Encyclopedia · Organization

American Conservative Union (ACU)

U.S. conservative political advocacy organization

Organization details

Founded: 1964 · Washington, D.C.
Type: Nonprofit 501(c)(4) advocacy organization
First chairman: Donald C. Bruce (December 1964–October 1965)
Later early chairs: John Ashbrook (from 1965); M. Stanton Evans (1970s)
Chairman, 2025 filing: Matt Schlapp
Related charitable entity: American Conservative Union Foundation / CPAC Foundation — separately registered 501(c)(3)
Major program: Conservative Political Action Conference (first convened 1974)
Other programs: Legislative ratings, organizing, advocacy and events
2025 fiscal-year revenue: $21.16 million (ACU Form 990; year ended March 2025)
EIN: 52-0810813
Website: cpac.org

The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American conservative advocacy organization founded in 1964. It conducts political organizing, issues legislative ratings and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) with allied organizations.

Founding and early leadership

ACU was created after the 1964 presidential election to coordinate conservative political activity. The founding discussions included William F. Buckley Jr. and other conservative writers and officeholders. The first chairman was Republican representative Donald C. Bruce of Indiana.

After Bruce resigned in October 1965, John Ashbrook, an Ohio Republican representative, became chairman. Later leadership included journalist M. Stanton Evans. ACU established national and local organizing programs, publications and a legislative lobbying operation.

Political activity and legislative programs

During the late 1960s and 1970s ACU supported conservative candidates, participated in Republican platform debates, and organized the Conservative Victory Fund, whose accounts were later separated from those of ACU. Its archives also document field operations and a congressional staff placement program.

ACU and its affiliated educational foundation publish legislative scorecards judging votes against the groups’ stated conservative criteria. The scores are organizational ratings, not neutral measures of legislators’ performance.

Conservative Political Action Conference

In 1974 ACU began organizing the Conservative Political Action Conference, initially with other conservative groups. The conference developed into a recurring event for activists, elected officials, speakers and political organizations.

Its programs have included speeches, panels, exhibits, and political discussion. The conference is an event, not a separate political party or the legal entity that files ACU tax returns.

Legal identity, governance and finances

ACU is a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) social-welfare corporation. Its separately registered educational affiliate, the American Conservative Union Foundation (currently branded as the CPAC Foundation), is a 501(c)(3) organization with a distinct employer identification number.

The ACU tax return for the year ending March 2025 reports $21.16 million in revenue and $11.13 million in expenses. Its filing identifies Matt Schlapp as chairman. The figures belong to the ACU filing and should not be added to or treated as the conference’s stand-alone finances.

Documented relationships

Buckley took part in its 1964 formation; Ashbrook succeeded its first chairman in 1965; ACU organized CPAC beginning in 1974. Young Americans for Freedom was a documented joint sponsor of the 1975 conference.

References

Research compiled through November 12, 2026. Sources and historical roles are dated where known.