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Atlantic Council of the U S Inc

EIN 52-0742294 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair50 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL, THROUGH ITS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS, PROMOTES CONSTRUCTIVE LEADERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BASED ON THE CENTRAL ROLE OF THE ATLANTIC COMMUNITY IN MEETING GLOBAL CHALLENGES.

Income
$69.9 million
Spending
$68.4 million
Spent on programs
83%
Reserves
-2.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 86%
Employees
370
Volunteers
155
Highest pay
$785,607, president and ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 18% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 51% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 10% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    83% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    35 of 36 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, 2024, 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 (15)
  1. $10.4 million spent. ACTECH: THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS (ACTECH) WORK TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY AND PROVIDE POLICYMAKERS AND GLOBAL STAKEHOLDERS NECESSARY RESEARCH, INSIGHTS, AND CONVENINGS TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY AND ENSURE ITS RESPONSIBLE ADVANCEMENT.
  2. $8.3 million spent. RAFIK HARIRI CENTER AND MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMS: THE RAFIK HARIRI CENTER AND MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMS ARE LEADING THE WAY IN PROVIDING A FORUM FOR INFORMING AND GALVANIZING THE TRANSATLANTIC COMMUNITY TO SHAPE A STABLE AND PROSPEROUS MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA.
  3. $7.8 million spent. SCOWCROFT CENTER FOR STRATEGY AND SECURITY: THE SCOWCROFT CENTER WORKS TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE, NONPARTISAN STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE MOST IMPORTANT SECURITY CHALLENGES FACING THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES AND PARTNERS. THE CENTER HONORS THE LEGACY OF SERVICE OF GENERAL BRENT SCOWCROFT, INCLUDING HIS ETHOS OF NONPARTISAN COMMITMENT TO THE CAUSE OF SECURITY, SUPPORT FOR US LEADERSHIP IN COOPERATION WITH ALLIES AND PARTNERS, AND DEDICATION TO THE MENTORSHIP OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS.
  4. $6.1 million spent. GLOBAL ENERGY CENTER: THE GLOBAL ENERGY CENTER DEVELOPS AND PROMOTES PRAGMATIC AND NONPARTISAN POLICY SOLUTIONS DESIGNED TO ADVANCE GLOBAL ENERGY SECURITY, ENHANCE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND ACCELERATE PATHWAYS TO NET-ZERO EMISSIONS.
  5. $4.0 million spent. GEOECONOMICS CENTER: THE GEOECONOMICS CENTER DEVELOPS DATA-DRIVEN PROGRAMS, PUBLICATIONS, AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AT THE NEXUS OF ECONOMICS, FINANCE, AND FOREIGN POLICY. THE CENTER'S WORK IS BUILT ON THE IDEA THAT THE US MUST LEAD WITH ALLIES OR RISK BECOMING A BYSTANDER IN A RESHAPED INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM.
  6. $3.8 million spent. EUROPE CENTER: THE EUROPE CENTER PROVIDES EXPERTISE AND BUILDING COMMUNITIES TO PROMOTE TRANSATLANTIC LEADERSHIP AND A STRONG EUROPE IN TURBULENT TIMES. THE CENTER'S CONVENING POWER AND NETWORK COMBINE WITH ITS EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND REAL-TIME ANALYSIS TO PROMOTE DIALOGUE, BUILD A FORWARD-LOOKING AGENDA FOR THE TRANSATLANTIC PARTNERSHIP, AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE GEOPOLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES FACING THE UNITED STATES AND ITS EUROPEAN ALLIES.
  7. $3.5 million spent. ADRIENNE ARSHT LATIN AMERICA CENTER: THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S ADRIENNE ARSHT LATIN AMERICA CENTER (AALAC) BROADENS UNDERSTANDING OF REGIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS WHILE DEMONSTRATING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD. THE CENTER FOCUSES ON PRESSING POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND STRATEGIC ISSUES THAT DEFINE THE REGION'S TRAJECTORY. THE CENTER PROPOSES CONSTRUCTIVE, RESULTS-ORIENTED, NONPARTISAN SOLUTIONS TO INFORM PUBLIC-SECTOR, BUSINESS, AND MULTILATERAL ACTION BASED ON A SHARED VISION FOR A MORE PROSPEROUS, INCLUSIVE, AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.
