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← CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT.

Totals

Total revenue
$4,313,337
Total expenses
$4,150,088
Contributions and grants received
$4,073,430
Grants paid
$109,900
Program service revenue
$65,432
Investment income
$17,315
Other revenue
$157,160
Total assets, end of year
$1,829,607
Total liabilities, end of year
$787,347
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$1,042,260
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$3,685,974
Management and general expenses
$82,060
Fundraising expenses
$382,054
Program service expenses (Part III)
$3,685,974

Program services were 88.8% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $4,073,430

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Forums

    total $49,783 · related or exempt $49,783

  • 2b · Program service revenue: Publications

    total $15,649 · related or exempt $15,649

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $17,315 · excluded $17,315

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $576,564

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $481,404

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $95,160 · excluded $95,160

  • 11a · Other revenue: Shared Service Revenue

    total $62,000 · excluded $62,000

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $62,000

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $109,900 · program services $109,900

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $616,280 · program services $568,947 · management and general $17,218 · fundraising $30,115

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,092,726 · program services $1,003,703 · management and general $29,423 · fundraising $59,600

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $61,965 · program services $58,400 · management and general $1,235 · fundraising $2,330

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $124,888 · program services $118,767 · management and general $5,443 · fundraising $678

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $119,422 · program services $110,682 · management and general $2,985 · fundraising $5,755

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $38,467 · program services $38,036 · management and general $154 · fundraising $277

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $29,931 · program services $9,967 · management and general $19,415 · fundraising $549

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $130,167 · program services $130,167

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $260,251 · program services $260,251

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $40,868 · program services $37,646 · management and general $1,150 · fundraising $2,072

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $122,256 · program services $112,613 · management and general $3,444 · fundraising $6,199

  • 17 · Travel

    total $141,867 · program services $140,392 · management and general $527 · fundraising $948

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $368,092 · program services $366,179 · management and general $683 · fundraising $1,230

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $10,359 · program services $9,542 · management and general $292 · fundraising $525

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $3,247 · program services $2,991 · management and general $91 · fundraising $165

  • 24a · Other expenses: Publications

    total $481,277 · program services $481,277

  • 24b · Other expenses: Printing and Marketing

    total $394,786 · program services $123,175 · fundraising $271,611

  • 24c · Other expenses: Research Materials

    total $3,339 · program services $3,339

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $883,720 · end of year $965,338

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $43,839 · end of year $59,724

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $271,908

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $216,230

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $8,531 · end of year $55,678

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $553,823 · end of year $748,867

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $47,500 · end of year $37,666

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $563,402 · end of year $749,681

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $879,011 · end of year $1,042,260

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

Center of the American Experiment is a nonpartisan public policy and educational institution that brings conservative and free market ideas to bear on the hardest problems facing Minnesota and the nation. Through research, op-eds, public forums, legislative testimony, public messaging in a variety of media, and a stream of publications, we are working to build a Culture of Prosperity in Minnesota and the nation.

  • Minnesota Economy:The Minnesota Economy Project was launched in 2016. Its goal is to educate Minnesotans to the fact that the state's economic performance in recent years has not been good, in order to build public and legislative support for lower taxes and less onerous regulation. Since 2016, the Center has published an annual analysis of Minnesota's economic performance in the 21st Century. We have publicized the findings of each paper with press conferences, radio and television appearances, op-eds in dozens of newspapers, radio ads on dozens of radio stations, internet videos, town meetings and other public appearances, social media, and posts on the Center's web site.In 2024, we published a report warning that Minnesota's growing welfare system was a ticking time bomb and would lead to a fiscal crisis. The report analyzed spending hikes enacted in the 2023 DFL-controlled legislature, noting that lawmakers increased long-term general fund spending on Health and Human Services (HHS), particularly on welfare programs such as Medicaid, childcare, housing, and cash assistance. Since these programs were already expected to grow substantially, 2023 changes fast-tracked and expanded spending growth, putting the budget on an unsustainable path. As of the 2025 February forecast, these predictions have come to pass, and Minnesota is expected to face a $6 billion deficit in the 2028-29 biennium mainly due to growing HHS spending. In 2024, we also produced two policy briefings. One argued for a constitutional amendment to limit the growth of state government and the other proposed a series of policies to restrict regulatory growth. On health care we published multiple reports authored by Senior Policy Fellow Peter Nelson, who spent three years in the Trump Administration, working on health care price transparency regulations. In May his report on the Medicaid Undercount showed that census surveys suggest continuous enrollment policy kept millions unknowingly on Medicaid even after they moved on to other coverage. In July his report on Section 1333 health care compacts showed the opportunities for states to improve the individual health insurance market through state compacts under the Affordable Care Act.Our policy goals include abolition of the estate tax; spending restraint to allow tax cuts; personal and corporate income tax rate cuts; regulatory reform; and increasing competition among health care providers and insurers. Other Center projects, such as our energy work, will also contribute to a stronger Minnesota economy.

