Center for Security Policy: mission, leadership and finances
Washington national security group founded in 1988 that advocates peace through strength.
Also known as CSP
Organization
| Founded | 1988 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| EIN | 52-1601976 |
| Tax status | 501(c)(3) |
| Website | centerforsecuritypolicy.org |
Finances (IRS Form 990)
| Total revenue | $4.1 million |
|---|---|
| Total expenses | $3.9 million |
| Total assets | $166 thousand |
| Tax year | 2023 |
What it does
The Center for Security Policy is a Washington organization that works on national security and defense issues. It publishes reports, holds briefings for officials and runs a daily commentary program. It describes its mission as promoting American security through "peace through strength."
Center for Security Policy is listed here in the category "Think tanks". A listing on 4conservative.com describes an organization; it is not an endorsement of it or of its positions.
History
Frank Gaffney Jr. founded the center in 1988 and has led it since. It began with a focus on Soviet arms control and later worked on missile defense and radical Islamist movements.
Center for Security Policy is a think tank. It is headquartered in Washington, DC. 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 donations and files a Form 990. Its leadership is listed on its website.
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 $4.1 million, total expenses of $3.9 million and total assets of $166 thousand at year end. ProPublica lists the filer as Center For Security Policy Inc. 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
The center favors strong defense spending and missile defense, and has criticized some views of Islamist movements that have been challenged by others.
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 Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Hudson Institute, Middle East Forum.
Sources
Profile last reviewed November 8, 2026