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Think Tank Influence Pipeline

How corporate donors and billionaires fund think tanks that produce research shaping federal policy. Trace the influence chain from funding source to policy outcome.

Think Tanks
90
Funders on record
100
IRS 990 Schedule I grants tracked
$338,413,262
from grantor filings ingested so far
Policy Links
38 links to 27 outcomes
Funder
→
Think Tank
→
Policy Outcomes
Schwab Charitable
$90,410,606IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Hoover Institution
→
No direct policy links yet
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$46,734,185IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Hoover Institution
→
No direct policy links yet
Richard Mellon Scaife Foundation
$25,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
The Heritage Foundation
→
introducedRepeal of EPA Methane Rule (CRA)
enactedProject 2025 executive order implementations
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$21,813,068IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Hoover Institution
→
No direct policy links yet
Bradley Foundation
$15,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
The Heritage Foundation
→
introducedRepeal of EPA Methane Rule (CRA)
enactedProject 2025 executive order implementations
Koch Industries
$15,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Cato Institute
→
enactedCHIPS and Science Act
enactedCrypto regulation opposition
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$10,130,384IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Cato Institute
→
enactedCHIPS and Science Act
enactedCrypto regulation opposition
DonorsTrust
$10,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
The Heritage Foundation
→
introducedRepeal of EPA Methane Rule (CRA)
enactedProject 2025 executive order implementations
Bradley Foundation
$8,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
American Enterprise Institute
→
enactedCHIPS and Science Act
enactedOpposition to Medicare drug price negotiation
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
$7,699,122IRS 990 Schedule I
→
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
→
No direct policy links yet
Donors Capital Fund
$6,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Heartland Institute
→
enactedInflation Reduction Act (IRA)
enactedEPA Clean Power Plan rollback
Koch Industries
$5,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Heartland Institute
→
enactedInflation Reduction Act (IRA)
enactedEPA Clean Power Plan rollback
Robert Mercer
$5,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
The Heritage Foundation
→
introducedRepeal of EPA Methane Rule (CRA)
enactedProject 2025 executive order implementations
Tom Steyer
$5,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Center for American Progress
→
enactedInflation Reduction Act - Drug Pricing Provisions
enactedIRA clean energy implementation guidance
Koch Industries
$5,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
The Heritage Foundation
→
introducedRepeal of EPA Methane Rule (CRA)
enactedProject 2025 executive order implementations
Bradley Foundation
$5,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Hudson Institute
→
enactedAUKUS Implementation Legislation
DonorsTrust
$5,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Cato Institute
→
enactedCHIPS and Science Act
enactedCrypto regulation opposition
DonorsTrust
$4,987,225IRS 990 Schedule I
→
THE REASON FOUNDATION
→
No direct policy links yet
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$4,738,598IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Hoover Institution
→
No direct policy links yet
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$4,424,351IRS 990 Schedule I
→
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE INC
→
No direct policy links yet
DonorsTrust
$4,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Heartland Institute
→
enactedInflation Reduction Act (IRA)
enactedEPA Clean Power Plan rollback
AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION
$3,944,761IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Hoover Institution
→
No direct policy links yet
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$3,841,804IRS 990 Schedule I
→
WILLIAM J BRENNAN JR CENTER FOR JUSTICE INC
→
No direct policy links yet
PARKER INSTITUTE FOR CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY
$3,582,836IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Hoover Institution
→
No direct policy links yet
DonorsTrust
$3,500,000tracked donation
→
Federalist Society
→
No direct policy links yet
Schwab Charitable
$3,398,266IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Cato Institute
→
enactedCHIPS and Science Act
enactedCrypto regulation opposition
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$3,204,615IRS 990 Schedule I
→
INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE
→
No direct policy links yet
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY CENTRAL LOCKBOX
$3,096,991IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Hoover Institution
→
No direct policy links yet
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$3,006,596IRS 990 Schedule I
→
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
→
No direct policy links yet
Smith Richardson Foundation
$3,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Hudson Institute
→
enactedAUKUS Implementation Legislation
Paul Singer
$3,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
→
enactedAnti-ESG state legislation wave
enactedInflation Reduction Act - Drug Pricing Provisions
Koch Industries
$3,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
American Enterprise Institute
→
enactedCHIPS and Science Act
enactedOpposition to Medicare drug price negotiation
DonorsTrust
$3,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Competitive Enterprise Institute
→
enactedInflation Reduction Act (IRA)
enactedLoper Bright v. Raimondo (Chevron overturned)
DonorsTrust
$2,885,200IRS 990 Schedule I
→
MACKINAC CENTER
→
No direct policy links yet
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$2,780,127IRS 990 Schedule I
→
PACIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY
→
No direct policy links yet
DonorsTrust
$2,769,731IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Pacific Legal Foundation
→
No direct policy links yet
DonorsTrust
$2,751,250IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Competitive Enterprise Institute
→
enactedInflation Reduction Act (IRA)
enactedLoper Bright v. Raimondo (Chevron overturned)
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$2,728,013IRS 990 Schedule I
→
America First Policy Institute
→
No direct policy links yet
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
$2,577,300IRS 990 Schedule I
→
FOUNDATION FOR THE DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES INC
→
No direct policy links yet
DonorsTrust
$2,417,200IRS 990 Schedule I
→
PROPERTY AND ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH CENTER
→
No direct policy links yet
EMORY
$2,329,806IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Hoover Institution
→
No direct policy links yet
Windward Fund
$2,296,667IRS 990 Schedule I
→
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
→
No direct policy links yet
CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION AMERICA
$2,251,667IRS 990 Schedule I
→
Hoover Institution
→
No direct policy links yet
American Petroleum Institute
$2,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Heartland Institute
→
enactedInflation Reduction Act (IRA)
enactedEPA Clean Power Plan rollback
Koch Industries
$2,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Competitive Enterprise Institute
→
enactedInflation Reduction Act (IRA)
enactedLoper Bright v. Raimondo (Chevron overturned)
Peter Thiel
$2,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Cato Institute
→
enactedCHIPS and Science Act
enactedCrypto regulation opposition
Koch Industries
$2,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
→
enactedAnti-ESG state legislation wave
enactedInflation Reduction Act - Drug Pricing Provisions
Northrop Grumman
$2,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Center for Strategic and International Studies
→
enactedUkraine Security Assistance Supplemental
enactedPacific Deterrence Initiative funding
Microsoft
$2,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
Center for American Progress
→
enactedInflation Reduction Act - Drug Pricing Provisions
enactedIRA clean energy implementation guidance
ExxonMobil
$2,000,000press estimate, uncited
→
American Enterprise Institute
→
enactedCHIPS and Science Act
enactedOpposition to Medicare drug price negotiation

Showing 50 of 300 influence chains.

Think tanks are identified by EIN from a curated list. Revenue figures are each organization’s own IRS Form 990 total revenue for the most recent filing available through ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "Schedule I grants" are grants the grantor reported on its own IRS Form 990 Schedule I, so they cover only grantors whose filings have been ingested (foundations and donor-advised-fund sponsors; a DAF sponsor is the legal grantor, not the original donor). "Press estimates" are figures from investigative reporting seeded without a filing citation; they are shown for context and never added to any total. "Policy links" indicate a think tank produced research or advocacy aligned with a specific policy outcome — not proof of causation.