Competitive Enterprise Institute
Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is a non-profit public policy organization dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. We believe that consumers are best helped not by government regulation but by being allowed to make their own choices in a free marketplace.
Competitive Enterprise Institute at a glance
- Total assets
- $15,260,215
- +62.8% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $12,854,082
- +45.5% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $113,858
- -23.0% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $9,105,214
- +5.5% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Competitive Enterprise Institute funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
5 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 4 grants of 5 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
How Competitive Enterprise Institute gives
- Giving grew 148% from 2021 to 2024. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $13K (2021) to $377K (2023). In 2024 it made 2 grants totaling $31K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| State Policy Network Arlington, VA | Sponsorship State Leaders to Conference | $16,000 |
| America's Future Foundation Washington, DC | General Support of Organization | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $15,260,215 | $12,854,082 | $9,105,214 | — | — | $113,858 |
| 2024 | $9,371,496 | $8,836,534 | $8,628,363 | $31,000 | 2 | $147,820 |
| 2023 | $10,012,425 | $10,125,447 | $8,429,275 | $377,000 | 2 | $63,159 |
| 2022 | $5,463,449 | $7,758,776 | $6,681,965 | — | — | $13,307 |
| 2021 | $4,757,663 | $6,735,306 | $6,582,265 | $12,500 | 1 | $15,763 |
| 2020 | $4,480,576 | $6,805,470 | $6,170,171 | — | — | $12,476 |
| 2019 | $3,901,274 | $7,118,816 | $6,213,282 | — | — | $10,555 |
About Competitive Enterprise Institute
Based on IRS filings
Competitive Enterprise Institute is a public charity focused on Social sciences, based in Washington, DC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $15.3M in total assets. Net investment income was $114K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Competitive Enterprise Institute is led by Kent Lassman, President on every filing since 2019; 9 of 21 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kent Lassman
President
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$226K (2019) → $359K (2025)
Richard Tren
Chairman
Director → Chairman, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amanda France
Director of Events
Secretary & Executive Assistant → Director of Events, 2021
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$81K (2019) → $161K (2025)
Fred L. Smith Jr.
Founder & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$67K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Jessica Melugin
Director of Center for Tec
Director of Center for Tech & Inno. → Director of Center for Tec, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$152K (2024) → $161K (2025)
Geoffrey Pohanka
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristina Crane
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael S. Greve
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd Zywicki
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dana Modzelewski
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cathy Windels
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Stover
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fran Smith
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roger Ream
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Atkins
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carrie Diamond
Vice President of Administration
Director of Administration- → Treasurer & Director of Administration, 2021
Treasurer & Director of Administration → Vice President of Administration, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$115K (2021) → $177K (2025)
Iain Murray
Vice President for Strategy
Vice President of Strategy → Vice President for Strategy, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$125K (2019) → $162K (2025)
Wayne Crews
Fred L. Smith Fellow
Vice President for Policy → Fred L. Smith Fellow, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$154K (2019) → $186K (2025)
Joel Zinberg
Senior Fellow
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$173K (2022) → $183K (2025)
Daniel Greenberg
General Counsel
Vice President → General Counsel, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$105K (2023) → $121K (2025)
Daren Bakst - Dir Of Center
For Energy, Envt & Senior Fellow
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$171K (2025)
Former officers (18)
- Former: Jean-Claude Gruffat (2020–2024) — Chairman
- Former: Travis Burk (2020–2024) — Vice President of Communications
- Former: Marlo Lewis (2019–2023) — Senior Fellow
- Former: Myron Ebell (2019–2023) — Senior Fellow
- Former: Wayne Crews Fred L. Smith (2023) — Fellow in Regulatory Studies
- Former: Ike Sugg (2019–2022) — Director -
- Former: Laura Holmes Jost (2019–2022) — Director -
- Former: Michael W. Gleba (2019–2022) — Director -
- Former: Sam Kazman (2019–2022) — Vice President & General Counsel -
- Former: Bill Keyes (2021–2022) — Director -
- Former: Kerry Halferty Hardy (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Greg Conko (2021) — Senior Fellow
- Former: Carrie Diamond Treasurer - As (2020) — Of & Director of Administrator
- Former: Anna St John (2019) — Attornery
- Former: Jean-Claude Gruffat Dir (2019) — Chairman - · Filing note: Until
- Former: Megan McLaughlin- Treasurer (2019) — Sen. Director Finance -
- Former: Theodore Frank- Director (2019) — Of Ctr. for Class Action Fairness
- Former: W. Thomas Haynes (2019) — Chairman -
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $359K, to Kent Lassman (President). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Competitive Enterprise Institute
How large is Competitive Enterprise Institute?
Competitive Enterprise Institute reported $15.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $12.9M.
What is Competitive Enterprise Institute?
Competitive Enterprise Institute is a public charity focused on Social sciences, based in Washington, DC. It holds $15.3M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Competitive Enterprise Institute operate?
Competitive Enterprise Institute has awarded grants in District of Columbia, New York, Virginia.
What is Competitive Enterprise Institute's EIN?
Competitive Enterprise Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1351785. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Other open foundation grants in District of Columbia
District of Columbia Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- CIDQ Emerging Interior Design Educator Scholarship Program NCIDQ Exam fees (exam-fee voucher; excludes application fees and study materials) · Due October 31, 2026
- CIDQ Scholarship ACCESS Program (SAP) NCIDQ Exam fees (exam-fee voucher; excludes application fees and study materials) · Due October 31, 2026
- AEF Educator Grants Due November 1, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Competitive Enterprise Institute's focus areas in our free grants database
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Competitive Enterprise Institute down — hundreds of funders to go?