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MERCATUS CENTER INC

EIN 54-1436224 ARLINGTON, VA

Revenue 2024
$48,287,301
Expenses 2024
$40,947,240

Program services were 90.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
V22Z
Classification
1200
Street
3434 WASHINGTON BLVD STE 4

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

The Center builds and maintains a vibrant community of scholars dedicated to market-oriented thinking and classical liberal principles. We mentor and train up-and-coming scholars and thinkers who will generate ideas and influence society's key institutions.

Activities or mission (Part I)

Cultivating talent who advance market-oriented ideas to expand opportunity.

  • University Research & Teaching - Supports academic research and faculty activities at George Mason University and elsewhere to advance and apply a research agenda for understanding institutions and change or broadly advance a free and prosperous society.

    Expenses $19,247,157 · Grants $9,526,084 · Revenue $2,264

  • Applied Research - Conduct economic research of consequence that makes sense of public policy problems and puts forward solutions that maximize individual freedom and prosperity.

    Expenses $6,722,322 · Grants $80,295 · Revenue $855

  • Strategic Public Engagement - Drives Mercatus's external impact by integrating communications, government relations, publications, talent development, and convening to ensure its ideas reach and persuade key audiences.

    Expenses $5,019,145 · Grants $6,000 · Revenue $2,442

  • Student Programs - Support Graduate Students at George Mason University, training future scholars and decision-makers to advance and apply a research agenda for understanding institutions and change.

    Expenses $4,712,079 · Grants $1,254,704

  • Public Affairs - Seeks to inform alumni, faculty, and supporters about the efforts of the Center and build communication that develops a network of individuals interested in liberty.

    Expenses $1,256,332 · Grants $10,000

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

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • Tyler Cowen

    Chairman

    Total calculated
    $128,367
    From this org
    $128,367
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Donald Boudreaux

    Director

    Total calculated
    $83,500
    From this org
    $83,500
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Virgil Henry Storr

    Director (SVP of Research & Programs)

    Total calculated
    $256,870
    From this org
    $256,751
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $119
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $91,250
    Bonus
    $165,501
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $119
    Filer's total
    $256,870

  • Brendan McCord

    Director (from 2/25)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Brian Hooks

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Edwin Meese

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Emily Chamlee-Wright

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Katherine Boyle

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Manuel Johnson

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Richard Fink

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Salen Churi

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Samuel Bowman

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Vernon Smith

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Benjamin Klutsey

    Executive Director (from 6/24)

    Total calculated
    $381,957
    From this org
    $354,211
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $27,746
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $204,211
    Bonus
    $150,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $27,746
    Filer's total
    $381,957

  • Daniel M Rothschild

    Executive Vice President (6/24-10/24)

    Total calculated
    $318,494
    From this org
    $289,617
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $28,877
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $209,617
    Bonus
    $80,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $28,877
    Filer's total
    $318,494

  • Jennifer Zambone

    Secretary and Chief Operating Officer

    Total calculated
    $285,232
    From this org
    $274,100
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $11,132
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $209,100
    Bonus
    $65,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $11,132
    Filer's total
    $285,232

  • Gary Leff

    Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

    Total calculated
    $221,629
    From this org
    $199,674
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,955
    Hours/week
    20

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $153,007
    Bonus
    $46,667
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $21,955
    Filer's total
    $221,629

  • Daniel Butler

    Vice President of Development

    Total calculated
    $369,094
    From this org
    $341,101
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $27,993
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $209,101
    Bonus
    $132,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $27,993
    Filer's total
    $369,094

  • Veronique De Rugy

    George Gibbs Chair Project Sr Research Fellow

    Total calculated
    $339,754
    From this org
    $318,435
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,319
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $228,229
    Bonus
    $90,000
    Other
    $206
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $21,319
    Filer's total
    $339,754

  • Eileen Norcross

    Vice President of Research

    Total calculated
    $311,757
    From this org
    $282,764
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $28,993
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $212,725
    Bonus
    $70,000
    Other
    $39
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $28,993
    Filer's total
    $311,757

  • Alden Abbott

    Senior Research Fellow

    Total calculated
    $241,631
    From this org
    $240,871
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $760
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $225,871
    Bonus
    $15,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $760
    Filer's total
    $241,631

  • Brett Doyle

    Managing Director

    Total calculated
    $241,648
    From this org
    $239,887
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $1,761
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $214,887
    Bonus
    $25,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $1,761
    Filer's total
    $241,648

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $48,287,301
    Expenses
    $40,947,240
    Contributions
    $46,672,267
    Grants paid
    $10,877,082
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $39,338,379
    Expenses
    $44,809,520
    Contributions
    $37,253,749
    Grants paid
    $9,944,320
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $47,446,892
    Expenses
    $49,250,629
    Contributions
    $45,540,249
    Grants paid
    $12,417,727

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $50,106,510
    Expenses
    $45,086,723
    Assets (EOY)
    $43,899,623

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $50,050,104
    Expenses
    $48,712,721
    Assets (EOY)
    $39,656,481

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $71,902,379
    Expenses
    $57,876,827
    Assets (EOY)
    $43,397,524

  • 2018 · 990

    Revenue
    $30,795,148
    Expenses
    $30,401,944
    Assets (EOY)
    $22,931,599

  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $28,688,582
    Expenses
    $28,875,237
    Assets (EOY)
    $23,073,307

  • 2016 · 990

    Revenue
    $29,566,224
    Expenses
    $27,582,187
    Assets (EOY)
    $22,827,547

  • 2015 · 990

    Revenue
    $27,690,307
    Expenses
    $25,019,578
    Assets (EOY)
    $21,973,248

  • 2014 · 990

    Revenue
    $23,977,583
    Expenses
    $19,205,513
    Assets (EOY)
    $18,741,605

  • 2013 · 990

    Revenue
    $20,685,660
    Expenses
    $18,508,226
    Assets (EOY)
    $13,916,983

  • 2012 · 990

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    $13,710,020
    Assets (EOY)
    $11,124,524

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 26 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.