Cato Institute
Tracked direct receipts exceed tracked direct giving by
$2,000,000
Libertarian policy research organization founded in 1977.
Tracked direct giving
$0
Tracked receipts
$2,000,000
Connections
26
Outside Spending and Dark Money
Dark money is election spending by organizations that do not disclose their donors: 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, 501(c)(6) trade associations, and similar non-committee filers (FEC Form 5 and Form 9). Registered super PACs also make independent expenditures. But they itemize their donors with the FEC, so their spending is not dark money. 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. Grants between organizations are one route for dark money. A nonprofit may receive a grant from one entity and then spend that money on election ads.
IRS 990 Schedule I grants given
$227,000
| Grantee | Amount | Tax Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL | $34,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ROOTS OF PROGRESS | $50,000 | 2024 | EVENT SUPPORT |
| TALENT MARKET CO AMERICA'S FUTURE | $60,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STUDENTS FOR LIBERTY | $20,500 | 2024 | EVENT SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR CIVIL SOCIETY | $25,000 | 2024 | EVENT SUPPORT |
| YOUNG AMERICANS FOR LIBERTY, INC. | $15,000 | 2024 | EVENT SUPPORT |
| YOUNG AMERICANS FOR LIBERTY FOUNDATION | $10,000 | 2024 | EVENT SUPPORT |
| ONE AMERICA MOVEMENT | $12,500 | 2024 | COLLABORATION OF EVENTS |
IRS 990 Schedule I grants received
$14,538,666
| Grantor | Amount | Tax Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRADLEY IMPACT FUND | $7,100 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT. |
| AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION | $175,750 | 2024 | PUBLIC AFFAIRS |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | $11,250 | 2024 | PUBLIC POLICY |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | $330,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DonorsTrust | $125,000 | 2024 | for the Sphere Education initiative |
| Center for Independent Thought | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| AYCO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | $27,550 | 2023 | ARTS AND CULTURE |
| Schwab Charitable | $3,398,266 | 2023 | PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT |
| Donors Capital Fund | $173,000 | 2023 | for R. Evan Scharf Chair |
| FJC | $5,300 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NEW JERSEY | $25,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $10,130,384 | 2022 | For grant recipient's exempt purposes |
| 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. 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 and Outside Spending
Largest 50 records. Badged rows are independent expenditures other groups paid to vendors for or against this entity. That money did not reach its committee.
| Donor | Amount | Date | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Gave money to | AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $34,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: GENERAL SUPPORT | Source |
| Gave money to | ROOTS OF PROGRESS | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $50,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: EVENT SUPPORT | Source |
| Gave money to | TALENT MARKET CO AMERICA'S FUTURE | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $60,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: GENERAL SUPPORT | Source |
| Gave money to | STUDENTS FOR LIBERTY | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $20,500 (tax year 2024). Purpose: EVENT SUPPORT | Source |
| Gave money to | CENTER FOR CIVIL SOCIETY | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $25,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: EVENT SUPPORT | Source |
| Gave money to | YOUNG AMERICANS FOR LIBERTY, INC. | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $15,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: EVENT SUPPORT | Source |
| Gave money to | YOUNG AMERICANS FOR LIBERTY FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: EVENT SUPPORT | Source |
| Gave money to | ONE AMERICA MOVEMENT | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $12,500 (tax year 2024). Purpose: COLLABORATION OF EVENTS | Source |
| 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 | DonorsTrust | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $125,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: for the Sphere Education initiative | Source |
| Received money from | Schwab Charitable | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $3,398,266 (tax year 2023). Purpose: PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT | Source |
| Received money from | Donors Capital Fund | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $173,000 (tax year 2023). Purpose: for R. Evan Scharf Chair | Source |
| Received money from | BRADLEY IMPACT FUND | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $7,100 (tax year 2024). Purpose: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT. | Source |
| Received money from | Center for Independent Thought | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $100,000 (tax year 2023). Purpose: GENERAL OPERATIONS | Source |
| Received money from | National Christian Charitable Foundation | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $11,250 (tax year 2024). Purpose: PUBLIC POLICY | Source |
| Received money from | Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $330,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: UNRESTRICTED GENERAL SUPPORT | Source |
| Received money from | FJC | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $5,300 (tax year 2023). Purpose: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | Source |
| Received money from | CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $30,066 (tax year 2022). Purpose: CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | Source |
| Received money from | COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NEW JERSEY | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $25,000 (tax year 2023). Purpose: UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | Source |
| Received money from | Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,130,384 (tax year 2022). Purpose: For grant recipient's exempt purposes | Source |