Company lists · Data refreshed September 2026

Top 25 Think tanks based in the United States

RevenueBase identified 271 company matches for think tanks associated with the United States as of September 2026 and tracks 12,120 professional contacts across them, including 4,488 with verified work emails. Washington is the largest hub.

This list covers company matches for think tanks associated with the United States, found by RevenueBase SmartSearch using the meaning of business descriptions in its company graph at Exact. Ranked by professionals tracked, largest first. Rows show recorded descriptions where available, Exact search membership and the snapshot date. Data refreshed September 22, 2026.

Published by RevenueBase, a B2B data infrastructure company. This list was built with RevenueBase SmartSearch, the natural-language company search RevenueBase customers use to build their own targeted lists and unlock verified emails and direct dials at the companies on them. How these lists are built and judged.

How to read this list RevenueBase SmartSearch · Exact Recorded Sep 22, 2026 How this list was built
271Companies
12,120Contacts tracked
4,488Verified emails
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The 25 largest think tanks based in the United States

Ranked by team size
Top 25 of 271 company matches for think tanks based in the United States, ordered by professional contacts tracked in RevenueBase, largest first. Recorded Sep 22, 2026. The RevenueBase SmartSearch column shows Exact match membership in this saved search. Click a contact count to view that company's people. Totals use company locations recorded by RevenueBase; the displayed preview is a smaller selection.
#CompanyRevenueBase SmartSearchHeadquartersEmployeesContacts
1Exact matchSanta Monica, CA, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 20261,001-5,0002,660 contacts →

Exact match

“RAND is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that provides leaders with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
2Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 2026201-500937 contacts →

Exact match

“The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to advancing practical ideas to address the world’s…”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
3Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 2026201-500888 contacts →

Exact match

“The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the central role of the Atlantic Community in meeting global challenges.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
4Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 2026201-500695 contacts →

Exact match

“Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution-a think tank-whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the…”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
5Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-200311 contacts →

Exact match

“The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace generates strategic ideas and independent analysis, supports diplomacy, and trains the next generation of scholar-practitioners to…”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
6Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-200243 contacts →

Exact match

“The Stimson Center promotes international security and shared prosperity through applied research and independent analysis, global engagement, and policy innovation.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
7Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-200237 contacts →

Exact match

“Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
8Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-200222 contacts →

Exact match

“Hudson Institute is a research-focused public policy think tank headquartered in Washington, DC, dedicated to promoting American leadership for a secure, free, and prosperous…”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
9Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-200178 contacts →

Exact match

“Ideas.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
10Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 2026n/a174 contacts →

Exact match

“The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit organization that develops strong, pragmatic, and principled national security and defense…”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
11Exact matchGreenville, SC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 2026n/a170 contacts →

Exact match

“Capita is an independent think tank and community.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
12Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202611-50150 contacts →

Exact match

“The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public policy institution headquartered in Washington, DC with hubs in London and Brussels, focused on…”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
13Exact matchPhiladelphia, PA, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202611-50140 contacts →

Exact match

“The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) is an independent nonpartisan think tank based in Philadelphia, PA.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
14Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-200127 contacts →

Exact match

“Third Way is a national think tank that champions modern center-left ideas.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
15Exact matchAustin, TX, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-200122 contacts →

Exact match

“The public is demanding a different direction for their government, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation is providing the ideas that enable policymakers to chart that new course.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
16Exact matchArlington, VA, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-200113 contacts →

Exact match

“The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is an independent, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit public policy research institute.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
17Exact matchSan Francisco, CA, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-20097 contacts →

Exact match

“Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
18Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202611-5094 contacts →

Exact match

“Established in 2014, the Niskanen Center is a nonpartisan think tank that works to change public policy through direct engagement in the policymaking process: developing and…”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
19Exact matchBoston, MA, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202651-20091 contacts →

Exact match

“ACE is a trusted, national, nonprofit, think tank driven by the next generation of policy researchers.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
20Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202611-5084 contacts →

Exact match

“New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is a nonprofit and non-partisan think tank in Washington D.C.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
21Exact matchLos Angeles, CA, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202611-5077 contacts →

Exact match

“The Berggruen Institute’s mission is to develop foundational ideas and, through them, shape political, economic and social institutions for the 21st century.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
22Exact matchMidland, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202611-5065 contacts →

Exact match

“The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Michigan residents by promoting sound…”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
23Exact matchWashington, DC, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202611-5058 contacts →

Exact match

“PPI's mission is to define and promote a new progressive politics for America in the 21st century.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
24Exact matchArlington Heights, IL, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202611-5056 contacts →

Exact match

“The Heartland Institute is one of the world’s leading free-market think tanks.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase
25Exact matchIndianapolis, IN, United StatesHQ recorded Sep 22, 202611-5054 contacts →

Exact match

“Sagamore is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank.”

