Mercatus Center Inc
90% goes to programs $4 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Mercatus Center Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Arlington, Virginia, registered in 1988, with $48,287,301 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 90% of spending to programs.
3434 Washington Blvd Ste 4, Arlington, VA, 22201 EIN 54-1436224 Since 1988
Revenue (FY2024)
$48.3M
▲ 22.7% vs prior year
Social Science median: $380K
Expenses (FY2024)
$40.9M
Net assets
$39.8M
Employees
200
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A+
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating90% to programs · $4 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Mercatus Center Inc: 90% to programs · $4 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating12 mo reserves · +15% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Mercatus Center Inc: 12 mo reserves · +15% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Mercatus Center Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Mercatus Center Inc: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Cultivating talent who advance market-oriented ideas to expand opportunity.
What they do
Applied research - conduct economic research of consequence that makes sense of public policy problems and puts forward solutions that maximize individual freedom and prosperity.
Strategic public engagement - drives mercatus's external impact by integrating communications, government relations, publications, talent development, and convening to ensure its ideas reach and persuade key audiences.
Student programs - support graduate students at george mason university, training future scholars and decision-makers to advance and apply a research agenda for understanding institutions and change.
Contact & location
- Address
- 3434 Washington Blvd Ste 4, Arlington, VA, 22201
- City
- Arlington
- State
- Virginia
- Category
- Social Science
- Subcategory
- Social Science Research
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $20.7M (FY2013) to $48.3M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $3.7MNet assets $39.8M
Operating margin
15.2%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$43.5M
Total liabilities
$3.7M
Net assets
$39.8M
Salaries & benefits
$18.4M
45% of expenses
Board members
13
10 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $48,287,301▲22.7% | $40,947,240▼8.6% | $39,839,024▲23.1% | $43,506,821▲18.3% | 990 |
| 2023 | $39,338,379▼17.1% | $44,809,520▼9.0% | $32,354,312▼13.9% | $36,765,270▼14.7% | 990 |
| 2022 | $47,446,892▼5.3% | $49,250,629▲9.2% | $37,594,986▼4.5% | $43,118,804▼1.8% | 990 |
| 2021 | $50,106,510▲0.1% | $45,086,723▼7.4% | $39,369,076▲13.5% | $43,899,623▲10.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $50,050,104▼30.4% | $48,712,721▼15.8% | $34,680,003▲4.2% | $39,656,481▼8.6% | 990 |
| 2019 | $71,902,379▲133% | $57,876,827▲90.4% | $33,283,407▲73.7% | $43,397,524▲89.2% | 990 |
| 2018 | $30,795,148▲7.3% | $30,401,944▲5.3% | $19,159,097▲2.2% | $22,931,599▼0.6% | 990 |
| 2017 | $28,688,582▼3.0% | $28,875,237▲4.7% | $18,755,027▼1.7% | $23,073,307▲1.1% | 990 |
| 2016 | $29,566,224▲6.8% | $27,582,187▲10.2% | $19,071,104▲11.7% | $22,827,547▲3.9% | 990 |
| 2015 | $27,690,307▲15.5% | $25,019,578▲30.3% | $17,072,990▲19.1% | $21,973,248▲17.2% | 990 |
| 2014 | $23,977,583▲15.9% | $19,205,513▲3.8% | $14,336,741▲49.9% | $18,741,605▲34.7% | 990 |
| 2013 | $20,685,660 | $18,508,226▲35.0% | $9,566,625▲29.4% | $13,916,983▲25.1% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $13,710,020▲22.1% | $7,392,431▲61.6% | $11,124,524▲36.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $11,230,076 | $4,573,735 | $8,147,052 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Benjamin Klutsey — $354,211 (0.87% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Klutsey | Executive Director (from 6/24) | 40 | $354,211 |
| Daniel Butler | Vice President of Development | 40 | $341,101 |
| Veronique De Rugy | George Gibbs Chair Project Sr Research Fellow | 40 | $318,435 |
| Daniel M Rothschild | Executive Vice President (6/24-10/24) | 40 | $289,617 |
| Eileen Norcross | Vice President of Research | 40 | $282,764 |
| Jennifer Zambone | Secretary and Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $274,100 |
| Virgil Henry Storr | Director (svp of Research & Programs) | 40 | $256,751 |
| Alden Abbott | Senior Research Fellow | 40 | $240,871 |
| Brett Doyle | Managing Director | 40 | $239,887 |
