The Center for Independent Thought (CIT) is a non-partisan educational organization that promotes individual liberty and free markets. ¹ CIT creates and distributes videos, trains teachers, and makes grants to classical liberal scholars to advocate for government accountability, free speech, and individual liberty. ²

The Center for Independent Thought is the parent foundation of Stossel TV, Stossel in the Classroom, and NBTV. ³

The Center for Independent Thought is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. ⁴ While the CIT is non-partisan, members of its board have affiliations with libertarian organizations.

Activity

The Center for Independent Thought is a non-partisan educational organization that promotes individual liberty and free markets. ⁵ CIT creates and distributes videos, trains teachers, and makes grants to classical liberal scholars to advocate for government accountability, free speech, and individual liberty. ⁶

The Center for Independent Thought is the parent foundation of Stossel TV, Stossel in the Classroom, and NBTV. Stossel TV produces weekly videos that promote individual liberty and free enterprise by examining the consequences of government regulations. Stossel in the Classroom provides videos to teachers and students that promote the principles of a free society by questioning the effectiveness of government regulations and programs. NBTV produces videos, hosted by Naomi Brockwell, focused on digital privacy and liberty in technology, especially as it relates to economics and regulations. ⁷

Funding

The Center for Independent Thought is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While CIT does not disclose its donors, tax filings show donations from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation;⁸ the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, which contributed $10,000 in 2018;⁹ and the David and Annette Jorgensen Foundation, which contributed $10,000 in 2018. ¹⁰

Grantmaking

The Center for Independent Thought makes contributions to numerous libertarian organizations, including donations to the Cato Institute, the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, and the Citizens in Charge Foundation. ¹¹

Directors

John Stossel is a libertarian journalist who formerly anchored ABC’s “20/20” and hosted news shows on Fox News and Fox Business Network. He is the founder of Stossel TV. ¹² John Stossel is a faculty member at the Charles Koch Institute¹³ and received the Heartland Institute’s Liberty Prize in 1994. ¹⁴

Rob Schimenz is the president of CIT and the executive director of Stossel in the Classroom. ¹⁵

David Boaz is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute. ¹⁶

Howard Rich chairs both the U.S. Term Limits Foundation and Americans for Limited Government and sits on the board of the Cato Institute. ¹⁷

1. “What We Do.” Center for Independent Thought. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.centerforindependentthought.org/what-we-do.
2. “What We Do.” Center for Independent Thought. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.centerforindependentthought.org/what-we-do.
3. “Home.” Center for Independent Thought. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.centerforindependentthought.org/.
4. “The Network: Pennsylvania.” State Policy Network, 2021. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://spn.org/directory/#PA.
5. “What We Do.” Center for Independent Thought. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.centerforindependentthought.org/what-we-do.
6. “What We Do.” Center for Independent Thought. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.centerforindependentthought.org/what-we-do.
7. “Home.” Center for Independent Thought. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.centerforindependentthought.org/.
8. Charles Koch Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2014-2016, Part XV, Line 3a.
9. Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Schedule I, Part II.
10. David and Annette Jorgensen Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2018, Part XV, Line 3a.
11. Center for Independent Thought, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2008-2019, Schedule I, Part II.
12. “About.” Stossel TV. Accessed May 17, 2021. https://www.johnstossel.com/about/.
13. “Welcome John Stossel.” Charles Koch Institute, 2021. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.charleskochinstitute.org/news/john-stossel-joins-faculty/.
14. “About Us.” Heartland Institute, 2021. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.heartland.org/about-us/index.html.
15. “Robert Schimenz.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-schimenz-9b879274/.
16. “David Boaz.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-boaz-6022b47/.
17. “Howard Rich.” LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed May 14, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardrich/.