See what the “Western Whitehouse” has to offer and how it is helping spread conservatism from coast to coast.
Learn more about Reagan's boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois.
Find a motivational speaker who will energize your school, challenge the Left, and empower young leaders.
Providing a visible presence for the Conservative Movement and encouraging them to speak out.
Seeking to reinvigorate the respect for free enterprise and entrepreneurship in America.
Training aspiring journalists in the values of responsible, balanced, and accurate reporting.
Providing students with the tools and resources to advance conservatism at high schools and college campuses.
Join the fight for free speech on college campuses. Learn about YAF’s Censorship Exposed project, litigation, and recent victories.
Our seminars are pushing the conservative movement forward and bringing in the best speakers in the nation.
Take a look at the calendar to see where our upcoming events are going to be and how you can attend.
See what programs you can get involved with to make a difference for America and Young Americans Foundation.
Throughout the year we host roundtables and conferences at “the western White House”, the Reagan Ranch.
Join us at our HQ for regular conferences and half day events.
Take a look at roundtables, conferences, and regional events for our supporters.
Students are the future of our nation. We believe that investing time in conservative discourse will strengthen that future.
Providing a visible presence for the Conservative Movement and encouraging them to speak out.
Providing students with the tools and resources to advance conservatism at high schools and college campuses.
On a nearly weekly basis, you can find a YAF student event going on around the country. Tune in here to to find out about upcoming events!
Over the decades, millions of students have been a part of YAF. Stay informed on what your peers are up to!
Are you an alumni that’s not in our directory? Sign up here and receive some of the great benefits of being part of this national network!
Our supporters are the bedrock of our organization. We offer many ways to contribute to the future.
Find out how to pour into the lives of these Young Americans paving the path of Conservatism.
We hold our organization to the highest standards. We think you’ll think so as well!
Let Young America’s Foundation help you create your legacy and protect freedom’s future.
We offer many different ways that you can give. Find out more about them here.
Got questions about supporting YAF? Find your answers here.
From time to time, YAF makes our contributor list of donors available to other organizations to mail.
No need to worry If you missed a speaker at an event, we have a large video library for you to browse through and view.
Bringing the leaders of the Conservative Movement to you. Set up URL “https://www.yaf.org/podcast/” in your podcast library to tune in walking between classes or long car drives
Since the beginning, our publications have been at the heart of our mission. Browse the archives of The New Guard and Libertas here.
View our Mission and find out more information about what Young America’s Foundation is.
Walk through the timeline and see the history of Young America’s Foundation unfold.
Take at look how we have changed over the years, impacted conservatism, and supported our young leaders.
We have the most diligent, hardest working group of individuals at YAF. Feel free to see who is on our team.
See our list of current openings or how to be a part of our internship programs.
To maintain our standard of excellence, we are as open and transparent with the public as possible.
If you are unsure about something, take a look at our frequently asked questions to see if it can be answered.
From time to time, YAF makes our contributor list of donors available to other organizations to mail.
Authored By New Guard Staff
December 18, 2020
Young America’s Foundation (YAF) is excited to announce that YAF is the new caretaker and owner of President Ronald Reagan’s boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois. YAF looks forward to carrying on the important work of preserving and protecting this historic property, which has been managed and cared for by the Ronald Reagan Home Preservation Foundation since 1980.
Growing up in Dixon, Illinois—in a modest home built in 1891—was a formative experience for Ronald Reagan. It was there, in the 1920s, that he developed the values that would guide the rest of his life. As Reagan said of his hometown, “All of us have to have a place we go back to. Dixon is that place for me. There was the life that has shaped my body and mind for all the years to come.”
Now, YAF is ensuring that Ronald Reagan’s boyhood home will be preserved for future generations, just as YAF has preserved and protected Ronald Reagan’s beloved Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara, California.
As the nation’s leading conservative youth organization, YAF understands the importance of Ronald Reagan’s earnest belief that “there is a flickering spark in us all which, if struck at just the right age…can light the rest of our lives.”
