Financial Information, Funding, and Independence

The Cato Institute is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) research institution located in Washington, DC. Since 1977, Cato has been a principled, credible source for research, analysis, and writing on public policy. We safeguard our intellectual independence rigorously with dedicated institutional policies that enable our scholars to pursue their work without outside influence.

Cato Sponsors make it possible for the Institution to produce high-quality policy research in pursuit of our mission, and they are a crucial element in building Cato’s reputation for independence and credibility. In order to maintain independence, the Cato Institute accepts no government funding of any kind—foreign or domestic. In fiscal year 2024, Cato received 79 percent of our funding from individuals, 4 percent from foundations, and 2 percent from corporations.

Cato maintains policies and procedures for assuring the intellectual integrity of our work. As we are committed to the cause of liberty and an open society, so too are we committed to the quality of our scholarship. Cato scholars’ research and commentary are subject to an internal review process to ensure consistency with the Institute’s mission and to preserve our intellectual independence. The Institute does not take organizational positions on matters of policy—our scholars hold their views independently.

Cato does not endorse political candidates or parties, seek to influence elections, engage in lobbying, or tolerate outside political influence in our work. While our scholars regularly engage in matters of public policy, they strictly avoid professional association with political activities. The Cato Board of Directors oversees a detailed annual conflict of interest disclosure process among members of the Board and staff. Likewise, we do not engage in contract research or activities directed by financial supporters whether they are individuals, foundations, or corporations. Cato maintains full autonomy over scholarship, programming, and personnel. We honor donor intent and welcome the alignment of supporters’ philanthropic goals and priorities with ours, but our research and findings remain uninfluenced by financial considerations.