Non-profit

Henry L. Stimson Center

Website:

www.stimson.org/

Location:

Washington, DC

Tax ID:

52-1640938

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2022):

Revenue: $12,677,718
Expenses: $11,793,276
Assets: $15,459,912

Type:

Think Tank

Formation:

1989

President and CEO:

Brian Finlay

Budget (2023):

Revenue: $12,996,168

Expenses: $12,975,509

Assets: $6,530,478 21

References

  1. “Henry L. Stimson Center Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed January 9, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521640938/202423099349302292/full

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The Henry L. Stimson Center is a Washington D.C-based think tank that provides research and reporting on foreign policy topics including nuclear proliferation and environmental treaties. The Center was named after Henry L. Stimson, who served in multiple cabinet positions for several administrations including as Secretary of War for President William Howard Taft and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and as Secretary of State under President Herbert Hoover. 1

Activities

The Henry L. Stimson Center is a Washington D.C.-based think tank that produces research  and reporting as well as discussions on foreign policy topics including trade and technology, security and strategy, human security and governance, and climate and natural resources. 2

Regarding trade and technology, the Stimson Center has provided research focused on advocating international cooperation for the purpose of reducing the risk of certain threats including chemical weapons, nuclear weapons, and arms trafficking and to promote cybersecurity. 3

Regarding security and strategy, the Stimson Center has produced reporting which advocates in favor of U.S diplomacy and cooperation with partners to maintain global security. It has reported on geopolitical forces and potential threats including the People’s Republic of China. 4 5

Regarding human security and governance, the Stimson Center has reported on international organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United Nations and their activities upholding human rights and leading international peacekeeping efforts.  6

Regarding climate and natural resources, the Stimson Center had written reports and research which advocates for international climate preservation efforts, including the Stimson Center’s Alliance for a Climate Resilient Earth, as well as studying significant natural resources such as the Mekong Delta waterway in Vietnam. 7 8

Funding

In 2023, the Henry L. Stimson Center reported $12,678,661.57 in revenue, with $7,043,465.38 coming from grants and $5,361,303.76 coming from contracts. Approximately 45 percent of the Stimson Center’s revenue was derived from nonprofit foundations, 18 percent from foreign governments, 17 percent from the U.S. government, 12 percent from for-profit corporations, and 4.6 percent from individuals, according to the organization. 9

In 2023, the Stimson Center’s funders included the World Wildlife Fund, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the SAGA Foundation, Stand Together, the Texas Instruments Foundation, the Pacific Century Institute, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. 9

The Stimson Center’s foreign government funders included South Korea, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Taiwan, Japan, Norway, Netherlands, Qatar, Germany, Canada, and Australia. 9

The Stimson Center’s American government funders included the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense. 9

According to Think Tank Funding Tracker, a project of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, from 2019 through 2024, the Stimson Center received the fourth-most funding from foreign governments ($11,632,261) of all U.S. think tanks within that period, the seventh most funding from Pentagon contractors ($1,555,763), and the third most funding from the U.S. government ($8,742,990). 10

Criticism

In May 2024, according to a report by UN Watch, the Henry L. Stimson Center cancelled a speaker invitation sent to UN Watch’s executive director Hillel Neuer to speak on a panel alongside Stimson Center director Andrew Hyde. Neuer, who had previously reported on allegations of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) employees providing support for terrorist activities, later received confirmation of the cancellation by Hyde, who claimed in his email response, “[another panelist] said he would not take part in an event with you… Apparently, you have some history that I was not aware of.” 11

Leadership

Brian Finlay is the president and CEO of the Henry L. Stimson Center, serving in the role since October 2015 while working at the Stimson Center since 2005. From 2001 to 2005, Finlay worked at Veterans for America as the director of its nuclear threat reduction campaign. Prior to that, Finlay worked at the Century Foundation and the Brookings Institution. Finlay began his career at Canadian government department Health Canada before immigrating to the United States. 12 13

Julian Mueller-Kaler is the director and chief of staff for the Stimson Center, serving in the role since January 2024, while also serving as its deputy director since May 2023. Mueller-Kaler also works at the German Council on Foreign Relations and the American-German Institute. From 2019 to 2023, he worked at the Atlantic Council in several positions including on its GeoTech Center as well as its Scowcroft Strategy Initiative where he led the joint U.S Department of Defense project AI Connect. 14 15

