The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, dedicated to identifying and exploring solutions to society's most pressing challenges. Founded in 1949, the organization operates as a nonpartisan forum for values-based leadership and the exchange of ideas. The Institute brings together thoughtful people with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints to drive change through dialogue, leadership development, and actionable solutions.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$756.6M
+45.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$25.6M
+2.1% YoY
Grant Count
173
+7.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$148K
-4.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The Aspen Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the greatest challenges of our time.
Purpose: The organization ignites human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world.
Core Methodologies: The Institute's work is grounded in three core approaches:
- Facilitating dialogue and curating convenings
- Developing leaders and leadership
- Enabling solutions
Primary Focus Areas:
- Societal Trust: Strengthening democracy and social fabric by building trust and solving problems in partnership with individuals, institutions, and communities
- Leadership Development: Connecting and developing leaders across sectors, geographies, and generations
- Rising Generations: Developing leadership in young people of all backgrounds and amplifying their voices
- Economic Opportunity: Advancing strategies, policies, and ideas for an inclusive economy that ensures financial security and opportunity
- Energy and Climate: Elevating climate solutions through practical, collective action
Policy Programs: The Institute's policy programs explore solutions for issues ranging from economic distress to educational opportunity, climate change to racial disparities, with the goal of influencing decision-makers in both public and private sectors. Policy programs range in size from $100,000 to $15 million in annual revenue and expenses.
Public Programs: The Institute disseminates ideas and provides opportunities for inclusive, nonpartisan dialogue through major events including the Aspen Ideas Festival, Aspen Ideas Health, the Aspen Security Forum, City Lab, and Aspen Words. These public forums engage over 15,000 members of the general public annually.
Grantmaking
The Aspen Institute administers grant competitions and funding initiatives across its focus areas. Recent grantmaking activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Aspen Institute operates globally with a primary U.S. focus. The organization maintains headquarters in Washington, DC and conducts significant work from its founding campus in Aspen, Colorado. Its public programs and policy initiatives engage participants and stakeholders across multiple geographies.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 Financial Data:
- Total Revenue: $444,109,335
- Total Expenses: $234,738,675
- Total Assets: $757,114,037
- Total Liabilities: $110,000,000
2023 Financial Data:
- Total Revenue: $232,109,335
- Total Expenses: $225,738,675
- Total Assets: $519,114,037
Organizational Scale:
- Employees: 724 (2023)
- Tax-exempt status: 501(c)(3) organization, tax-exempt since February 1951
- EIN: 84-0399006
Financial Performance: The organization demonstrates strong financial management with a program expense ratio of 78.48%, indicating that a significant portion of resources is directed toward program activities. The organization maintains an entirely independent board with comprehensive policies supporting transparency and ethical standards.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $756,622,679 | $519,114,037 | $475,882,871 |
| Revenue | $443,841,184 | $232,109,335 | $189,761,926 |
| Expenses | $234,264,178 | $225,738,675 | $192,935,305 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $10,415,724 | $3,688,283 | $-3,167,472 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
11 open opportunities from The Aspen Institute Inc
Brave Heart Fellowship Grant
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) Fellowship: Brave Heart Grant
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) Fellowship: California Native Youth Collective Grant
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President & CEO: Daniel Porterfield
Fundraising Contact: Stephenie Maurer, Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DANIEL R PORTERFIELD | PRESIDENT & CEO | 40 | $802,875 |
| MARGOT L PRITZKER | CHAIR | 10 | — |
| KATHARINE ALBRIGHT | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JEFFREY S ARONIN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ALEX M AZAR II | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DONNA BARKSDALE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MERCEDES BASS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MIGUEL MIKE BEZOS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LAWRENCE D BOBO | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| BETH BROOKE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM D BUDINGER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM BYNUM | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| TROY CARTER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CESAR R CONDE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PHYLLIS COULTER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KATIE COURIC | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LESTER CROWN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PAULA CROWN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ANDREA CUNNINGHAM | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KENNETH L DAVIS MD | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| L JOHN DOERR | TRUSTEE - UNTIL 04/24 | 1 | — |
| THELMA DUGGIN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ARNE DUNCAN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL D EISNER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| L BROOKS ENTWISTLE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ROGER W FERGUSON JR | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ELIZABETH A FLEMING | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| HENRY LOUIS GATES JR | TRUSTEE - UNTIL 04/24 | 1 | — |
| RUSSELL GOLDSMITH | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ANTONIO GRACIAS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PATRICK W GROSS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ARJUN GUPTA | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JANE HARMAN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KAYA HENDERSON | TRUSTEE - UNTIL 08/24 | 1 | — |
| MARK S HOPLAMAZIAN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| GERALD D HOSIER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ROBERT J HURST | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| SONIA KAPADIA | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL KLEIN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LAURA HELLER LAUDER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LEONARD LAUDER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KELI LEE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MELONY LEWIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| J MICHAEL LUTTIG | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JAMES M MANYIKA | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CRAIG C MARTIN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM E MAYER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| BONNIE PALMER MCCLOSKEY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ANNE WELSH MCNULTY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DIANE L MORRIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KARLHEINZ MUHR | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CLARE MUNANA | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JERRY MURDOCK | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| HER MAJESTY QUEEN NOOR | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| OLARA A OTUNNU | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ASUTOSH PADHI | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ELAINE PAGELS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PERRI PELTZ | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CARRIE WALTON PENNER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CARLA PINEYRO-SUBLETT | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LYNDA R RESNICK | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM RESNICK | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ANNA DEAVERE SMITH | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ROBERT K STEEL | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LAURIE M TISCH | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER VARELAS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| RODERICK K VON LIPSEY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| VIN WEBER | TRUSTEE - UNTIL 08/24 | 1 | — |
| JESSIE WOOLLEY-WILSON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ALICE YOUNG | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ELLIOT GERSON | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | 40 | $498,051 |
| DAVID LANGSTAFF EVP | UNTIL 11/24, SEN. ADV. TO PRES/CEO | 40 | $460,588 |
| ANDREW AXELROD | EVP FINANCE & EBD, TREASURER | 40 | $463,970 |
| MARIA ACEBAL | EVP STRATEGY & CORP SECRETARY | 40 | $352,833 |
| JAMES PICKUP | GENERAL COUNSEL | 40 | $281,239 |
| KAYATANYA HENDERSON | EVP, ED CENTER FOR RISING GENERATIONS | 40 | $145,011 |
| JAMES SPIEGELMAN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $378,027 |
| STEPHEN PATRICK | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $372,292 |
| ANNE MOSLE | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $375,269 |
| VIVIAN SCHILLER | VP, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $391,180 |
| SUZANNE BERGER | VP, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $414,422 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Institute announced awardees for the MA3 Challenge, advancing the future of academic reward systems
MA3 Challenge Announces Awardees Advancing the Future of Academic RewardA nationwide grant competition was announced in partnership with Pivotal to drive workplace innovation
Aspen Institute and Pivotal Announce Nationwide Grant Competition to DriveThe organization marked its 75th anniversary in 2024, reflecting on 75 years of impact since its founding in 1949
The Institute operates through a five-year strategic plan focused on linking, leveraging, and amplifying assets to accelerate collective impact
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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