Scaife Family Foundations

Scaife Family Foundations Background The Scaife family foundations are made up of the Sarah Mellon Scaife Foundation, the Carthage Foundation, the Allegheny Foundation, and the Scaife Family Foundation. Originally, the foundations were managed by Sarah Mellon Scaife. Effective January 1, 2015, The Carthage Foundation merged with and into the Sarah Scaife Foundation Incorporated and no […]

George Mason University

George Mason University (GMU) Background George Mason University (GMU) began as the Northern Virginia branch of the University of Virginia in 1957. In 1972 it had grown to the point where it officially separated from its parent institution. During the 1990s it became […]

Mercatus Center

Mercatus Center, George Mason University Background The Mercatus Center is a conservative think tank located at George Mason University and is a sister organization to the Institute for Humane Studies. The Mercatus Center was originally founded at Rutgers University by Richard Fink in the late 1970s, under the name the Center for Market Processes.1“History and […]

Capital Research Center

Capital Research Center (CRC) Background The Capital Research Center (CRC) was founded in 1984 by Willa Johnson to “study non-profit organizations, with a special focus on reviving the American traditions of charity, philanthropy, and voluntarism.”  Prior to founding CRC, […]

Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy Background The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy is a Virginia-based non profit foundation dealing with “the issues of improving education, government reform, economic development and environmental stewardship.” The Thomas Jefferson Institute’s mission is “to provide Virginia’s political, business, academic, community and media leadership with thoughtful, realistic, useful and […]

Washington Legal Foundation

Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) Background The Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) was founded in 1977 to fight “activist lawyers, regulators, and intrusive government agencies at the federal and state levels, in the courts and regulatory agencies across the country.” WLF is a national non-profit foundation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.1 “WLF at-a-glance,” wlf.org. […]

Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Mackinac Center for Public Policy Background The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS. Originally named the Michigan Research Institute, the organization was founded in 1987 as […]

Foundation for Economic Education

Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) Background The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) is a non-profit free market organization based in Irvington, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1946 by Leonard E. Read, FEE describes itself as “one of the oldest free-market organizations in the United States,” and was one of the first think tanks designed specifically […]

Adam Smith Institute

Adam Smith Institute (ASI) Background The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is a UK-based nonprofit think tank founded in 1977 by Madsen Pirie, Eamonn Butler and Stuart Butler, with the help of Antony Fisher of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). 2“Our People,” […]

Texas Public Policy Foundation

Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) Background The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is a conservative think tank based in Austin, Texas, founded by James R. Leininger in 1989. […]