Dear Friends:

The Heartland Institute is celebrating 30 years of defending free enterprise, individual liberty, and limited government with a gala event on Friday, September 12. I hope you can join us.

Heartland began as a one-man shop in donated office space with an annual budget of $27,000. Over the years we expanded our reach from Chicago and Illinois to the Midwest and then nationally. We began by imitating other organizations but soon were blazing a trail of our own by inventing publications and reinventing how a think tank operates.

Today, Heartland is among the best known and most influential think tanks in the country. State legislators say they use our publications more often than those of any other think tank. We are a leading voice in national and even global debates over climate change, health care policy, and school reform. With more than 8,000 donors, a staff of 31, and an annual budget of $6 million, we have the resources to actually change the world …  and we’re not afraid to try.

This year’s anniversary benefit dinner celebrates what we’ve accomplished but also laments what still needs to be done. President Obama’s effort to “transform” the country places our freedoms at greater risk than at any previous time in Heartland’s existence. What the nation decides to do in November will affect the freedom and prosperity of the nation for many years to come.

Please register today to attend this important but also fun event. Come to meet old friends and make new ones, to hear excellent speakers, and to introduce friends to the freedom movement. Don’t hesitate to call Jennifer Pinnell or Gwen Carver here at Heartland, at 312/377-4000, to discuss reserving a table or if you need help filling a table.

I hope to see you on September 12.

Joseph Bast
President
The Heartland Institute

[Photo of Malkin: Jonah Koch]