What The Heritage Foundation does

The Heritage Foundation is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservative think tank founded in 1973 and headquartered at 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C. It conducts policy research and produces advocacy materials across a broad issue surface that includes national security, border security, election integrity, economic freedom, China policy, Big Tech, life issues, and constitutional law. Its core products are research publications and digital platforms rather than software: flagship items include the Index of Economic Freedom (25+ years of annual cross-country ranking), the Index of U.S. Military Strength, Project 2025 (Mandate for Leadership), the Election Integrity Scorecard, the Voter Fraud Database, the China Lobbying Tracker, the Heritage Guide to the Constitution, and the Heritage Solutions online policy platform. Distribution is through heritage.org, email/newsletter, podcasts (The Kevin Roberts Show), events, media appearances, and direct congressional testimony nearly 40 times per year. Heritage Action, a separate 501(c)(4), functions as the affiliated advocacy arm mobilizing nearly 20,000 Sentinel activists and over 2 million local grassroots activists.

Heritage is member- and donor-funded rather than transaction-based. Revenue streams are 500,000 dues-paying members on an annual cadence, individual and foundation charitable contributions, and ancillary income from partnerships such as the American Conservative Values ETF. Its customer base is split between U.S. government decision-makers (Congress, Executive Branch agencies) that consume its research, conservative movement organizations and activists that consume and amplify it, and 10 million+ supporters/advocates whose dues and donations fund it. The organization employs 251-500 staff, including 100+ policy experts, and operates a leadership-development pipeline via the Young Leaders Program, the Conservative Hill Intern Program, the Heritage Congressional Fellowship, and Heritage Academy. The organization is not a venture-backed entity, has no disclosed funding rounds, and is governed by an independent Board of Trustees under President Kevin D. Roberts, PhD.

Name

The Heritage Foundation

Legal name

The Heritage Foundation

Website

https://heritage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit conservative think tank founded in 1973 in Washington, D.C. It produces policy research, flagship indices, and advocacy materials, funded by 500,000 members and donors, to influence U.S. federal policy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Conservative policy research
• Public policy advocacy
• Think tank publications
• Policy training programs
• Economic freedom indices

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Program: Heritage generates revenue through a membership program with 500,000 members who pay annual dues to support the organization's policy work and receive benefits including access to research, events, and advocacy tools
2. Donations and Contributions: Charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations who support conservative policy research and advocacy mission
3. ETF Partnership (American Conservative Values ETF): Partnership with American Conservative Values ETF for policy-aligned investment research and shareholder advocacy initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank that produces policy research, reports, indices, and publications, and uses them to shape U.S. federal policy through congressional testimony, advisory engagement, grassroots mobilization via Heritage Action, and training programs for future conservative leaders. Its sellable offerings include flagship publications such as the Index of Economic Freedom and Project 2025, online policy tools (Heritage Solutions, Election Integrity Scorecard, Voter Fraud Database), podcasts, and structured training programs for students and Capitol Hill staff.

Product overview

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank that operates primarily as a policy research and advocacy organization rather than a software product company. Its core offering is the Heritage Foundation Website (heritage.org), a comprehensive platform delivering policy commentary, research reports, and analysis across domestic policy, international affairs, and cultural issues. The organization produces several flagship publications including the Index of Economic Freedom (25+ years), Index of U.S. Military Strength, and Project 2025 (Mandate for Leadership). Key digital products include Heritage Solutions (policy solutions platform), The Kevin Roberts Show podcast, and various databases on election integrity and voter fraud. The organization also runs training programs including the Young Leaders Program internship. Heritage Action serves as the affiliated advocacy arm mobilizing grassroots activists. The organization does not operate as a SaaS or software platform with traditional product integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heritage Action: A sister organization that works with lawmakers to implement Heritage Foundation solutions while organizing grassroots activists to push for policy adoption
• The Kevin Roberts Show
• Heritage Academy
• Young Leaders Program
• Project 2025
• Index of Economic Freedom
• Index of U.S. Military Strength
• Index of Culture and Opportunity

Products and services

• Heritage Foundation Website (heritage.org)
• Heritage Solutions
• Mandate for Leadership / Project 2025
• Index of Economic Freedom
• Index of U.S. Military Strength
• Index of Culture and Opportunity
• The Kevin Roberts Show
• Heritage Action
• Heritage Guide to the Constitution
• Education Freedom Report Card
• Election Integrity Scorecard
• Voter Fraud Database
• SafeKids Initiative
• China Lobbying Tracker
• Young Leaders Program
• Conservative Hill Intern Program (CHIP)
• Heritage Academy
• Heritage Congressional Fellowship
• America 250 Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• Heritage experts testify before Congress nearly 40 times per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Alliance Defending FreedomminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Conservative legal organization that filed an amicus brief with Heritage Foundation in West Virginia Supreme Court supporting families challenging the state's school vaccine mandate.
• America First Policy InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Right-wing think tank that South Korea's opposition party leader met with during a U.S. visit, aligning on issues including Middle East conflict, North Korea's nuclear program, and market access concerns.
• Truist FinancialminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 March 2026Heritage Foundation submitted a shareholder proposal to Truist Financial urging a report on potential misalignment between the company's policies, public statements, and customer base values.
• Heritage ActioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHeritage Action is the affiliated advocacy organization that works with lawmakers to implement Heritage Foundation policy solutions while organizing nearly 20,000 Sentinel activists and more than 2 million local grassroots activists to push for policy adoption.
• The Daily SignalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConservative news reporting and grassroots activism outlet that provides media coverage of Heritage Foundation policy work and amplifies conservative policy messages to a wider audience.
• American Conservative Values ETFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Heritage Foundation partnered with the American Conservative Values ETF, filing a federal lawsuit against Airbnb over shareholder proposal exclusion and working on policy-aligned investment research.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hoover Institution: Stanford-based conservative policy research institution with comparable flagship publications, fellowship programs, and long-running influence on Republican policy.
• American Enterprise Institute: Leading Washington, D.C.–based conservative think tank conducting domestic and economic policy research with comparable scholar-driven model and congressional engagement.
• Brookings Institution: One of the largest and most influential U.S. think tanks with deep policy research across domestic and international issues, comparable in scale, reach, and congressional engagement.
• Hudson Institute: Conservative-leaning think tank focused on foreign policy, national security, and economic policy — directly comparable given Heritage's Index of U.S. Military Strength and China work.
• Manhattan Institute: Conservative think tank producing domestic policy research on economics, education, and urban affairs, comparable in ideological orientation and research-driven model.
• Center for American Progress: Liberal counterpart think tank with comparable scale, policy depth, and direct engagement with Congress and the executive branch.
• Cato Institute: Libertarian think tank producing comparable economic, regulatory, and foreign policy research with a similar Washington presence and policy influence.
• America First Policy Institute: Right-of-center policy institute actively collaborating with Heritage on international issues and competing for influence within the conservative movement.
• Advancing American Freedom: Conservative policy organization founded by Mike Pence that recently absorbed senior Heritage scholars, directly competing for donor support and policy influence.

Broad incumbents

• Council on Foreign Relations: Established, broader-scope foreign policy institution with overlapping international affairs research, comparable prestige but more centrist/non-partisan orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heritage
• Facebookfacebook.com/heritagefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-heritage-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Heritage Foundation