Obits
TPUSA chapters grow following founder
The Center Square – One year after Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and president, was assassinated at a Utah Valley University event, the…
By Esther Wickham · 2026-09-10T14:40:33.231Z
The Center Square – One year after Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and president, was assassinated at a Utah Valley University event, the conservative organization reports continued growth in its campus chapters.
During an American Comeback Tour, sponsored https://www.thecentersquare.com/utah/article a308080c fb86 411d a13a c480f10696a6.html by the Turning Point USA chapter at UVU in Orem, Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck and later died on Sept. 10, 2025.
Following Kirk’s death, supporters gathered for candlelight vigils and memorial events on college campuses across the country to honor the conservative leader.
A one year anniversary document provided to The Center Square by TPUSA Public Relations Administrator Lindsay Price details the organization’s reported growth during the 2025 26 school year.
The organization reported 3,500 Club America high school clubs, a 180% increase from the previous school year, and 1,500 college chapters, up 64%. Over a million students are involved with the organization, according to the document.
Founded by Kirk in 2012, the Phoenix based Christian organization TPUSA advocates for conservative policies on college and university campuses and at high schools.
In 2025, Texas officials sought a partnership with TPUSA to establish chapters on every college and high school campus throughout the state, The Center Square previously reported. https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article 39f1dda2 c2e7 4c9c 85dd 10159af04de3.html
TPUSA also reported that more than 12,000 churches and pastors have joined its TPUSA Faith network.
Attendance at the organization’s 2026 Chapter Leadership Summit surpassed 2,500, double the 2024 summit. More than two thirds of attendees said they became involved with TPUSA after Kirk’s death.
Across all Turning Point organizations, the group reported more than 1,200 employees and more than 1 million donors. More than 95% of donors contributed less than $1,000, according to the document provided to The Center Square.
TPUSA describes its mission as preserving America’s traditional values and the principles of the country’s founding.
“We believe that the American experiment remains the clearest demonstration in history that a free people — operating under the underlying principles of America’s founding, Western Civilization, and Christian values — can generate prosperity, liberty, and peace,” the mission statement says.
On Thursday evening, TPUSA will host a “Freedom Built to Last Memorial” on the Utah Valley University campus to commemorate Kirk.
The Center Square reached out to various university chapters for comment but did not receive a response in time.
"Esther is an education reporter for The Center Square. Please email her at ewickham@thecentersquare.com for tips or questions."
This story originally appeared on thecentersquare.com https://www.thecentersquare.com/arizona/article 25aa0a50 572c 4217 b455 54e2c4e8b675.html .