Start a First Amendment
Auditor Fund.

The model is documented. The architecture is open source. What it requires to function is a fund operator in a specific city who can identify the right auditors, connect with civil rights attorneys, and assemble the capital to make it work. If that's you, this is where to start.

What a Fund Operator Actually Does

A fund operator is not a passive participant. They are the coordinator — the person who assembles the three participants, structures the fund, and ensures it operates according to the documented model. The role requires judgment about people, not just familiarity with the architecture.

01

Identify and qualify auditors

Not every First Amendment auditor qualifies for funding. The operator assesses documented knowledge of constitutional rights in public spaces, conduct on camera, and track record. The criteria for auditor qualification are documented — the operator applies them to real people in their city.

02

Connect with civil rights attorneys

The fund requires attorney capital partners who understand the ethics wall — attorneys who can invest in the fund and advise on case selection without crossing the bar's rules on champerty and prohibited financial arrangements. Finding attorneys who are both competent in Section 1983 claims and willing to engage the performance-only model is the operator's most technically demanding task.

03

Assemble investment capital

The fund needs mission-aligned investors ready to participate on a performance-only basis. That means finding capital sources who understand that returns come from settlements — not from auditors, not from fees, not from any source other than the accountability the fund produces. The operator is the relationship holder for investor participants.

04

Structure and operate the fund

The fund must be structured with qualified legal counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. The operator manages the fund's operations: intake of auditor documentation, connection of qualified cases to attorney advisors, tracking of claims and settlements, and compliance with the performance-only and tithe requirements.

05

Build the local accountability record

A fund that operates correctly produces a documented accountability record for its jurisdiction — claims filed, settlements reached, departments held to financial consequence. The operator is responsible for ensuring that record is maintained and that it feeds back into auditor qualification and investor reporting.

What You Need to Build This

The fund requires three categories of participants. The operator assembles all three. None of these participants need to be recruited from outside your city — they exist in every metropolitan area. The operator's job is identification and connection, not creation.

Qualified Auditors

First Amendment auditors who document civil rights violations in public spaces — with the constitutional knowledge, professional conduct, and track record to produce fundable documentation. You need at least one. Two or more gives the fund continuity.

Civil Rights Attorneys

Attorneys licensed in your jurisdiction who practice Section 1983 civil rights claims, understand the performance-only model, and can participate within your state bar's rules on litigation finance. They evaluate cases, provide the legal execution, and may serve as advisory board members.

Investment Capital

Capital committed on a performance-only basis — no returns unless settlements occur. The minimum viable capital for a fund depends on local litigation economics. The operator needs capital sufficient to fund two to four cases simultaneously through resolution.

You do not need Fund the Auditor's permission or approval to build a fund. The open-source case for why replication matters is documented here, but it is not a gate. If you have the participants, the model is available to you. Fill out the form below if you want to connect with people already building this — or build it yourself without contacting anyone.

The Model You're Building — Read It First

The fund structure is documented in detail on this site. Before submitting the form below, read the architecture you're agreeing to build. The performance-only model, the ethics wall, the tithe mechanism, and the auditor qualification criteria are all explained. The operator who understands the full model makes better decisions about participants and structure than one who doesn't.

Required Reading Before You Build

The Architecture — In Order

  1. 01 The Model — the performance-only structure, who the participants are, how money flows, and what the 10% tithe requires.
  2. 02 For Auditors — the qualification criteria you'll use to evaluate auditors for your fund.
  3. 03 For Attorneys — the ethics wall, the bar requirements, and what the attorney capital partner role requires.
  4. 04 For Investors — the investment structure and what performance-only means for capital allocation.

Connect With People Already Building This

Fill out the form below. We'll connect you with fund operators, auditors, attorneys, and investors who are already working on this model — in your region where possible, and nationally where that's more useful. You are not applying for permission to build. You're joining a network of people who are.

Starting a Fund — Common Questions

No. The model is open source — documented here without license or franchise requirement. You can build a fund on this architecture without filling out this form, without contacting anyone at Fund the Auditor, and without using our name. The form connects you with people already building this. It is not an application gate. If you have the three participants — a qualified auditor, a civil rights attorney, and investment capital — you can begin structuring a fund in your jurisdiction with qualified legal counsel.
We review your submission and connect you with relevant people — fund operators in your region who are already building, attorneys who understand the ethics requirements in your state bar's jurisdiction, and investors who have expressed interest in participating in new city-level funds. Response time varies. This is not a promise of capital, legal representation, or fund sponsorship. It is a network connection.
This depends on the jurisdiction and the specific participants. Common structures for litigation finance vehicles include limited liability companies with operating agreements that specify the performance-only terms, tithe requirements, and investor return structure. Some operators use fund-of-funds structures where the legal entity contracts with auditors and attorneys separately. This is a question for qualified legal counsel in your jurisdiction — not for this form or this website. Do not structure a fund based on this site's documentation without independent legal review.
The minimum viable capital depends on local litigation economics — specifically, how long cases in your jurisdiction typically take to resolve and what the attorney fees and litigation costs look like. A general guideline: the fund should be capitalized to sustain two to four cases simultaneously through resolution without running out of operating capacity. Cases under the standard performance-only model typically run 12 to 24 months. Capital sufficient to fund two cases through that window, with a reserve for the tithe, is a practical minimum for a functional fund.
No. This model is a performance-only investment vehicle — not a nonprofit, not a legal clinic, and not a legal aid organization. It generates financial returns from settlements. Investors are compensated from those returns. The fund is a civil rights investment structure with accountability outcomes as a design feature, not a charity that provides free legal services. If you are looking to start a nonprofit or legal clinic, this is a different architecture and a different set of participants.

Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice, investment advice, or a commitment to provide capital, legal representation, or fund structure to any person or organization. Fund structures must be reviewed and established by qualified legal counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Performance-only returns are contingent on case resolution — there is no guarantee of any specific outcome. See our full disclaimer.