Sam Adams Alliance

Sam Adams Alliance (SAM) is a non-profit organization based in Richmond, Virginia. Founded in Chicago in 2006, the group describes itself as a "fiercely independent organization dedicated to inspiring and encouraging grass-roots citizen activism."

The Sam Adams Alliance was founded to inspire and cultivate citizen activism. Initially, the organization provided new media and blogger training to free-market activists to help them effectively communicate online. It also launched three Wikipedia-style websites (Judgepedia, Ballotpedia, and Sunshine Review) so people could learn and engage in the conversation about issues affecting personal and economic freedom. SAM also helped launch American Majority to train potential candidates for public office and campaign organizers, and the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, which helps train and place investigative journalists.

Today, the organization works to equip ordinary citizens with the tools they need as they become activists in their local communities, towns, cities, regions and states. By recognizing the efforts of these citizen activists, they hope to help shine a light on the broad and deep areas of common purpose Americans share.

The organization takes its name from Sam Adams, who is considered the "father of the American Revolution" for his role in connecting colonists in the 18th century American colonies. Adams allowed colonists to share information and experience with each other through writing and word-of-mouth in the hope of instigating a popular uprising against the British. The Sam Adams Alliance has adopted this strategy of action - empowering people through innovative marketing and communications - as a way of increasing government accountability, supporting free market ideas, and returning true self-governance to the people.