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Non-profit

Hudson Institute

Logo of the Hudson Institute. (link)
Website:

hudson.org
Location:

WASHINGTON, DC
Tax ID:

13-1945157
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2022):

Revenue: $25,174,986
Expenses: $22,325,841
Assets: $110,726,571
Type:

Think Tank
Formation:

1961
Executive Director:

John P. Walters
Budget (2023):

Revenue: $24,783,916

Expenses: $24,891,108

Assets: $117,371,037 34

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The Hudson Institute is a right-of-center think tank based in Washington, D.C. The Institute’s scholars conduct research primarily in the areas of defense, international relations, economics, health care, technology, culture, and law. The Institute makes policy recommendations that support freedom, free markets, and economic growth based on technological innovation. 1

The Institute’s staff and leadership includes first Trump administration U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, 2 first Trump administration U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, 3 George H.W. Bush administration and Trump administration U.S. Attorney General William Barr, 4 former U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI), 5 and George W. Bush administration U.S. Secretary of Labor and first Trump administration U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. 6

Since 2019, the Institute has received $2,240,000 from U.S. Department of Defense contractors. 7 In 2023, the organization received $2,600,000 from the Good Ventures Foundation and $1,022,000 from the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program. 8

History

The Hudson Institute was founded in 1961 by Herman Kahn, Max Singer, and Oscar Reubhausen. 9 The organization received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service in 1963. 10

The Institute originally published research on military projects and books by Kahn and his colleagues on topics such as Japanese economic success before shifting to domestic, social, and economic issues in 1977 as military research funding decreased. 11

After Kahn’s death in 1983, the Institute moved its headquarters to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1984 and broadened its research scope and expanded its team of policy researchers. It published the influential “Workforce 2000” study in 1986 and played a role in the development of Wisconsin’s Welfare-to-Work program in 1995. In 2004, the Institute moved its headquarters to Washington, D.C., to focus its research on foreign policy and national security issues. 9

Leadership

As of January 2025, John P. Walters is the president and CEO of Hudson Institute. Prior to joining the Hudson Institute in 2009, Walters was the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in the George W. Bush administration. He also was president of the Philanthropy Roundtable from 1996 to 2001 and worked in several roles in the George H.W. Bush administration and Ronald Reagan administration. 12

The Institute’s senior staff and leadership includes first Trump administration U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, 2 first Trump administration Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, 3 George H.W. Bush administration and Trump administration U.S. Attorney General William Barr, 4 former U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI), 5 George W. Bush administration and first Trump administration official Marshall Billingslea, 13 George W. Bush administration U.S. Secretary of Labor and first Trump administration U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, 6 and Ken Weinstein, a scholar nominated but not confirmed to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Japan in the first Trump administration. 14

Other former Republican political appointees from the U.S. Department of State, 15 U.S. Department of Defense, 16 U.S. Agency for International Development, 17 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 18 and various intelligence agencies have roles and affiliations with the Institute. 19

Activities

First Trump administration National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, then the Hudson Institute’s Japan chair, called for the Biden administration to keep the Trump administration’s policies on China in place. McMaster argued that the Trump administration correctly recognized that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has pursued an increasingly aggressive agenda and rejected U.S. entreaties for cooperation and engagement. McMaster claimed the CCP needs to be recognized as a threat to the free world and that transparent competition can prevent unnecessary escalation of Sino-American tensions and foster cooperation with China. 20

In April 2023, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) announced countermeasures against the Institute and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in response to hosting an event with then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs banned the entry into China of several Institute leaders, forbade all organizations within China from engaging with the Institute, and froze any China-based assets the Institute may have. 21

Institute scholars have opposed the Biden administration’s decision to block the sale of U.S. Steel to Japan-based Nippon Steel, 22 written articles in favor of Nippon Steel’s proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel, 23 and published articles by senior staff supporting a law to compel the sale of Chinese-owned social media application TikTok in the United States. 24

Programming

The Hudson Institute operates various policy centers to research and influence foreign policy decisions. These research centers include the American Maritime Security Initiative, the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, the Center for Religious Freedom, the Center for the Economics of the Internet, the Center for the Future of Liberal Society, the Center on Europe and Eurasia, the China Center, Current Trends in Islamist Ideology, the Forum for Intellectual Property, the Hamilton Commission on Security America’s National Security Innovation Base, Political Studies, the Initiative on American Energy Security, the Japan Chair, the Kleptocracy Initiative, the Presidential Speech Series, and the Quantum Alliance Initiative. 25