| Gary Leff | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer | 20 | $199,674 |
| Tyler Cowen | Chairman | 1 | $128,367 |
| Donald Boudreaux | Director | 1 | $83,500 |
| Brendan Mccord | Director (from 2/25) | 1 | — |
| Brian Hooks | Director | 1 | — |
| Edwin Meese | Director | 1 | — |
| Emily Chamlee-wright | Director | 1 | — |
| Katherine Boyle | Director | 1 | — |
| Manuel Johnson | Director | 1 | — |
| Richard Fink | Director | 1 | — |
| Salen Churi | Director | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tilapia Film LLC | Video Production and Motion Graphics Ser | $281,944 |
| Marriott International | Catering Services | $230,595 |
| Morgan Meredith & Associates | Direct Mail and Postage Services | $197,008 |
| Salesforcecom | Cloud-based Online Software Services | $180,561 |
| Open Ai LLC | Cloud-based Online Software Services | $161,400 |
Grants received · $57.9M total
95 grants to Mercatus Center Inc totaling $57.9M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donors Trust Inc | For general operations | 2024 | $109,500 |
| Donors Trust Inc | For marginal revolution university | 2024 | $35,000 |
| Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America | General contribution | 2024 | $25,000 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Education | 2024 | $23,950 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $10,000 |
| Donors Trust Inc | For the lima conference | 2024 | $10,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $9,221 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | General support | 2024 | $5,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $6,150,300 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $230,771 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Human services | 2023 | $85,000 |
| Donors Trust Inc | For general operations | 2023 | $81,330 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Public, societal benefit | 2023 | $68,645 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Growth | 2023 | $31,100 |
| Donors Trust Inc | For marginal revolution university | 2023 | $25,000 |
Grants made · $2.9M in FY2024
50 grants totaling $2.9M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Mercatus Center Inc →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kyiv School of Economics | Research and education grants | $1,100,000 |
| George Mason University Foundation Inc | General support grants | $185,887 |
| Chinatalk Group LLC | Research and education grants | $100,000 |
| Ukraine Global Scholars Foundation | Research and education grants | $100,000 |
| The Argument Inc | Research and education grants | $100,000 |
| Digital Harbor Foundation Inc | Research and education grants | $100,000 |
| California Institute of Technology | Research and education grants | $86,219 |
| The Econ of LLC | Research and education grants | $65,000 |
| Edge Institute Inc | Research and education grants | $50,000 |
| Arc Prize Foundation | Research and education grants | $50,000 |
| Womens Health Fund | Research and education grants | $50,000 |
| Center For Innovative Governance Research | Research and education grants | $50,000 |
| David Network | Research and education grants | $50,000 |
| Nucleate Bio Inc | Research and education grants | $50,000 |
| Energy For Growth Hub | Research and education grants | $40,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Mercatus Center Inc a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Mercatus Center Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 54-1436224, based in Arlington, Virginia. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Mercatus Center Inc's EIN?
- Mercatus Center Inc's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 54-1436224.
- How much revenue does Mercatus Center Inc report?
- Mercatus Center Inc reported $48,287,301 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Mercatus Center Inc's spending goes to programs?
- Mercatus Center Inc spends about 90% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Mercatus Center Inc have?
- CharityIndex grades Mercatus Center Inc A+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Mercatus Center Inc's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Mercatus Center Inc's latest Form 990 is $354,211, paid to Benjamin Klutsey (Executive Director (from 6/24)).
More nonprofits in Arlington
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Data for Mercatus Center Inc (EIN 54-1436224) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.