The Heritage Foundation: mission, leadership and finances

What it does

The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution in Washington, D.C. Its stated mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense. It publishes policy papers, commentary and the Index of Economic Freedom, and briefs lawmakers and their staff.

The Heritage Foundation 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

Heritage was founded in 1973 by Paul Weyrich, Edwin Feulner and Joseph Coors. It rose to wide notice in the early 1980s, when its "Mandate for Leadership" volume was circulated to the incoming Reagan administration. Later editions of that series were prepared ahead of later Republican administrations, including a 2023 edition known as Project 2025.

The Heritage Foundation 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

Edwin Feulner led the foundation as president for decades after its founding; later presidents have followed him, and the foundation lists its current officers and trustees on its website. It says it is funded by individuals, foundations and corporations.

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 2022: total revenue of $106.3 million, total expenses of $93.7 million and total assets of $387.7 million at year end. ProPublica lists the filer as Heritage Foundation. 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

Heritage describes itself as a conservative institution and takes positions on taxes, regulation, health care, energy, education, immigration, national security and the family. Its affiliated lobbying arm, Heritage Action for America, has its own entry.

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 American Enterprise Institute, Cato Institute, Heritage Action for America.