The Institute frequently hosts events on American national security and foreign policy issues. 26 Its leadership and scholars frequently testify before the U.S. Congress 27 and appears in the media commenting on these issues. 28

Foreign Government Funding

The Hudson Institute has received funding from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), which serves as a de facto embassy for Taiwan in the United States. 29 30 31 It has also received financial support from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a government-related organization that works to promote trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. 32 33

Funding

The Hudson Institute receives its funding from individual contributions and grants, and other sources. In 2023, Hudson Institute reported revenue of $24,783,916 and expenses of $24,891,108. In 2022, the organization reported revenue of $25,174,986 and expenses of $22,325,841. 34

Since 2019, the Institute has received $2,240,000 from U.S. Department of Defense contractors. 7 The Institute also received funding from Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and General Atomics to research a U.S. Department of Defense drone program. 35

In 2023, the Institute received $2,600,000 from the Good Ventures Foundation, $1,022,000 from the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, and $912,000 from the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. 8 The Institute also received more than $100,000 from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation, American Petroleum Institute (API), the David Family Foundation, the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, the Donohue Family Foundation, Meta (formerly known as Facebook), Northrop Grumman, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, and Charles Schwab. It has received other funding from BAE Systems, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Motion Picture Association of America, the Starr Foundation, and the Fred Maytag Family Foundation in 2023. 36

In 2022, the Institute received more than $100,000 from the Achelis and Bodman Foundation, API, the David Family Foundation, the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, the Donohue Family Foundation, the Good Ventures Foundation, Lockheed Martin, Meta, Northrop Grumman, the Sarah Scaife Foundation, Charles Schwab, the Searle Freedom Trust, TECRO, and others. 37

The Institute received $1,174,122 from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in 2017. 38 The organization has also received support from the Chicago Community Trust, 39 the Jewish Communal Fund, 40 and DonorsTrust. 41

