What Resources for the Future does

Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) research institution founded in 1952 in Washington, DC, that produces impartial economic research on environmental, energy, and natural resource issues. It serves federal and state policymakers, academic researchers, corporate and NGO leaders, and the general public through publications, events, webinars, podcasts, and direct policy engagement, and has been ranked #1 globally for energy and environmental economics.

RFF's core technical assets are four open-source or freely distributed modeling platforms: E4ST, a power sector simulator covering 19,000 existing generators and detailed transmission infrastructure; GIVE, an integrated assessment model for estimating the social cost of carbon; the Mimi framework for building and inter-comparing integrated assessment models (developed with UC Berkeley); and MimiIWG, which packages the federal Interagency Working Group's social cost of carbon models. These tools are complemented by an annual Global Energy Outlook report, issue briefs, explainers, the Common Resources blog, Resources Radio podcast, and Resources Magazine (published since 1959), plus targeted programs such as the Critical Minerals Research Lab and the Resilient Energy Economies initiative.

RFF operates a community-led, non-commercial model: all publications and tools are provided free of charge, and the $16.25M annual budget is funded by 313 foundations, corporations, private foundations, individuals, and government agencies (including the US Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation), with more than 70% of funds directed to research and public education. The organization is led by President and CEO William A. Pizer and staffed by 152 employees and affiliated scholars, with expertise spanning electric power, transportation, industry and fuels, land use, climate risk, and international climate policy.

Name

Resources for the Future

Legal name

Resources for the Future

Website

https://rff.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Resources for the Future is an independent nonprofit research institution founded in 1952 that produces impartial economic research and open-source modeling tools (E4ST, GIVE, Mimi, MimiIWG) on environmental, energy, and climate issues for US policymakers, researchers, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Energy Economics Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE), Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Environmental economics research
• Energy policy analysis
• Climate economics
• Natural resource economics
• Integrated assessment modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation, Corporate, and Individual Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, RFF is supported by donors including foundations, corporations, private foundations, and individuals. More than 70 percent of funding goes directly to research and public education activities.
2. Government Agency Funding: RFF receives funding from government agencies as part of its research support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Resources for the Future conducts independent, nonpartisan economic research and policy analysis on environmental, energy, and natural resource issues. It pairs rigorous peer-reviewed scholarship with proprietary open-source modeling tools (E4ST, GIVE, MimiIWG) and disseminates findings through publications, podcasts, blogs, magazines, and direct engagement with policymakers, regulators, corporations, and courts.

Product overview

Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution offering a portfolio of research products, data and decision tools, and publications focused on environmental and natural resource economics. The core offerings include: E4ST power sector modeling software for projecting policy effects on electricity markets; the GIVE (Greenhouse Gas Impact Value Estimator) model for Social Cost of Carbon estimation; the MimiIWG Social Cost of Carbon Computing Platform for accessing federal IWG models; and the Virginia RGGI Affordability Data Tool for visualizing regional greenhouse gas initiative impacts. Complementing these tools are educational explainers (Sustainable Aviation 101, Border Carbon Adjustments 101, Climate Financial Risk 101, Climate Finance 101), regular publications including the Common Resources blog, Resources Radio podcast, and Resources Magazine (published since 1959), the Critical Minerals Research Lab virtual program for PhD scholars, and the annual Global Energy Outlook report harmonizing energy scenarios from multiple organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• E4ST (Engineering, Economic, and Environmental Electricity Simulation Tool)
• GIVE (Global Integrative Value of Electricity) Model
• MimiIWG
• Virginia RGGI Affordability Data Tool
• Global Energy Outlook
• Resources Magazine
• Resources Radio
• Critical Minerals Research Lab
• RFF University Fellows Program
• RFF-CMCC European Fellows Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.4 million annual website users
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Columbia University SIPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Co-leads the Resilient Energy Economies (REE) initiative with RFF, Columbia University SIPA, University of Notre Dame, and Montana State University. The initiative awarded six research grants totaling approximately $450,000 to support US fossil fuel-dependent communities.
• University of Notre DamecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Co-leads the Resilient Energy Economies initiative with RFF and other university partners to help fossil fuel-dependent communities diversify and strengthen their economies during the energy transition.
• Montana State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Co-leads the Resilient Energy Economies initiative with RFF and other university partners. The initiative focuses on research to support communities in navigating the transition away from fossil fuel economies.
• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with RFF to develop E4ST power sector modeling software. E4ST has been developed by researchers at Resources for the Future and Cornell and Arizona State Universities.
• Arizona State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with RFF to develop E4ST power sector modeling software alongside Cornell University.
• Power Systems Engineering Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with RFF on development of E4ST power sector modeling software.
• UC BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with RFF to develop the GIVE model and Mimi framework for integrated assessment modeling. David Anthoff from UC Berkeley is a key contributor as a university fellow at RFF.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRFF collaborated with NASA on research showing that twice as many Americans as previously thought live in areas that do not meet national air quality standards.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: Large Washington, DC-based public policy think tank conducting economic and policy research across many fields, including energy and climate. Comparable to RFF as a fellow DC policy research organization but with a much broader portfolio and larger budget.
• RAND Corporation: Major nonprofit research institution producing policy analysis across energy, environment, and economics. Comparable to RFF in mission and operating model, though broader in scope and significantly larger in headcount and budget.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): US Department of Energy national laboratory conducting energy efficiency and renewable energy research, including power sector modeling and scenario analysis. Comparable to RFF's electricity modeling capabilities but with a federal-government operating model.
• Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC): Washington, DC-based policy think tank producing analysis on energy, environment, and economic issues. Comparable to RFF as a DC-based policy research organization engaging federal decisionmakers on climate and energy topics.

Direct peers

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global environmental nonprofit producing research and data tools on climate, energy, and natural resources. Closely comparable to RFF in environmental economics research focus, policy engagement, and open-access publications.
• Energy Innovation: Nonprofit policy research firm specializing in climate and clean energy policy analysis with proprietary modeling tools (e.g., Energy Policy Simulator). Directly comparable to RFF's E4ST and GIVE modeling offerings for federal/state clean energy policy design.
• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF): Environmental advocacy and research organization that combines economic analysis with policy engagement on climate, energy, and natural resources. Comparable to RFF in using economic research to drive environmental policy outcomes.
• Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy: Academic-affiliated energy policy research center producing analysis on climate, electricity markets, and the energy transition. Directly comparable to RFF's energy economics research and modeling, and a current RFF partner on the Resilient Energy Economies initiative.
• Union of Concerned Scientists: Nonprofit science advocacy organization that conducts technical and economic research on climate, energy, and transportation policy. Comparable to RFF's role as a research-driven nonprofit informing environmental and energy policy debates.

Emerging players

• Climate Central: Nonprofit climate science communications and research organization producing data tools and visualizations on climate impacts. Comparable to RFF's Common Resources blog, Resources Magazine, and public-facing educational outputs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rff_org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/resources-for-the-future
• Facebookfacebook.com/resourcesforthefuture

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Resources for the Future