  8. $3.2 million spent. CLIMATE RESILIENCE CENTER: THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S CLIMATE RESILIENCE CENTER WAS FORMED TO REACH ONE BILLION PEOPLE WITH RESILIENCE SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE, MIGRATION, AND SECURITY CHALLENGES.
  9. $2.4 million spent. FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY CENTER: THE FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY CENTER AIMS TO INCREASE THE WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, AND ESPECIALLY THE POOR AND MARGINALIZED IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, THROUGH UNBIASED, DATA-BASED RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROSPERITY AND ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND LEGAL FREEDOMS, IN SUPPORT OF SOUND POLICY CHOICES.
  10. $2.2 million spent. EURASIA CENTER: THE EURASIA CENTER'S MISSION IS TO PROMOTE POLICIES THAT ENCOURAGE STABILITY, DEMOCRATIC VALUES, AND PROSPERITY IN EURASIA. A DEMOCRATIC, PROSPEROUS, AND STABLE EURASIA IS A CORE INTEREST FOR THE UNITED STATES AND PLAYS INTO THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S FOCUS ON GREAT POWER COMPETITION.
  11. $1.7 million spent. GLOBAL CHINA HUB: THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S GLOBAL CHINA HUB RESEARCHES AND DEVISES SOLUTIONS FOR THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES TO THE GREATEST CHALLENGES POSED BY CHINA'S RISE, LEVERAGING THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S WORK ON CHINA ACROSS ITS SIXTEEN PROGRAMS AND CENTERS.
  12. $1.3 million spent. AFRICA CENTER: THE AFRICA CENTER EMPHASIZES THE BUILDING OF STRONG PARTNERSHIPS AMONG AFRICAN STATES, THE U.S. AND EUROPE, AND STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY ON THE CONTINENT THROUGH SUSTAINED MULTILATERAL INTERACTIONS AND LEADING ISSUE ANALYSIS.
  13. $1.1 million spent. ATLANTIC COUNCIL TURKEY PROGRAM: THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL TURKEY PROGRAM AIMS TO SUPPORT TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS BY STRENGTHENING DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND REGIONAL NATO ALLIES, PRIMARILY TURKEY. IN LINE WITH THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S MISSION OF PROMOTING CONSTRUCTIVE US LEADERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND IN FACING GLOBAL CHALLENGES, THIS PROGRAM WORKS TO BOLSTER TRANSATLANTIC ENGAGEMENT WITH TURKEY AND ITS SURROUNDING REGION THROUGH FORWARD-LOOKING RESEARCH AND HIGH-IMPACT, HIGH-LEVEL CONVENINGS COVERING ENERGY, ECONOMICS, BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY, DEFENSE, AND SECURITY.
  14. $1.0 million spent. MILLENNIUM LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S MILLENNIUM LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (MLP) WORKS TO CONNECT AND EMPOWER NEXT-GENERATION INTERNATIONAL CHANGEMAKERS WHO WILL SHAPE THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, TO ADDRESS OUR WORLD'S MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES.
  15. $368,058 spent. SOUTH ASIA CENTER: THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S SOUTH ASIA CENTER (SAC) IS THE FOCAL POINT FOR THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S ANALYSIS OF ISSUES CONCERNING THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF THE REGION. AT THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH ASIA AND ITS GEOPOLITICS, SAC FACILITATES CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE TO SHAPE POLICY AND FORGE TIES BETWEEN THE REGION AND THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY BY PRODUCING CUTTING-EDGE ANALYSIS, CONVENING KEY STAKEHOLDERS, AND AMPLIFYING POLICY CONVERSATIONS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

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

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1961.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.