American Enterprise Institute
Tracked receipts exceed tracked giving by
$17,500,000
Conservative policy research organization founded in 1938.
Tracked direct giving
$0
Tracked donations to candidate
$17,500,000
Connections
18
How money flowed to American Enterprise Institute
Bradley Foundation directed $8.0M to American Enterprise Institute. Bradley Foundation advocates for Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Extension.
Koch Industries directed $6.0M to American Enterprise Institute across 2 contributions. Koch Industries opposes EPA Power Plant Emissions Rule.
Chevron directed $2.4M to American Enterprise Institute across 2 contributions. Chevron advocates for EPA Methane Rule Rollback.
Microsoft directed $2.4M to American Enterprise Institute across 3 contributions. Microsoft advocates for CHIPS and Science Act.
ExxonMobil directed $2.0M to American Enterprise Institute. ExxonMobil advocates for Inflation Reduction Act - Drug Pricing Provisions (H.R.5376).
American Enterprise Institute also received from 2 other entities totaling $3.0M.
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 given
$160,000
| Grantee | Amount | Tax Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | $150,000 | 2023 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| RENEW DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE | $10,000 | 2023 | CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIP |
IRS 990 Schedule I grants received
$1,073,000
| Grantor | Amount | Tax Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION | $285,000 | 2024 | SOCIAL SCIENCES |
| Hoover Institution | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AYCO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | $763,000 | 2023 | COMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICES |
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.
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Donations Received
| Donor | Amount | Date | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Foundation | $8,000,000 | Jan 1, 2000 | 2000 |
| Koch Industries | $3,000,000 | Jan 1, 2010 | 2010 |
| ExxonMobil | $2,000,000 | Jan 1, 2005 | 2006 |
| Citadel | $2,000,000 | Jan 1, 2015 | 2016 |
| Chevron | $1,200,000 | Jan 1, 2010 | 2010 |
| Microsoft | $800,000 | Jan 1, 2018 | 2018 |
| Pfizer | $500,000 | Jan 1, 2015 | 2016 |
Relationships
| Type | Connected To | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published research for | CHIPS and Science Act | Published analysis of CHIPS Act industrial policy and semiconductor competition | Editorial |
| shaped_policy | Opposition to Medicare drug price negotiation | AEI research on pharmaceutical innovation widely cited by opponents of IRA drug pricing provisions. | Editorial |
| Gave money to | UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $150,000 (tax year 2023). Purpose: RESEARCH GRANT | Source |
| Gave money to | RENEW DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2023). Purpose: CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIP | Source |
| Hosts research funded by | Pfizer | Pfizer corporate donor to AEI health policy research | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) | PhRMA funds AEI pharmaceutical regulation research | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | ExxonMobil | Longtime corporate donor to AEI energy and environment research | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | Chevron | Corporate donor to AEI | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | Bradley Foundation | Bradley Foundation donated ~$8.0M to American Enterprise Institute (2000-2023) | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | Citadel | Ken Griffin / Citadel donor to AEI | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | CONOCOPHILLIPS | Corporate donor to AEI energy research | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | Cargill | Cargill donor to AEI trade and agricultural policy | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | Microsoft | Microsoft donor to AEI technology policy | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | Koch Industries | Koch Industries donated ~$3.0M to American Enterprise Institute (2010-2023) | Editorial |
| Hosts research funded by | JPMorgan Chase | JPMorgan donor to AEI financial regulation research | Editorial |
| Received money from | Hoover Institution | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $25,000 (tax year 2023). Purpose: GENERAL SUPPORT | Source |
| Received money from | AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $285,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: SOCIAL SCIENCES | Source |
| Received money from | AYCO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $763,000 (tax year 2023). Purpose: COMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICES | Source |