Cato Institute
Tracked receipts exceed tracked giving by
$24,000,000
Libertarian policy research organization founded in 1977.
Tracked direct giving
$0
Tracked donations to candidate
$24,000,000
Connections
8
How money flowed to Cato Institute
Koch Industries directed $30.0M to Cato Institute across 2 contributions. Koch Industries opposes EPA Power Plant Emissions Rule.
DonorsTrust directed $5.0M to Cato Institute. DonorsTrust advocates for Loper Bright v. Raimondo (Chevron overturned).
Charles Koch Foundation directed $2.0M to Cato Institute.
Peter Thiel directed $2.0M to Cato Institute.
Dark Money Spending
Election spending by organizations that do not disclose their donors. Dark money flows through 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, 501(c)(6) trade associations, and similar entities that are not required to reveal their funders. Figures below are never combined with disclosed-donor totals.
IRS 990 Schedule I Grant Chain
Grants between nonprofits reported on IRS Form 990 Schedule I. These inter-organizational transfers are a key pathway in dark money flows — a nonprofit may receive a grant from one entity and then spend that money on election ads.
IRS 990 Schedule I grants received
$233,366
| Grantor | Amount | Tax Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION | $175,750 | 2024 | PUBLIC AFFAIRS |
| AYCO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | $27,550 | 2023 | ARTS AND CULTURE |
| CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | $30,066 | 2022 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT |
Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule I (Grants and Other Assistance to Organizations) via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and IRS 990 XML e-files. Grant amounts represent the most recent filing year available.
IRS 990 data lags a year or more behind filing. Grants shown are for the stated tax year and do not establish current-cycle funding.
Methodology Disclosure
Dark money figures are derived from FEC Form 5 (independent expenditures by non-committee organizations) and Form 9 (electioneering communications). These filings capture spending on ads and election communications but do not reveal the identity of the organization's donors. QPQ totals may differ from benchmarks like the Brennan Center's estimates because QPQ includes all Form 5 filers, while some benchmarks count only a subset of non-disclosing nonprofits. Grant chain data is from IRS Form 990 Schedule I and may not include all years or all grantee organizations.
Click a node to see details
Double-click to expand its connections
Donations Received
| Donor | Amount | Date | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koch Industries | $15,000,000 | Jan 1, 1977 | 1978 |
| DonorsTrust | $5,000,000 | Jan 1, 2008 | 2008 |
| Peter Thiel | $2,000,000 | Jan 1, 2010 | 2010 |
| Charles Koch Foundation | $2,000,000 | Jul 1, 2023 | 2024 |
Relationships
| Type | Connected To | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published research for | CHIPS and Science Act | Published skeptical analysis of CHIPS Act subsidies as corporate welfare | Editorial |
| shaped_policy | Crypto regulation opposition | Cato research on permissionless innovation cited in Congressional crypto hearings. | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | Koch Industries | Co-founded by Charles Koch, longtime institutional funder | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | Peter Thiel | Peter Thiel donated ~$2.0M to Cato Institute (2010-2022) | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | DonorsTrust | DonorsTrust donated ~$5.0M to Cato Institute (2008-2023) | Editorial |
| Received money from | AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $175,750 (tax year 2024). Purpose: PUBLIC AFFAIRS | Source |
| Received money from | AYCO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $27,550 (tax year 2023). Purpose: ARTS AND CULTURE | Source |
| Received money from | CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $30,066 (tax year 2022). Purpose: CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | Source |