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American Institute for Economic Research Inc

EIN 04-2121305 · Gt Barrington, MA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong90 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH (AIER) EDUCATES PEOPLE ON THE VALUE OF PERSONAL FREEDOM, FREE ENTERPRISE, PROPERTY RIGHTS, LIMITED GOVERNMENT AND SOUND MONEY. AIER'S ONGOING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE PRINCIPLES IN ADVANCING PEACE, PROSPERITY AND HUMAN PROGRESS.

Income
$13.2 million
Spending
$9.3 million
Spent on programs
70%
Reserves
64.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 73%
Employees
74
Volunteers
22
Highest pay
$353,398, president/friedrich hayek chair in economics & eco

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (social science, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 64.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 42% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 29% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 156% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    70% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (social science, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 14 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (2)
  1. $3.9 million spent. RESEARCH: OUR RESEARCH FOCUSES ON ECONOMICS, FREE MARKETS, SOUND MONEY, AND CLASSICAL LIBERALISM. OUR RESEARCH GENERATED: 118 SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, AIER'S RESEACHERS HAD 4,689 MEDIA APPEARANCES AT VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS, 655 GOOGLE SCHOLAR CITATIONS, 28 ORIGINAL AIER EXPLAINERS AND WHITE PAPERS PUBLISHED, 27 PODCASTS, AND MORE THAN 3 MILLION READERS VISITED AIER'S WEBSITE AND THE DAILY ECONOMY WEBSITES. PUBLICATIONS: INCLUDED RESEARCH, PREPARATION, AND DISTRIBUTION OF PERIODIC ECONOMIC REPORTS; 15,996 COPIES OF THE REPORTS WERE PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED, 18,076 COPIES WERE EMAILED, AND THERE WERE 23,533 WEBSITE VIEWS OF THE REPORTS. AIER PUBLISHED THREE NEW BOOKS THIS YEAR.
  2. $2.6 million spent. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS: OUR PROGRAMS EDUCATE PARTICIPANTS ABOUT CLASSICAL LIBERALISM, FREE ENTERPRISES, LIMITED GOVERNMENT, THE RIGHT TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, AND SOUND MONEY PRINCIPLES. 315 STUDENTS WERE TRAINED AND MENTORED IN THESE AREAS. MORE THAN 2,270 ATTENDEES PARTICPATED IN AIER CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, DEBATES, AND GRADUATE COLLOQUIMS NATIONWIDE. 30 INTERNS AND 10 GRADUATE FELLOWS PARTICIPATED IN OUR INTERNSHIP AND VISITING FELLOW PROGRAMS. WE CONDUCTED 11 ONE-DAY PROGRAMS AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ACROSS THE U.S.. AIER'S HARWOOD SALONS BRING TOGETHER LEADERS, THINKERS, AND LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR ENGAGING DISCUSSIONS ON FREEDOM, FREE MARKETS, AND SOUND MONEY. THESE 39 GATHERINGS, HELD IN CITIES NATIONWIDE, FOSTER CONVERSATIONS FOCUSED ON OUR MISSION. AIER'S SOUND MONEY PROJECT CONDUCTS RESEARCH AND PROMOTES AWARENESS ABOUT MONETARY STABILITY AND FINANCIAL PRIVACY. IT OFFERS REGULAR COMMENTARY AND IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ON MONETARY POLICY, ALTERNATIVE MONETARY SYSTEMS, FINANCIAL MARKETS REGULATIONS, CRYPTOCURRENCIES, AND THE HISTORY OF MONETARY AND MACROECONOMIC THOUGHT. PROJECT MEMBERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED NUMEROUS PAPERS, EXPLAINERS, AND ARTICLES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING THE FED AGENDA, A WEEKLY UPDATE FROM THE SOUND MONEY PROJECT THAT PUBLISHED 57 EDITIONS IN 2025.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 1999.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.

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