Reason Foundation: mission, leadership and finances

What it does

Reason Foundation is a libertarian think tank that publishes Reason magazine and Reason.com. Its policy research covers transportation, privatization, pensions, education, criminal justice, housing and regulatory reform. The foundation states its mission as advancing a free society by developing and promoting libertarian principles.

Reason 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

Reason magazine began in 1968 as a mimeographed publication started by Lanny Friedlander. The nonprofit foundation was formed in 1978. Robert Poole, a co-founder of the policy arm, became known for ideas about privatizing airports and road infrastructure.

Reason Foundation is a think tank. It is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. 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

Reason Foundation is funded by foundations, corporations and individuals. It 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 $15.5 million, total expenses of $17.5 million and total assets of $19.4 million at year end. ProPublica lists the filer as The Reason 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

It favors limited government, civil liberties, school choice and market-oriented solutions to public problems, and often diverges from both parties.

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 Cato Institute, Independent Institute, Mercatus Center.