Recorded in the RevenueBase company graph · Sep 22, 2026 · View company records in RevenueBase

Showing 25 of 271 think tanks based in the United States

See the full list, filter by size, metro and specialty, and access 4,488 tracked professional contacts with verified work emails. Direct dials are available where recorded.

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Think tanks based in the United States at a glance

As of Sep 22, 2026
37.0%Verified-email coverage
44.7Average contacts per company
1-10Median size (employees)
28.4%Largest-city concentration · Washington
Sep 22, 2026Page data refreshed

Companies by employee count

1-10
137
11-50
92
51-200
29
201-500
7
501-1,000
1
1,001-5,000
1
10001+
3

Email recency for this list is measured worldwide rather than for United States, so it is reported there. Company counts and contact totals on this page are exact for United States, over 271 companies.

How this list was built

The recorded descriptions help you assess these company matches. Check a company’s website for its current services and locations.

Source
The RevenueBase company graph: 60 million companies and 398.9 million professional contacts resolved from primary sources, queried with RevenueBase SmartSearch, the natural-language company search available to every RevenueBase user.
What qualifies
Company records associated with the United States whose business descriptions match “think tanks” by meaning at the Exact setting. Descriptions are compiled in the RevenueBase company graph from public websites, profiles and company information where available; they are not guaranteed quotations from the company's website.
RevenueBase SmartSearch
Describe a niche company in your own words to find businesses by meaning. Exact, Similar, Related and Broad control the breadth of RevenueBase SmartSearch. This saved list uses Exact. Each row's Exact match badge shows inclusion in that search, not an individual score or a service-quality judgment.
Public preview
The public preview omits records without a verified work email. Where headquarters information is recorded, preview rows are also filtered to this page’s location. Dataset totals and geographic summaries describe the full matched records before these preview filters.
Match quality
RevenueBase's August 25, 2026 study assessed 4,198 description/company pairs across matching settings. The publisher reports 86% good or better at Exact. This evaluates the method across queries; it does not audit this individual list. Recorded company descriptions, where available, help you judge each match yourself. Read the full methodology: how the lists are built and what the study measures.
Ranking
Team size, largest first: companies are ordered by the number of professionals RevenueBase tracks at each one. Employee ranges shown are reported bands, for context.
Verification
Every displayed company carries at least one verified work email. RevenueBase tracks 4,488 professional contacts with verified work emails across the full matched dataset. Contacts re-verify on a rolling cadence, and each contact's own verification date is shown inside RevenueBase.
Refresh
This page's figures were pulled from the company graph on September 22, 2026. Lists refresh periodically as the graph is re-checked.
Record context
Company records and descriptions can change. Check the company's website for its current services and locations.

Frequently asked

What is RevenueBase SmartSearch?

RevenueBase SmartSearch finds niche companies by the meaning of their business descriptions in the RevenueBase company graph. Exact, Similar, Related and Broad control how closely companies must fit your description. This list uses Exact for “think tanks”; each Exact match badge shows search membership, not an individual similarity or quality score.

How many think tanks are there based in the United States?

RevenueBase identified 271 company matches for think tanks associated with the United States as of September 2026, using the meaning of business descriptions at Exact. This is the recorded matched set in the RevenueBase company graph.

What is the largest company on this list?

RAND tops the displayed preview by professional contacts tracked in RevenueBase. Recorded headquarters appear in the company rows.

Which city has the most think tanks?

Washington leads with 77 company records, followed by New York (22) and Los Angeles (9).

How do I get contact information for these companies?

A free RevenueBase account lets you run this exact search and work limited free results with 500 credits to start. Upgrading provides access to the 4,488 professional contacts with verified work emails tracked across these 271 companies; direct dials are available where recorded.

How current is this list?

The list refreshes periodically as the company graph is re-checked. This page's figures were pulled on September 22, 2026.

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About this data

RevenueBase is a B2B data infrastructure company. Its company graph covers 60 million companies and 398.9 million professional contacts, with emails verified on a rolling cadence rather than scraped once and left to decay. These company lists are generated directly from that graph with RevenueBase SmartSearch, the same natural-language company search every RevenueBase user has: describe a market in plain words, get the companies that match, and add verified emails and direct dials for the people at them. It is the same data that powers RevenueBase's B2B data products, and a free account includes 500 credits to start. How these lists are built and judged.