About Carry the Torch

Carry the Torch was founded to make sure Charlie Kirk's work doesn't end with him. We exist to identify and empower the next generation of principled young leaders — and to ensure his voice continues to be heard through theirs.

Our Mission

Carry the Torch is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our mission is to:

• Identify, empower, and invest in young leaders committed to civic engagement, constitutional literacy, free expression, and the principles of American liberty
• Administer the Next 100 grant program, which awards annual grants to emerging voices and leaders advancing those principles
• Support aligned 501(c)(3) organizations with similar values whose work advances the cause of civic education and free discourse
• Honor and preserve the legacy of Charlie Kirk through educational programming, public discourse, and the resources we make available to those who carry his work forward

Our Origin

Carry the Torch grew out of a memory.

The week after the 2016 election, Charlie and Christy Edwards met at the Starbucks inside Trump Tower in New York. They sat upstairs and watched the world tilt — the transition team walking through the gold doors, the press cameras going off as cabinet picks were rumored and the future of a country reshuffled itself in real time. They drank their coffees. They talked about what was coming.

It was an ordinary thing — two friends, two cups — set against an extraordinary moment. After Charlie's assassination, that memory came back to Christy in a dream: the realization that there would be no more coffees with Charlie. Only memories. Only videos. Only the work he left behind, and the question of who would continue it.

The book Charlie Kirk: In His Own Words is one answer to that question. Carry the Torch is the other. All net proceeds from the book are directed to this organization.

The Next 100

The flagship program of Carry the Torch is the Next 100: one hundred young leaders, identified and funded over time, who demonstrate the principles, courage, and commitment that defined Charlie Kirk's public life. Grants will support training, travel, production, mentorship, platform-building, and the practical resources that help a promising voice become an effective one.

Grant applications will open after Carry the Torch's federal tax-exempt status is finalized. Program details will be published as they are finalized; subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when applications open.

Governance

Carry the Torch is governed by a Board of Directors operating under bylaws adopted in accordance with the Texas Business Organizations Code. The Board exercises oversight of the organization's mission, finances, and program activities. The full Board of Directors will be listed here once finalized for public release.

Carry the Torch maintains and abides by the following governance policies:

• Conflict of Interest Policy
• Whistleblower Policy
• Document Retention Policy
• Expense Reimbursement Policy
• Financial Controls Policy

Copies of these policies are available upon request.

Financial Transparency

Carry the Torch is committed to financial transparency consistent with the standards of well-governed public charities. We will:

• File IRS Form 990 annually beginning with our first required reporting period and make our most recent return publicly available
• Publish summary financial information on this website
• Honor donor-restricted gifts in accordance with the donor's intent
• Operate with low overhead, prioritizing direct grant funding to the Next 100

What We Are — and What We Are Not

Carry the Torch is an educational and charitable organization. We are not a political campaign, a political party, a political action committee, or an arm of any candidate's organization. Consistent with our 501(c)(3) status, we do not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.

Our work is educational: equipping the next generation of Americans with the knowledge, courage, and resources to engage in civic life on principle.

How to Support Us

You can support Carry the Torch by making a donation, subscribing to our newsletter, or — when the time comes — applying for or recommending someone for the Next 100. The book Charlie Kirk: In His Own Words, whose net proceeds support this organization, will be available for purchase from major booksellers when released.