[3] Nick Ryan, an adviser to U.S. Representative Jim Nussle, founded the organization in 2007.

[6] The fund describes itself as providing Americans with "a conservative and free market viewpoint" with the means to communicate and advocate on behalf of those beliefs.

[8] According to OpenSecrets, the American Future Fund ranked fourth in spending by nonprofits during the 2012 federal elections.

Others identified as providing funding include Iowa businessman Bruce Rastetter, a founder of US ethanol-producer Hawkeye Energy Holdings, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a lobbying group.

Much of its communications work since then have involved negative advertising against Democrats,[13] but also includes advocacy for a Libertarian candidate designed to hurt a Democrat's chance of winning an election and television ads against Donald Trump during his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.