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Citizens Council for Health Freedom

EIN 41-1916724 · Saint Paul, MN

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceGood85 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

CCHF EXISTS TO PROTECT PATIENT AND DOCTOR FREEDOM.

Income
$1.3 million
Spending
$985,361
Spent on programs
83%
Reserves
29.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 98%
Employees
10
Volunteers
23
Highest pay
$140,850, president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 88% of charities in its peer group (health care, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 29.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 2% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 25% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 41% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    83% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (health care, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    9 of 9 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $571,564 spent. EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS:HIPAA AS PART OF OUR "TRUTH ABOUT HIPAA INITIATIVE, CCHF LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN TO EXPOSE THE HIPAA HOAX, EDUCATING AMERICANS ABOUT THE FEDERAL "PRIVACY RULE" THAT DOES NOT PROTECT PRIVACY, BUT PERMITS BROAD SHARING OF MEDICAL DATA.SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS - CCHF'S TEAM GAVE NEARLY 20 PRESENTATIONS IN 2025, INCLUDING ZOOM PRESENTATIONS, SPEECHES AT VARIOUS EVENTS IN CCHF'S HOME STATE OF MINNESOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, NEW YORK, VIRGINIA, AND FLORIDA AND TWICE IN CALIFORNIA, INCLUDING THREE PRESENTATIONS AT FREEDOMFEST IN PALM SPRINGS. TOPICS INCLUDED HIPAA, HEALTH TECH ECOSYSTEM, MEDICARE TRAPS, AND REAL ID.ANNUAL GALA - DR. LEE MERRITT, MD WAS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT CCHF'S ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GALA. THE EVENT WAS PACKED AS MORE THAN 400 GUESTS HEARD HER SHARE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL STORIES IN DEFENSE OF HEALTH FREEDOM. THE PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDED AN INFORMATIVE FIRESIDE CHAT INTERVIEW WITH CCHF'S LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY DIRECTOR.SHARING NEWS AND PERSPECTIVES - APPROXIMATELY 5,722 COPIES OF OUR QUARTERLY HARDCOPY NEWSLETTER TO DONORS (HEALTH FREEDOM WATCH) WERE MAILED IN 2025. APPROXIMATELY 35,000 SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE OUR WEEKLY ENEWS BY EMAIL, A 53.91% INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. MAJOR INTERVIEWS INCLUDE THE EPOCH TIMES, POST MILLENNIAL, THE TENPENNY FILES (MONTHLY), STAND IN THE GAP (MONTHLY), CROSSPOLITIC, BRET WEINSTEIN'S DARK HORSE PODCAST, INFOWARS, BLAZE TV'S CONSERVATIVE REVIEW, DEL BIGTREE'S THE HIGHWIRE, THE SARAH WESTFALL SHOW, THE JIMMY DORE SHOW, AMERICAN FAMILY NEWS, FURTHERMORE WITH AMANDA HEAD, FINANCIAL ISSUES (MONTHLY) AND ONGOING INTERVIEWS ON FINANCIAL REBELLION. OVER THE YEAR, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 130 INTERVIEWS BY NEWS MEDIA, WHICH IS A 7.4% INCREASE FROM 2024.WEBSITE / SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT - THE CCHF WEBSITE HAD 607,612 VIEWS. OUR X ACCOUNT (FORMERLY TWITTER) EXPANDED FROM 1,496 FOLLOWERS TO 2,334 FOLLOWERS. INSTAGRAM EXPANDED FROM 215 FOLLOWERS TO 647 FOLLOWERS. OUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT EXPANDED FROM APPROXIMATELY 17,000 FOLLOWERS TO APPROXIMATELY 60,000 FOLLOWERS, A 252.94% INCREASE, AND WE LAUNCHED A TIKTOK ACCOUNT ON JUNE 24TH, WHICH ACQUIRED 4,070 FOLLOWERS AND 573,790 VIEWS BY THE END OF 2025. HEALTH FREEDOM MINUTES (RADIO) - THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND NATIONAL RADIO PROGRAM SHARES ONE-MINUTE NUGGETS OF NEWS AND INSIGHTS EVERY WEEKDAY ON 870 RADIO STATIONS IN 48 STATES USING AN FTP SITE. OUR REACH WAS ALSO EXPANDED THROUGH SUBSCRIPTION TO AMB-OS, WHICH DISTRIBUTES FOR FREE ABOUT 95% OF ALL THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN TEACHING AND TALK PROGRAMS TO 1200 STATIONS THAT CAN PICK AND CHOOSE PROGRAMS AT WILL.
  2. $163,304 spent. POLICY INITIATIVES:FEDERAL:CCHF WENT TO WASHINGTON, D.C. THREE TIMES FOR MEETINGS WITH CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS AND STAFF. OUR TOP TWO TOPICS WERE THE RETIREMENT FREEDOM ACT (RFA), TO ALLOW SENIOR CITIZENS TO OPT OUT OF MEDICARE WITHOUT LOSING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS, AND REAL ID. MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE:CCHF HELPED A LEGISLATOR TO ADVANCE PROTECTIONS FOR DIRECT PRIMARY CARE PRACTICES. DPC LANGUAGE IN THE OMNIBUS HHS BILL BECAME LAW. WE ALSO WORKED THROUGH TESTIMONY, MEETINGS, A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN, AND SHARING OF INFORMATION TO TRY TO STOP THE SALE OF MINNESOTANS' HEALTH DATA HOUSED IN THE STATE'S ALL-PAYER CLAIMS DATABASE.STATE LEGISLATURES NATIONWIDE:CCHF WORKED WITH LEGISLATORS AND ENGAGED INDIVIDUALS TO SECURE OR ADVANCE PROTECTIVE LEGISLATION IN ARIZONA, IOWA, MICHIGAN, MISSOURI, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN. TOPICS INCLUDED PATIENT PRIVACY, DIGITAL IDS, AND REAL ID.
  3. $81,652 spent. SPECIAL PROJECTS:REAL ID CCHF SECURED DONATIONS TO POST REFUSEREALID.ORG BILLBOARDS IN TEXAS, KENTUCKY, AND FLORIDA. CCHF ALSO SECURED FUNDING TO LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN TO BRING OUR PERSPECTIVE ON REAL ID TO ATTORNEY GENERALS, AND TO COMMISSION THE SERVICES OF A FORMER SOLICITOR GENERAL TO WRITE A LEGAL ANALYSIS ON REAL ID, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2025. ADDED HANDOUTS TO OUR HELPFUL HANDOUTS SECTION OF THE WEBSITE, INCLUDING "REAL ID HISTORY," "REFUSE REAL ID A PRACTICAL GUIDE, AND "REAL ID 5 FACTS."WEDGE OF HEALTH FREEDOM - THE WEDGE OF HEALTH FREEDOM (THE WEDGE), OUR FREE NATIONAL ONLINE DIRECTORY OF DIRECT-PAY, PATIENT-CENTERED, AFFORDABLE, THIRD-PARTY FREE PRACTICES, INCLUDING FOUR CASH-BASED PHARMACIES, AND A NUMBER OF DENTAL PRACTICES, CONTINUED TO GROW ORGANICALLY FROM 498 PRACTICES TO 534 A GROWTH OF 7.2 PERCENT.MEDICARE HOW-TO GUIDE REVISED AND UPDATED SECTIONS OF OUR POPULAR 2024 GUIDE AND RE-PUBLISHED IT IN NOVEMBER 2025.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1999.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

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