References

  1. “About.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/about.
  2. “Mike Pompeo.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/1357-michael-r-pompeo.
  3. “Nikki R. Haley.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/nikki-haley.
  4. “William P. Barr.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/1457-william-p-barr.
  5. “Mike Gallagher.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/mike-gallagher.
  6.  “Elaine Chao.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/1136-elaine-l-chao.
  7.  “Chart.” Think Tank Funding Tracker. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://thinktankfundingtracker.org/.
  8.  “Hudson Institute.” Cause IQ. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/hudson-institute,131945157/.
  9. “History & Values.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/about/history-and-values.
  10. “Hudson Institute Inc.” ProPublica. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131945157.
  11. “History & Values.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/about/history-and-values.
  12.  “John P. Walters.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/559-john-p-walters.
  13. “Marshall Billingslea.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/1358-marshall-billingslea.
  14. “Kenneth R. Weinstein.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/432-kenneth-r-weinstein.
  15. “David Asher.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/1299-david-asher.
  16. “Douglas J. Feith.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/552-douglas-j-feith.
  17. “Patrick Cronin.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/1259-patrick-m-cronin.
  18. “Tom DiNanno.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/1385-thomas-di-nanno.
  19.  “Ezra Cohen.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/experts/1379-ezra-cohen.
  20. McMaster, H.R. “Biden Would Do the World a Favor by Keeping Trump’s China Policy.” Hudson Institute. June 2021. Accessed January 18, 2021. https://www.hudson.org/research/16623-biden-would-do-the-world-a-favor-by-keeping-trump-s-china-policy.
  21. “Decision on Taking Countermeasures Against Hudson Institute, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum and Their Leaders.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The People’s Republic of China. April 7, 2023. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zzjg_663340/bmdyzs_664814/xwlb_664816/202304/t20230407_11056272.html
  22. Walters, Riley. “The US-Japan Relationship Is Stronger Than Steel.” Hudson Institute. December 24, 2024. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/economics/us-japan-relationship-stronger-steel-riley-walters.
  23. Paul Sracic and William Chou. “Nippon Steel is the Best Deal for Union Steelworkers.” Hudson Institute via the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. July 3, 2024. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/nippon-steel-best-deal-union-steelworkers-william-chou-paul-sracic
  24. Gallagher, Mike. “Congress Didn’t Ban TikTok.” Hudson Institute. January 9, 2025. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/domestic-policy/congress-didnt-ban-tiktok-mike-gallagher.
  25. “Policy Centers.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/policycenters.
  26. “Events.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/events.
  27. “Testimony.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/search?article-type-ajax=261.
  28. “In the Media.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.hudson.org/search?article-type-ajax=260.
  29. “Annual Report 2023.” Hudson institute. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.hudson.org/Hudson+AR+2023+-+v16.Medium-res.Single-pages.pdf.
  30. “Home.” Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States.” Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.taiwanembassy.org/us_en/index.html.
  31. Clifton, Eli. “Taiwan Funding of Think Tanks: Omnipresent and Rarely Disclosed.” The American Prospect. June 17, 2020. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://prospect.org/world/taiwan-funding-think-tanks-omnipresent-rarely-disclosed/.
  32. “2021 Annual Report.” Hudson Institute. 2021. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.hudson.org/Hudson%20Annual%20Report%202021.WEB-300.pdf.
  33. “Home.” Japan External Trade Organization. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/.
  34. “Hudson Institute.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2023. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131945157/202401249349300225/full.
  35. Ben Freeman and Nick Cleveland-Stout. “Big Ideas and Big Money: Think Tank Funding in America.” Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. January 2025, Quincy Brief No. 68. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://quincyinst.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/18151647/QUINCY-BRIEF-NO.-68-JANUARY-2025-FREEMAN-CLEVELAND-STOUT.pdf.
  36. “Annual Report 2023.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.hudson.org/Hudson+AR+2023+-+v16.Medium-res.Single-pages.pdf.
  37. “Annual Report 2022.” Hudson Institute. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.hudson.org/Hudson+Annual+Report+2022.pdf.
  38. “Silicon Valley Community Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2017. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205205488/201843199349319564/IRS990ScheduleI.
  39. “The Chicago Community Trust.” Return of Organization Exempt From Tax. (Form 990). 2017. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/362167000/201932249349300348/IRS990ScheduleI.
  40. “Jewish Communal Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2017. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/237174183/201930309349300313/full.
  41. “Donors Trust Inc. “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522166327/202133199349305758/full.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: December 1, 1963

    • 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 $25,174,986 $22,325,841 $110,726,571 $24,091,577 N $22,510,826 $0 $2,269,646 $2,530,993 PDF
    2021 Dec Form 990 $23,200,201 $19,100,081 $103,422,402 $6,408,058 N $19,919,809 $0 $2,166,816 $2,596,004
    2020 Dec Form 990 $17,499,134 $16,875,501 $85,448,216 $6,452,476 N $15,356,881 $0 $2,101,062 $3,027,142 PDF
    2019 Dec Form 990 $48,758,703 $18,275,524 $78,623,529 $4,143,057 N $45,156,168 $1,240,626 $2,011,306 $2,778,739 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $17,578,220 $16,319,597 $40,281,522 $4,034,282 N $15,317,272 $602,452 $1,419,447 $2,563,875 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $19,586,305 $14,882,370 $44,242,772 $3,763,326 N $17,948,431 $492,140 $1,151,013 $2,384,307 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $9,362,259 $13,179,630 $37,521,470 $3,980,960 N $7,209,307 $939,308 $1,161,102 $1,313,548 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $20,792,210 $10,983,400 $39,904,608 $5,015,757 N $18,036,772 $920,546 $1,999,952 $1,299,363 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $13,295,664 $11,309,797 $31,985,235 $2,782,019 N $11,305,549 $729,863 $1,157,162 $1,276,187 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $13,327,351 $9,851,909 $30,228,974 $2,666,878 N $12,094,778 $743,880 $734,212 $1,316,397 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $15,073,282 $10,787,681 $24,250,700 $2,525,740 N $13,796,319 $848,116 $504,709 $1,631,152 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $4,561,389 $3,018,291 $19,772,262 $3,255,815 N $3,907,886 $522,587 $120,317 $335,556 PDF
    2011 Sep Form 990 $12,265,931 $11,344,742 $17,460,748 $2,831,558 N $10,429,826 $1,438,738 $489,048 $1,380,370 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Hudson Institute

    1201 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW STE 400 SU
    WASHINGTON, DC 20004-2401