“Ronald Reagan shaped my values and, most importantly, my optimistic view of America,” noted Governor Scott Walker, CEO and incoming president of Young America’s Foundation. “Like Ronald Reagan, I grew up in a small Midwestern town. I love visiting Dixon and touring the well-preserved boyhood home of our 40th President. Today, the Reagan Ranch allows YAF to share the values and lasting accomplishments of our 40th President with future generations. It is my hope that by sharing the story of Ronald Reagan’s early years through his boyhood home in Dixon, we will give young people and all visitors a new appreciation for one of our nation’s greatest leaders and the values he learned and fought for.”
Since 1998, YAF has preserved Rancho del Cielo, Ronald Reagan’s ranch and the only home he owned while President. Reagan’s boyhood home will be a significant component of YAF’s efforts to share the achievements and ideals our 40th President with future generations, particularly those in the Midwest.
“Patriotic Americans in Dixon, Illinois, have done great work in preserving this important piece of American history for many decades,” stated YAF President Ron Robinson. “Young America’s Foundation looks forward to a strong partnership with the Dixon community. The involvement of the community in the Santa Barbara area is still strong more than two decades after YAF acquired the Reagan Ranch. YAF plans to build on that model while we open this historic Presidential site to visitors from across the country and around the world.”
As with the Reagan Ranch, YAF will preserve President Reagan’s boyhood home through private funding rather than through state or federal taxpayer dollars.
“I am excited to have played a role in the transfer of the Ronald Reagan home in Dixon to Young America’s Foundation,” said Marilyn Shippert, president of the Ronald Reagan Home Preservation Foundation. “YAF will be a wonderful asset to the Dixon community, showcasing the boyhood home of our 40th President. In addition to the home’s availability to the public, the Foundation will be promoting Reagan’s legacy along with the conservative values he learned as a young man in his hometown. I view this as a win for both our community and the values of Ronald Reagan.”
As radical leftists and educational institutions across the country seek to erase America’s history by tearing down statues of figures like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln, YAF is determined to preserve the ideas and accomplishments of those who advanced freedom for future generations.
Patrick Gorman, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Home Preservation Foundation, shared his enthusiasm for the future of this historic property under YAF’s leadership:
“I am pleased to announce Young America’s Foundation has chosen to carry on the work we have been doing since 1980 to share Ronald Reagan’s life and legacy as a critical part of Dixon’s and America’s history. For the past year, in our discussions with YAF’s leadership, it was clear this was the right decision—not only financially, but also to secure the future of the home in Dixon for many years to come. Many thanks go to Young America’s Foundation and its board for this wonderful opportunity. I look forward to a smooth transition and ongoing partnership.”
The acquisition of President Reagan’s boyhood home strengthens YAF’s relationship with our 40th President and his legacy. In 1962, Reagan joined YAF’s National Advisory Board, eventually becoming the organization’s honorary national chairman. In 1974, the Foundation sponsored a nationally-syndicated radio program featuring then-California Governor Ronald Reagan. During each year of Reagan’s Presidency, he hosted students attending YAF’s National Conservative Student Conference at the White House. In 1998, YAF stepped forward to save Reagan’s 688-acre Rancho del Cielo with the blessings of the Reagan family.
President Reagan’s son, Michael Reagan, underscored his appreciation for YAF and his excitement regarding the Foundation’s latest endeavor in Dixon: “I’ve worked with Young America’s Foundation for more than two decades. From the outset, they have done exemplary work preserving Dad and Nancy’s beloved ranch. They’ve stayed true to Dad’s values and beliefs and have always treated our family with the utmost respect. I trust YAF to bring the same care and professionalism to Dad’s home in Dixon.”
Young America’s Foundation recognizes that the Reagan boyhood home is an excellent educational venue for students to learn the significance of President Ronald Reagan and his principles. YAF is honored to be entrusted with preserving this historic Presidential site.
For media inquiries or to request an interview, contact YAF spokesman Spencer Brown via sbrown@yaf.org.