Data & methodology
How we follow the money
This project compiles what the public record shows about who funds Capital Research Center. Here is where the data comes from, what it can and cannot tell you, and how to verify it.
Last updated: August 4, 2026Records: 205Source mode: local-csv
Where the data comes from
Records are drawn from public documents: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings submitted by funding foundations and donor-advised fund sponsors, indexed through ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer, along with foundation grant databases and annual reports. Each donor links to its public filings by EIN. Because donors file separately from recipients, the fullest picture comes from cross-referencing many filings.
What the amounts represent
Figures reflect known public records and do not necessarily represent all funding a donor has provided. Amounts are attributed to the year shown in the source filing. Where a grant spans filings or is reported differently across documents, we use the most authoritative public figure.
Donor-advised funds & intermediaries
Donor-advised funds and similar intermediaries can route money to Capital Research Center while obscuring the original donor’s identity. In those cases the public record names the fund or sponsoring organization — not necessarily the person who contributed the money. We label these records accordingly and do not infer the underlying donor.
Language & legal care
Every entry uses source-based language — “funded,” “according to IRS filings,” “appears in public filings.” Appearing in this database means a donor is documented as a funder of CRC. It is not an allegation of any unlawful conduct, and nothing here should be read to imply criminality.
Tying claims to sources
Each record links to (or cites) the source document it is drawn from. Where a live link is not yet available, the entry is marked “source pending.” Use the “Copy citation” buttons throughout the site to reproduce a record with its source attribution.
Updates & corrections
The database updates whenever the underlying source spreadsheet changes and the site is rebuilt. The last-updated date above reflects the most recent compilation. To report a correction or submit an additional public record, contact the press address in the footer.
A note on this version
Live data is connected via the "local-csv" source. Records are compiled from public filings as described above.
Plain language
Glossary
The terms that come up when you follow this kind of money — in plain English.
- Dark money
- Political or advocacy spending whose original source is hidden from the public — typically because it flows through nonprofits or funds that are not required to name their donors.
- Donor-advised fund(DAF)
- A charitable account, held by a sponsoring organization, that lets a donor recommend grants while staying anonymous on the public record. The recipient's filings name the fund — for example Fidelity Charitable or DonorsTrust — not the individual whose money it is.
- IRS Form 990
- The annual financial report most tax-exempt organizations must file with the IRS. A foundation's 990 lists the grants it made, which is how a funder's support for another group becomes public.
- Form 990-PF
- The version of the 990 filed by private foundations. It itemizes grants paid, including the recipient and amount.
- 501(c)(3)
- A tax-exempt charitable or educational nonprofit. Donations are tax-deductible, and the organization is barred from electoral campaign activity. Capital Research Center is organized as a 501(c)(3).
- 501(c)(4)
- A tax-exempt 'social welfare' nonprofit that may engage in issue advocacy and limited political activity and is not required to disclose its donors. This project is issue advocacy in that spirit.
- Private foundation
- A nonprofit, usually funded by one family, individual, or company, that primarily makes grants to other organizations. Examples here include the Sarah Scaife Foundation and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation.
- Pass-through (intermediary)
- A fund or organization that receives money from original donors and re-grants it, adding a layer between the source of the money and its final recipient.
- EIN
- Employer Identification Number — the unique IRS ID for an organization. Each donor in this database links to its filings by EIN through ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer.
Why this matters
Transparency starts with following the money.
When a self-styled “watchdog” is bankrolled by the very interests it serves, the public deserves to know. Share this investigation. Put it in front of reporters and lawmakers. Help hold Capital Research Center’s funders accountable.