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Cato Institute

Think tank · Total expenses $47.4M · FY ending March 2025

Per the Form 990 on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer

In its own words

“assiduously nonpartisan and independent public policy research organization—or think tank—that creates a presence for and promotes libertarian ideas”

Source: the organization's own site · last verified 2026-07-27

This is how the organization describes itself, quoted from its own site — not an assessment by Sift. Sift does not rate organizations.

Grants paid

7 grants of $5,000 or more, $202K in total, as reported on the organization's own Form 990 for the year ending March 2025.

  • AMERICA'S FUTURE FOUNDATIONGENERAL SUPPORT$60K
  • ROOTS OF PROGRESSEVENT SUPPORT$50K
  • AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCILGENERAL SUPPORT$34K
  • STUDENTS FOR LIBERTYEVENT SUPPORT$20.5K
  • YOUNG AMERICANS FOR LIBERTY INCEVENT SUPPORT$15K
  • ONE AMERICA MOVEMENTCOLLABORATION OF EVENTS$12.5K
  • YOUNG AMERICANS FOR LIBERTY FOUNDATIONEVENT SUPPORT$10K

This shows money paid out. A public charity's own donors are redacted from the public copy of its return, so who funds this organization can't be read from this filing.

1 more recipient is not shown: the EIN on the filing isn't in the IRS index of electronic filers — often a consultancy, an LLC, or an organization small enough not to file — so there's nothing to check the name against.

Source: Form 990, tax period March 2025

Where to read more

Back to SiftFunding data comes from IRS 990s and FARA. Read the methodology.

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