Wayne B. Hughes Jr. and his wife, Molly, have embedded themselves in Wyoming's social and political fabric since moving from California to Jackson Hole about eight years ago. That’s because they’ve become some of the state’s top donors in philanthropy and politics.
Recently, WyoFile collaborated with the Jackson Hole News&Guide and Jackson Hole Community Radio to examine the family’s influence.
Wyoming Public Radio’s Kamila Kudelska spoke with Sophia Boyd-Fliegel from Jackson Hole Community Radio to talk about their findings.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Kamila Kudelska: Let’s start with: Who are the Hughes?
Sophia Boyd-Fliegel: Wayne B. Hughes Jr. and Molly moved from California. Wayne is an heir to a fortune from a self-storage company founded by his father. Back in his 30s, he started donating to philanthropic and political causes, and has really boosted his giving as he’s gotten older. He’s in his 60s now, and Wayne and Molly have become a critical part of Wyoming’s civic backbone.
KK: How’s that?
SBF: They’re big givers to Jackson’s affordable housing scene, and they’ve given millions more across the state to providers for so many causes, including domestic violence survivors, those recovering from addiction and food for the hungry.
We looked at FCC [Federal Communications Commission] filings to see how they’ve also become some of the biggest donors in Wyoming’s politics. And a quick note, we had help researching all of the Hughes’ giving from the Sunlight Research Center [a nonpartisan team of researchers and journalists that help local newsrooms with investigative projects].
KK: So, what's motivating all this giving?
SBF: Politically, they’re Republicans, though Wayne Jr. has donated to Democratic PACs [political action committee], too. But more than politics, the first thing to know is that the Hughes are predominantly motivated by their Christian faith.
Wayne previously told a Forbes reporter he became more serious about philanthropy after finding his Christian faith in his late 30s and becoming jaded after a stint of seeking change through Washington politics.
That came up a lot in my reporting on the Hughes Charitable Foundation. Their literature shows they want to make life easier for people who are caught in what they call the “impact zone.” That’s a term Wayne borrows from surfing, the area between the wave break and the shore that’s really hard to swim out of either way. The Hughes didn’t talk to us for this story, but Wayne described it as how a lot of Americans are living right now: paycheck to paycheck. Or trapped in domestic violence, or addiction or hunger. And that’s their charitable foundation’s goal demographic.
KK: Have they been successful with that?
SBF: We used public filings and announcements to piece together that since entering the state, the foundation has given or pledged what we estimate to be $75 million to over 300 Wyoming nonprofits. Requests to the foundation to confirm that figure went unanswered.
KK: That seems like a lot. How does that rank with other foundations in the state?
SBF: That’s a harder question to answer. But Samin Dadelahi, who runs the Wyoming Community Foundation, said that of all institutional philanthropy in the state in recent years, the Hughes’ giving has been about 10%. And she said that’s a big slice for one family.
She was one of several people who pointed out that the Hughes’ didn’t come into Wyoming to start their own thing. They’ve supported the nonprofits that are already here.
KK: How does this idea of the impact zone and living by their Christian faith play out in how they donate?
SBF: By dollar figure, they’ve given or pledged the most to affordable housing, over $25 million in just Jackson Hole. Also, Indigenous affairs, like relocating the American Indian Village at Cheyenne Frontier Days, and services for youth in the criminal justice system. They’ve made headlines recently for a gift of half a million to Wyoming PBS. They’ve really supported hunger initiatives in the state, too. And by putting a million bucks every year into WyoGives, they are spreading their money all around the state.
KK: For disclosure, Wyoming Public Media and WyoFile were media partners this year, participating in the matching portion of WyoGives. How competitive are these dollars?
SBF: Their grants are by invite-only. But I talked with one of their board members who couldn’t remember a time in three years that they had turned someone down. Dadelahi with the Wyoming Community Foundation, put it this way:
Samin Dadelahi: In some ways, they have a really traditional lens when it comes to charity, in that they are focusing on those bottom-line safety net services.
KK: How have these priorities played out in the Hughes’ political giving?
SBF: It’s changed over time.
For example, a decade ago in California, Wayne spent really big to help get a ballot initiative passed. It reduced prison sentences for minor crimes and drug offenses. This was a bipartisan issue. He also donated to two Democratic PACs before 2008. His spending was issue-focused.
Since moving to Wyoming, Wayne has broadly backed Republicans. He gave to Trump and candidates closely aligned with Trump, like Ted Cruz and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, when she was running for governor of South Dakota.
KK: What about Wyoming candidates?
He backed Liz Cheney before she condemned Trump follow
ing the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Then he gave to Harriet Hageman, whose votes tend to align with the U.S. Freedom Caucus.
Within the state, the bulk of Wayne’s giving has been to “moderate” candidates. We interviewed Senator Odgen Driskill, a moderate from Devils Tower. Wayne donated $1,500 to his campaign in 2022, money Driskill says he didn’t ask for. He said that they seem to be trying to support what has been in Wyoming in the past.
Wayne has even been subject to some criticism from some on the far right, including posts from Honor Wyoming, a political group founded in 2023 that has supported staunchly conservative politicians aligned with the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
KK: Sophia, there’s quite a bit more we could dig into. But I’d just encourage people to check out the full article online.
SBF: Seeing where the money goes is easier with the nice charts we made.
