Austin Jack | Vice President of External Relations

Austin Jack is one of the nation’s most effective strategic fundraisers in the freedom movement and serves as the Vice President of External Relations at the Illinois Policy Institute. He leads all major gifts, high-capacity donor strategy, and philanthropic partnerships that expand the Institute’s ability to protect taxpayers, restore accountability, and build a stronger future for Illinois.

Austin is the creator and host of The American Conversation with Austin Jack, a long-form interview show that brings viewers into the rooms where real decisions are made. Each episode features leaders shaping American politics, culture, and business—offering serious, direct conversations about vision, strategy, and the responsibilities of leadership in a divided era.

He is the author of Funding Freedom: A Tactical Guide to Crafting a Winning Ask, Story, and Strategy—the first book in a two-part Funding Freedom series. This foundational work provides fundraisers, nonprofit executives, and movement leaders with the practical frameworks and emotional clarity required to raise transformational gifts and build enduring donor partnerships. The second book, a cultural and philosophical companion, will expand on the deeper identity, conviction, and purpose behind values-driven generosity.

Before joining Illinois Policy, Austin served as Chief Development Officer at the Goldwater Institute, where he helped nearly triple the organization’s budget, built major donor networks, and launched innovative legacy and real-estate giving programs. He also leads Jack Development Strategies, a selective consulting practice that provides strategic fundraising coaching, donor architecture, and message development for mission-driven organizations nationwide.

Across his work in policy, media, and philanthropy, Austin is driven by a core belief: freedom isn’t free—it’s funded. He is committed to training fundraisers, activating high-capacity donors, and equipping the next generation of leaders to advance the principles that make America strong.