# Stand Together ## Basic Info **Name:** Stand Together **What is it:** A vast philanthropic community and umbrella organization that coordinates the "Koch Network". It connects business leaders, philanthropists, and social entrepreneurs to tackle social problems through a market-based and libertarian lens. **Location:** Arlington, Virginia. **Link:** [https://standtogether.org/](https://standtogether.org/) **Who is involved:** * Charles Koch (Founder); Brian Hooks (Chairman & CEO); Emily Seidel (Senior Leadership / CEO of AFP) --- ## Entries ### The ecossystem Stand Together is the central node of the modern **Koch Network**. It was created to unify various specialized organizations under a single strategic vision. Instead of acting as a single entity, it operates as a community of non-profits that share resources and goals. To understand the network, it is helpful to see how Stand Together delegates tasks: 1. **[[Stand Together Foundation]]:** Focuses on social entrepreneurship and poverty-fighting programs. 2. **[[Americans for Prosperity (AFP)]]:** The "Grassroots" arm for political mobilization and lobbying (The "Action" wing). 3. **[[Charles Koch Foundation (CKF)]]:** The "Academic" arm that funds university research and think tanks (The "Ideas" wing). 4. **[[Stand Together Trust]]:** Provides grants for innovative solutions in education, business, and tech. ### Strategic Philosophy The organization promotes what it calls **"Bottom-Up" solutions**. Their philosophy argues that social change should come from individuals and communities rather than government mandates. They apply "Business Principles" to social problems, focusing on: * **Education:** Breaking the "one-size-fits-all" model via [[Publicly Funded, Privately Operated Education Systems|School Choice]]. * **Economic Opportunity:** Removing barriers like occupational licensing and over-regulation. * **Justice Reform:** Partnering across political lines to reduce incarceration rates.