The Heartland Institute: mission, leadership and finances
Illinois-based think tank founded in 1984 that promotes free-market solutions and is known for challenging mainstream climate policy.
Organization
| Founded | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Schaumburg, IL |
| EIN | 36-3309812 |
| Tax status | 501(c)(3) |
| Website | heartland.org |
Finances (IRS Form 990)
| Total revenue | $4.1 million |
|---|---|
| Total expenses | $4.1 million |
| Total assets | $1.4 million |
| Tax year | 2023 |
What it does
The Heartland Institute is a think tank based in the Chicago area. It publishes research and newsletters on energy and environment, health care, education, budget and tax policy and constitutional reform, and holds conferences for legislators and the public. It is known for its skepticism of climate change policy.
The Heartland Institute 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
Heartland was founded in 1984 in Chicago. In the 1990s it began working with state legislators, and it has hosted international climate conferences. Joseph Bast helped lead it for decades; leadership has since changed.
The Heartland Institute is a think tank. It is headquartered in Schaumburg, IL. 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
Heartland is supported by gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations. Its website lists its board and staff and it files a Form 990.
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 $4.1 million and total assets of $1.4 million at year end. ProPublica lists the filer as Heartland Institute. 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
Heartland favors limited government, school choice and free markets, and questions the scientific consensus-based policy response to climate change, a position that mainstream scientific bodies dispute.
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 Competitive Enterprise Institute, Institute for Energy Research, Cato Institute.
Sources
Profile last reviewed November 8, 2026