Foundation for Defense of Democracies: mission, leadership and finances
Washington think tank founded in 2001 that studies foreign policy, national security, sanctions and terrorism finance.
Also known as FDD
Organization
| Founded | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| EIN | 13-4174402 |
| Tax status | 501(c)(3) |
| Website | fdd.org |
Finances (IRS Form 990)
| Total revenue | $23.9 million |
|---|---|
| Total expenses | $25.4 million |
| Total assets | $31.7 million |
| Tax year | 2023 |
What it does
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies, or FDD, is a Washington research institute focused on national security and foreign policy. Its work includes the Center on Military and Political Power, the Center on Economic and Financial Power on sanctions and illicit finance, and research on Iran, China, Russia and terrorism.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies 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
FDD was founded shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks. It was originally focused on public education about terrorism and later moved into policy research, with a particular emphasis on the Iran nuclear program and sanctions.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies 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
FDD is funded by individuals, foundations and corporations and files a Form 990. Its leadership and fellows are 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 $23.9 million, total expenses of $25.4 million and total assets of $31.7 million at year end. ProPublica lists the filer as Foundation For The Defense Of Democracies 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
FDD generally favors firm positions toward Iran, strong support for Israel and strong sanctions. It describes itself as nonpartisan.
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 Hudson Institute, Center for Security Policy, Middle East Forum.
Sources
Profile last reviewed November 8, 2026