Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

What Becket Fund for Religious Liberty does

Becket, formally the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, is a nonprofit public interest law firm in Washington, D.C., that handles religious-freedom cases. Its stated mission is to protect the free expression of all faiths. It says its clients come from a wide range of traditions, "from Anglicans to Zoroastrians." Lawyer Kevin Hasson founded it in 1994 and named it after Saint Thomas Becket, the 12th-century Archbishop of Canterbury.

Becket's cases have reached the U.S. Supreme Court many times. They include Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC (2012), a 9–0 ruling that upheld the "ministerial exception" for religious employers. They also include Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014, decided 5–4), Holt v. Hobbs (2015, unanimous), Fulton v. City of Philadelphia (2021, 9–0), and Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin (2025, 9–0). Becket says it has won eight Supreme Court cases in the past ten years and 92% of its lower-court cases.

Becket is a 501(c)(3), so gifts are tax-deductible. In the fiscal year ending September 2023 it reported about $17.3 million in revenue. Charity Navigator gives it a four-star rating out of four.

Key facts

• Founded in 1994 by lawyer Kevin Hasson and named after Saint Thomas Becket (Wikipedia)
• Supreme Court cases include Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC (2012, 9–0), Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014, 5–4), Holt v. Hobbs (2015, unanimous), Fulton v. City of Philadelphia (2021, 9–0), and Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin (2025, 9–0) (Wikipedia)
• Says it has won eight Supreme Court cases in the last ten years and 92% of its cases in lower courts (becketlaw.org)
• About $17.3 million in revenue and $10.7 million in expenses in the fiscal year ending September 2023 (ProPublica)

Before you give

• Becket's IRS-registered name is 'Becket Fund' (EIN 52-1858532). Use that name and EIN when giving through a donor-advised fund.