Justine Sullivan is the director of strategic communications at the Stimson Center, serving in the role since 2023. Prior to this, Sullivan worked as the director of communications at environmentalist think tank Resources for the Future in Washington, D.C. From 2019 to 2020, she also worked in a similar role for Earth Day Network. Beforehand, Sullivan was the senior manager of digital media and communications at the United Nations Foundation, an independent nonprofit founded by Ted Turner to support the United Nations. 16 17

Susan Chodakewitz is the chair of the board of the Stimson Center as well as the chief growth strategy officer of the Cadmus Group, a technology consulting group for non-profits and governments, and chair of the board of Women in Aerospace. 18 19

Other Stimson Center board members include Dr. Bronner’s Family Foundation executive director Kris Lin-Bronner, Lockheed Martin vice president Mara A. Motherway, Conservation International fellow Monica Median, former Boeing president Michael Arthur, and Stimson Center co-founder Barry Blechman. 20

References

  1. “History.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/about/stimson/history/
  2. “Homepage.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/research/climate-natural-resources/resilience-sustainability/.
  3. “Nonproliferation.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/research/trade-tech/nonproliferation/.
  4. “Grand Strategy.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/research/security-strategy/grand-strategy/.
  5. “Diplomacy & Dialogue.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/research/security-strategy/diplomacy-dialogue/.
  6. “Peacekeeper.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/research/human-security-governance/peacekeeping/.
  7. “Resiliency & Sustainability.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/research/climate-natural-resources/resilience-sustainability/.
  8. “Energy, Water & Oceans.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/research/climate-natural-resources/energy-water-oceans/.
  9. “Funding and Finances.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/about/transparency/funding-sources/.
  10. “Browse our publicly available repository of foreign government, U.S. government, and Pentagon contractor funding of the U.S.’s top 50 foreign policy think tanks going back to 2019.” Think Tank Funding Tracker. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://thinktankfundingtracker.org/.
  11. “UNRWA’s DC lobbyist pressured think tank into canceling Hillel Neuer from Washington debate.” UN Watch. May 17, 2024. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://unwatch.org/unrwas-dc-lobbyist-pressured-think-thank-into-canceling-hillel-neuer-from-washington-debate/.
  12. “Brian Finlay.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-finlay/.
  13. “Brian Finlay.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/ppl/brian-finlay/.
  14. “Julian Mueller-Kaler.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-mueller-kaler-7a0334149/.
  15. “Julian Mueller-Kaler.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/ppl/julian-mueller-kaler/.
  16. “Justine Sullivan.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justine-sullivan-211679119/.
  17. ‘Justine Sullivan.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/justine-sullivan-211679119/.
  18. “Susan Chodakewitz.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/ppl/susan-chodakewitz/.
  19. “Susan Chodakewitz.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-chodakewitz-8026424/.
  20. “Board of Directors.” Henry L. Stimson Center. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.stimson.org/about/people/board-directors/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: October 1, 1989

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2022 Dec Form 990 $12,677,718 $11,793,276 $15,459,912 $9,053,389 N $8,265,024 $4,563,215 $25,843 $805,670 PDF
    2021 Dec Form 990 $13,547,018 $10,717,541 $7,355,197 $1,779,448 N $8,359,892 $5,050,742 $14,793 $818,016 PDF
    2020 Dec Form 990 $8,377,285 $9,914,348 $5,749,516 $2,970,745 N $8,290,594 $9,756 $12,048 $784,056
    2019 Dec Form 990 $7,290,898 $9,411,038 $6,044,584 $1,733,313 N $7,157,097 $30,039 $15,336 $532,354 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $10,565,252 $7,162,503 $7,853,418 $1,528,661 Y $10,298,657 $47,262 $12,791 $352,651 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $5,882,059 $5,878,615 $4,463,722 $1,512,465 N $5,576,322 $54,141 $11,115 $337,154 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $6,125,342 $5,082,926 $4,500,075 $1,611,454 N $3,852,556 $2,013,294 $10,422 $1,899,825 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $4,676,347 $4,864,173 $3,346,073 $1,530,142 N $1,730,500 $2,751,700 $10,390 $422,596 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $5,700,677 $6,128,410 $2,632,846 $622,341 N $2,931,097 $2,557,648 $12,792 $673,061
    2013 Dec Form 990 $4,896,195 $5,986,341 $2,979,758 $583,558 N $2,481,093 $2,133,022 $12,076 $629,653 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $7,047,148 $5,911,643 $4,147,208 $750,210 N $3,964,929 $2,773,599 $11,875 $487,361 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $6,717,298 $6,457,898 $3,280,335 $1,064,716 Y $2,472,141 $4,025,060 $11,583 $406,812 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Henry L. Stimson Center


    Washington, DC