Executive Compensation at the Heritage Foundation (2019)

The Heritage Foundation (Heritage) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization staffed by conservative “experts” who provide advice on political, economic, social, and financial problems in the United States.

Based in Washington, DC, Heritage is governed by 21 voting members (trustees) of the governing body (Board of Trustees), 18 of whom are independent. 16 of the 21 (76%) are male while 5 of the 21 (24%) are female.

In 2019, Heritage raised $123 million (compared to $81 million in 2018), most of which came from contributions, gifts, and grants.  Expenses totaled $78 million (including $3 million in depreciation) with the largest expenses reported to be compensation ($38 million) and office-related expenses ($17 million).

528 employees (compared to 561 in 2018) received $38 million in compensation which equates to an average compensation of $73,000.  106 (compared to 91 in 2018) employees received more than $100,000 with the 21 most highly compensated employees reported to be:

• $956,394:  Kay Coles James, President
• $480,972:  Kim Holmes, EVP
• $330,250:  James Carafano, VP, Davis Inst for Nat’l Security
• $326,370:  Robert Bluey,  VP, Communications
• $325,848:  Jack Spencer, VP, Institute for Economic Freedom
• $320,316:  Wesley Dyck,  VP, Personnel
• $319,641:  Becky Norton Dunlop, Ron Reagon Dist Fellow
• $318,438:  John Malcolm, VP, Inst for Constitutional Gov’t
• $313,533:  Miguel M Gonzalez, Senior Fellow
• $312,282:  Bridgett Wagner, VP, Policy Promotion
• $311,612:  Carsten Walter, Sr Director, Dev and Ops
• $308,985:  Genevieve Wood, Director, Donor Comm and Spokesperson
• $303,268:  John Backiel, VP Finance and Accounting
• $302,439:  Eric Korsvall, VP, Operations
• $291,064:  Paul Winfree, Director, Thomas A Roe Institute
• $279,971:  Angela Sailor, VP, The Feulner Institute
• $272,517:  Thomas Binion, VP, Government Relations
• $271,583:  Andrew McIndoe, VP, Development
• $239,691:  Christopher Byrnes, General Counsel and Secretary
• $195,693:  Edwin J Feulner, Trustee
• $168,333:  Charmaine Yoest, VP, Institute for Fam, Comm, and Opp

7 of the 21 (33%) most highly compensated employees are female while 14 of the 21 (67%) are male.

Heritage paid for first class or charter travel and travel for companions. To read more about this expense, please refer to the Form 990 (2019), Schedule J, Part III Supplemental Information.

38 independent contractors received more than $100,000 in compensation with the 5 highest reported to be:

• $2,927,580:  Bognet Construction Associates, of Vienna, VA for construction
• $1,303,585:  Give Right, of Los Angeles, CA for marketing and fundraising
• $1,292,867:  Conrad Direct, of Cresskill, NJ for mail content mgmnt
• $1,273,155:  Merkle Response Services, of Hagerstown, MD for mail content mgmnt
• $  874,546:  Russell Investment Trust Co, of Seattle, WA for investment mgmnt

To read the IRS Form 990 (2019), click here.