    Expenses $422,492 · Grants $95,000

  • Thinking Minnesota Magazine: Thinking Minnesota, our quarterly magazine, is an important communications vehicle for American Experiment, with a circulation of more than 80,000. The Center's goal is to continue to build circulation while using the magazine to spread conservative ideas and promote the Center.Sharp content and compelling graphics have driven the popularity of Thinking Minnesota. In order to reduce the net cost of the magazine we sell ads in the magazine, and also solicit contributions to help keep Thinking Minnesota free.Our magazine also features the Thinking Minnesota Poll, a professional poll conducted by Meeting Street Research. For each issue, we survey Minnesotans on public policy issues, so that legislators and others will know what Minnesotans think on key issues.Thinking Minnesota broadly advances the policy goals on which American Experiment is working. It also promotes the Center and exposes new potential donors to our work.

    Expenses $737,025 · Revenue $15,649

  • Forums:American Experiment continues its tradition of addressing important and timely topics through public forums. In 2024, we hit another record of 61 events which included 2 webinars, 22 Greater Minnesota events, 7 North Dakota events and a 16-city summer tour discussing "False Promises" that have been made to our youth and how the laws and policies enacted by progressives in St. Paul have negatively influenced the economic future of young Minnesotans. We hosted forums with our own policy experts, scholars, authors, elected officials, and well-known commentators. Forum topics covered everything from energy to education to criminal justice. In April, over 400 people turned out to see Michele Tafoya and Joe Soucheray discuss culture and politics and how they have affected sports in recent years. In June 2024, Naftali Bennett was the keynote speaker at our Annual Dinner. In September, Christopher Rufo headlined our Fall Briefing. We are proud to bring fact-based education on important policy topics to Minnesota and beyond.

    Expenses $449,927 · Revenue $49,783

  • Our other projects include Education, Energy, Educated Teachers/Employee Freedom, Greater Minnesota Initiative, Institutional Promotion, Non-profit Community Suppoert, Spending/Golden Turkey, Young Leaders Council, Public Safety, and North Dakota.

    Expenses $2,076,530 · Grants $14,900

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • John Hinderaker

    President

    Total calculated
    $188,876
    From this org
    $155,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $33,876
    Hours/week
    40 + 5 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $155,000
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $33,876
    Filer's total
    $188,876

  • Ron Eibensteiner

    Chairman

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1 + 1 related

  • Molly Cronin

    Vice Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Scott Rile

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ed Anderson

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Elam Baer

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Nataly Baig

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Mike Barry

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Bob Breckner

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Mitch Davis

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Jerry Dettinger

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Barbara Dovolis

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Greg Frandsen

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ben Golnik

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Sharon Hawkins

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Mike Hayden

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Lowell Hellervik

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Robin Kelleher

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Russell King

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Mark Kroll

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Robert Kukuljan

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Jeremy LaBeau

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Carol Lanners Hockert

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ken Morris

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Charles Nickoloff

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Mike O'Shaughnessy

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Richard Penn

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ted Risdall

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Kent Roers

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Tom Rosen

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ron Schutz

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Daniel Spiegel

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ross Strehlow

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Barb Sutter

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ben Wilmoth

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ron Yougdahl

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Nick Zerwas

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Kevin Roche

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Peter Nelson

    Policy Fellow

    Total calculated
    $158,844
    From this org
    $140,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $18,844
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $140,000
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $18,844
    Filer's total
    $158,844

  • John Phelan

    Economist

    Total calculated
    $143,544
    From this org
    $110,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $33,544
    Hours/week
    40

  • Bill Walsh

    Director of Communications

    Total calculated
    $125,016
    From this org
    $102,000
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $23,016
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
17 April 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.1
Source object
202521129349300237

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