprofit based in Arlington, Virginia which provides training, grants, and networking opportunities for think tanks and civil society organizations that support individual rights and free enterprise."

Our organization's trade name is Atlas Network. Because there are many organizations with similar names, we don't abbreviate our trade name. We also don't use "the" before our name, though it is a common misconception in many publications, and we seek to correct this error when possible. Here's an example of how we use our trade name in a sentence: "Atlas Network partners with more than 550 independent organizations in over 100 countries."

Thanks for your interest in Atlas Network. For any questions, please call Adam Weinberg, Atlas Network's Director of Marketing and Communications, at 703-717-6494 or email aweinberg@atlasnetwork.org.

Atlas Network is a U.S.-based organization with a single office location in Arlington, VA. Our business model involves assisting other independent nonprofit organizations that elect to be recognized as partners, without obligation, because they share our commitment to the principles of a free society and welcome association with peer organizations, much like any other community of friends and fellow-travelers. Each year, Atlas Network awards grants to some of these organizations for research and educational work related to the advancement of a free society. By design, our support rarely represents a significant percentage of the recipient’s total funding. As a result, Atlas Network’s philanthropic strategy avoids the mistake other grant-makers sometimes make of seeking to influence the particular public policy priorities and research agendas of recipient communities. We look to the leadership of local, independent grant recipients as they determine local needs and solutions. Our grant-making and evaluation criteria emphasize the quality of the project design being proposed and the viability of the applicant organization’s capacity to perform the work. Any reporting that claims or implies that organizations listed as Atlas Network partners are doing work at the behest of Atlas Network is patently false and indefensible.

As a nonprofit organization without an endowment, Atlas Network must win support for our work by virtue of our value proposition and impact. We embrace the values of accountability and transparency as a matter of ethical leadership as well as legal compliance. Our views on donor transparency are informed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the guidelines they provide, which we follow faithfully without exception. We encourage any other organization, whether listed as Atlas Network partners or not, to faithfully comply with any relevant laws, regulations, or guidelines pertaining to their organizations’ work in their respective legal domains. Any reporting that claims or implies that Atlas Network is secretive or operates with anything short of complete fidelity to the legal requirements governing nonprofit organizations such as ours is patently false and indefensible.

The mission of Atlas Network is to unleash entrepreneurship and eradicate poverty by strengthening a global network of partners that promote economic and personal freedoms in order to remove barriers to human flourishing. To fulfill that mission, it is fundamental that Atlas Network maintains an inclusive network, based on principles of respect and the dignity of the individual. We do that by opposing discrimination, antagonism, and intolerance based on professional status, sexual orientation, gender, age, race, marital status, ethnicity, or religion. Any Atlas Network partner that takes a public position advocating the restriction of the rights of members of any group based on those characteristics is subject to removal from Atlas Network's global partner directory. Atlas Network observes commonly accepted standards of professional behavior at our international events and training opportunities. Observation of those standards is a precondition for partnership within the network at large. Any reporting that claims or implies Atlas Network supports discrimination is patently false and indefensible.

No. Atlas Network is a nonpartisan organization. We do not get involved in elections, or in supporting particular candidates or political parties. After all, our goal is to persuade people of all backgrounds to value classical liberal principles and to consider policy reforms related to these principles. We see it as counter-productive to believe these principles can only be represented by specific candidates or parties. Any reporting that claims or implies that Atlas Network takes political positions—for example, by supporting or opposing particular candidates or parties—in the U.S. or any other country is patently false and indefensible.

No. Atlas Network does not solicit or accept government funding, nor do we in any way seek to represent the interests of any government, including the U.S. government. Since its founding and according to its bylaws, our grant and award programs, educational outreach, worldwide events, and other services depend on the generosity of foundations, individuals, and other non-governmental institutions that believe in our mission to strengthen the worldwide freedom movement. Any reporting that claims or implies that Atlas Network represents the U.S. government, U.S. foreign policy, or the interests of any other government entity in any country is patently false and indefensible.