OUR STORY
The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) was founded in 2011 by President and CEO Tarren Bragdon. After focusing solely on reforms in Florida for the first year, Bragdon realized that the problems facing Floridians were the same problems facing Americans across the country. Bragdon changed FGA’s strategy to promoting solutions that work in as many states as possible—a change that proved successful. FGA quickly grew into a powerhouse for policy wins in the areas of welfare, unemployment, workforce, election integrity, and health care. Today, FGA employs more than 50 policy, government affairs, outreach, and marketing experts with more than 60 on-the-ground liaisons in 30 states, and partners with more than 875 policymakers across the country.
Because of our work, Americans nationwide are pursuing new opportunities. The single mother is finally finding flexible work to meet her unique schedule. The individual trapped in generational dependency is trading in welfare checks for paychecks, modeling success for his children. The recent high school graduate is enrolling in a new apprenticeship program instead of taking out tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt for a degree he won’t use. The voter who stayed home during the last election is preparing to show up to the ballot box, confident that her voice will be heard with new election integrity measures in place.
Much has changed in the decade since FGA’s founding, but one fact remains consistent:
FGA advances policies that improve lives.
Our
Impact
FGA has grown exponentially since its founding in 2011 — because we experiment, improve our methods, and adapt to the ever-changing political landscape.
In the past, we provided just a few solutions to policymakers based on our top priorities. Now, we give lawmakers a menu featuring more than 150 reforms and partner with them to create new ideas and comprehensive reform agendas.
To date, we have achieved more than 916 state-based wins and 29 major federal victories.
Our
Partnerships
FGA’s work is funded entirely by private partners who believe in the power of free markets, limited government, and the American Dream.
When you invest in FGA, your dollars go to work — not to overhead, galas, or fundraising campaigns. We spend just three percent on fundraising, one of the lowest ratios in the policy space.
You’re investing in our entire mission — the research, the relationships, the state-by-state strategy that leverages unique moments in history and turns policy into law.
The impact is measurable, and it grows every year, because FGA turns policy ideas into law.
HOW WE DO IT
It is not enough to talk about reform or produce research papers discussing the need for change. We create good policy, educate lawmakers, and, in conjunction with our partner 501(c)(4), get our reforms passed into law. That is why we only declare victory when both 1) our solutions are enacted through legislative or executive action, and 2) we are directly involved.
How does FGA choose what solutions to work on?
Our “secret sauce” consists of three ingredients:
How do we partner with policymakers to get ideas across the finish line?
Our team works with policymakers before the start of legislation, provides expertise and testimony when our solutions are being considered, and ensures our policy champions have the tools they need to pass our reforms.
Our Team
Board of Trustees
At FGA, we don’t just talk about changing policy—we make it happen.
By partnering with FGA through a gift, you can create more policy change that returns America to a country where entrepreneurship thrives, personal responsibility is rewarded, and paychecks replace welfare checks.