The Sam Adams Alliance (SAM) helped to “launch” the [[Franklin Center]] in 2009.<ref name=“watchdog”> Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project, [http://features.journalism.org/non-profit-news/watchdogs/ Non-Profit News], accessed December 11, 2013.</ref> According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, in “its first year, the [[Franklin Center]] had a $2.9 million budget, much of it from the libertarian Sam Adams Alliance.” <ref name=“Bice”> Daniel Bice, [http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/127152603.html Conservative outlets write all the news that fits their tilt] JSonline.com, August 7, 2011.</ref>
In turn, SAM receives received a significant amount of funding from the the [[State Policy Network]]’s (SPN), according to SPN's website. <ref name=“spn”>State Policy Network, [http://www.spn.org/directory/sam-adams-alliance Same Adams Alliance], Official website, accessed December 11, 2013.</ref> <ref name="franklin"/>
==Founder Eric O'Keefe==