Capital Research Center: mission, leadership and finances
Arlington, Virginia think tank founded in 1984 that studies nonprofits, philanthropy and the funding of political advocacy.
Organization
| Founded | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Arlington, VA |
| EIN | 52-1289734 |
| Tax status | 501(c)(3) |
| Website | capitalresearch.org |
Finances (IRS Form 990)
| Total revenue | $7.5 million |
|---|---|
| Total expenses | $7.2 million |
| Total assets | $10.8 million |
| Tax year | 2023 |
What it does
The Capital Research Center studies nonprofits, foundations and advocacy groups, and publishes reports and the magazine Organization Trends. It also runs projects that profile donor networks.
Capital Research Center is listed here in the category "Media and watchdogs". A listing on 4conservative.com describes an organization; it is not an endorsement of it or of its positions.
History
It was founded in 1984 by Willa Johnson, and was later led by Terrence Scanlon and others.
Capital Research Center is a media and watchdog organization. It is headquartered in Arlington, VA. Its IRS tax status is 501(c)(3). Like other organizations in this collection, it is described here from its own published material and from public records, and the facts on this page are limited to what those sources state.
Leadership and funding
It is funded by donors and files a Form 990, shown here.
The IRS figures on this page come from the latest Form 990 filing that ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer lists for the organization, for tax year 2023: total revenue of $7.5 million, total expenses of $7.2 million and total assets of $10.8 million at year end. ProPublica lists the filer as Capital Research Center. The figures describe a single tax year and can differ sharply from year to year; check the filing itself and the organization's own site for the current picture.
Where it stands
It favors limited government and critiques what it sees as a left-leaning nonprofit sector.
These summaries reflect the organization's own stated mission and publicly known activities as of the date below; they are neutral descriptions, not evaluations. Related organizations on this site include The Heritage Foundation, Government Accountability Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Sources
Profile last reviewed November 8, 2026