Center for a New American Security
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is an independent, bipartisan Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) think tank that produces policy research, congressional testimony, wargames, and fellowship programs on U.S. national security and defense for policymakers, the defense community, and the public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Center for a New American Security does
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is an independent, bipartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank founded in 2007 and headquartered at 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. The organization develops pragmatic and principled national security and defense policy through eight core research programs: Defense, Indo-Pacific Security, Transatlantic Security, Middle East Security, Energy Economics & Security, Technology & National Security, National Security Law, and National Security Human Capital. Its core outputs are policy research reports (714+ reports), congressional testimony, expert commentary, podcasts, videos, unclassified wargames (via the Gaming Lab), and structured fellowship programs including the Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellowship.
The organization serves U.S. government policymakers (Department of Defense, Department of State, Congress), the defense and national security community, and the general public and media. CNAS maintains strict intellectual independence, does not take institutional policy positions, and does not engage in lobbying. Its work is shaped by a senior leadership team including CEO Richard Fontaine, co-founders Michèle Flournoy and Kurt M. Campbell, and an extensive bench of senior fellows and adjunct experts including former Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert O. Work.
CNAS operates as a donation-funded nonprofit. It does not sell products or services; all research, publications, events, and analysis are provided free of charge. Revenue is generated through four streams: individual donations (via the CNAS Council), corporate partnerships, foundation grants, and limited foreign government support restricted to scholastic and research activities. The organization maintains a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, files Form 990 tax returns annually, and publicly discloses its donor base while declining anonymous contributions and funds from 501(c)(4) political organizations.
Center for a New American Security firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Center for a New American Security
- Legal name
- Center for a New American Security, Inc.
- Website
- https://cnas.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is an independent, bipartisan Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) think tank that produces policy research, congressional testimony, wargames, and fellowship programs on U.S. national security and defense for policymakers, the defense community, and the public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Center for a New American Security is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Center for a New American Security business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: CNAS receives support from individuals who share the Center's passion for advancing bipartisan national security solutions. These contributions are part of the CNAS Council program.
- Corporate Partnerships: CNAS corporate partners have access to the expert network, shape strategic policy conversations, and affiliate with the nation's leading defense and security policy institute through the CNAS Corporate Partnership Program.
- Foundation Grants: CNAS receives support from foundations that align with its mission of developing strong, pragmatic, and principled national security and defense policies.
- Government Support: CNAS accepts funding from non-U.S. sources with activities limited to bona fide scholastic, academic, and research-related activities consistent with applicable federal law.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Center for a New American Security product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CNAS is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit think tank that produces fact-based policy research, reports, congressional testimony, and multimedia content focused on U.S. national security and defense policy. It operates eight research programs spanning Defense, Indo-Pacific Security, Technology & National Security, Transatlantic Security, Middle East Security, Energy Economics & Security, National Security Human Capital, and National Security Law, and runs the Gaming Lab for wargaming exercises and fellowship programs that prepare emerging national security leaders.
Product overview
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is an independent, bipartisan think tank that develops national security and defense policy research. The organization operates as a unified policy research institution offering publications, events, wargaming exercises, and fellowship programs through its various research programs including Defense, Indo-Pacific Security, Technology & National Security, and others. CNAS engages policymakers, experts, and the public with fact-based research, ideas, and analysis to shape the national security debate.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CNAS Council: A donor program for individuals who share the Center's passion in advancing bipartisan national security solutions.
- Make Room
- Derisky Business
- WeekendReads
- Sharper
- Sanctions by the Numbers
- Safe@Home
Products and services
- Research Programs Policy research across eight core programs — Defense, Indo-Pacific Security, National Security Human Capital, Transatlantic Security, Middle East Security, Energy Economics & Security, Technology & National Security, and National Security Law — addressing U.S. national security and defense policy challenges.
- Publications Reports, articles, commentary, congressional testimony, and multimedia content (videos and podcasts) addressing national security and defense policy topics.
- Events and Conferences Conferences, fireside chats, roundtables, and expert discussions featuring government officials, military leaders, and policy experts.
- Gaming Lab Wargaming Exercises Unclassified wargames and exercises including operational wargames, strategy games, and expert elicitation exercises on national security issues.
- Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellowship Fellowship program for emerging leaders aged 27 to 35, offering publishing opportunities, interactions with political appointees, and international trips to meet national security leaders.
Companies that use Center for a New American Security
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Center for a New American Security technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Center for a New American Security partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MITREcoreMITRE partners with CNAS on the Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Fellowship program. MITRE principal applied cybersecurity engineer Robert Sumner was named a 2026 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Fellow. The fellowship program selects emerging leaders aged 27 to 35 for publishing opportunities and interactions with political appointees.
- Taiwan Vice President's OfficeminorCNAS sent a delegation to Taiwan to meet with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim and discuss expanding military and economic cooperation amid intensifying geopolitical challenges. The delegation discussed Taiwan's defense reforms including drone use, AI technology, and asymmetric warfare capabilities.
- Corporate PartnersminorCNAS Corporate Partnership Program provides partners access to the expert network, strategic policy conversations, and affiliation with the nation's leading defense and security policy institute. Partners include defense contractors and corporations engaged in national security work.
- U.S. Government AgenciescoreCNAS provides research, analysis, and Congressional testimony to U.S. government agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of State, and Congressional committees. The organization informs policy decisions through expert engagement.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Center for a New American Security competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RAND Corporation: The largest and most established U.S. national security and defense policy research nonprofit. RAND's Defense and National Security programs directly compete with CNAS on defense strategy, force structure, and wargaming work, and both serve Congressional and DoD audiences with non-lobbying research.
- Hudson Institute: A Washington think tank focused on national security, foreign policy, and economics. Hudson's defense and China programs compete with CNAS for defense-community attention, Congressional engagement, and corporate donor support, though with a more hawkish editorial posture.
- Atlantic Council: A foreign policy think tank focused on international security, economics, and democracy. Its GeoEconomics Center and Indo-Pacific programs overlap with CNAS's Energy, Economics & Security and Indo-Pacific Security programs, and both target Congressional and allied-government audiences.
- Stimson Center: A nonpartisan Washington think tank working on national security, deterrence, and emerging technology. Stimson's defense and technology programs overlap directly with CNAS's Defense, Technology & National Security, and Indo-Pacific work.
- American Enterprise Institute (AEI): A Washington think tank with substantial defense, foreign policy, and economics programming. AEI's defense and economic statecraft work overlaps with CNAS's Defense and Energy, Economics & Security programs, and both vie for corporate donor support.
- Council on Foreign Relations (CFR): An elite, bipartisan U.S. foreign policy membership organization that publishes Foreign Affairs and convenes senior policymakers. CFR competes with CNAS on transatlantic, Indo-Pacific, and defense analysis and shares its editorial independence and non-lobbying posture.
- Brookings Institution: A leading Washington think tank with substantial foreign policy and national security programs. Brookings's Center for Asia Policy Studies and Foreign Policy program overlap directly with CNAS's Indo-Pacific, Transatlantic, and Middle East portfolios.
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): A bipartisan Washington-based think tank with deep defense, Indo-Pacific, and technology policy programs. CSIS competes head-to-head with CNAS on Congressional testimony, defense programming, and high-profile events featuring senior political and military leaders.
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: A global think tank with programs on Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and technology policy. Carnegie's Asia and Technology programs directly overlap with CNAS's Indo-Pacific Security and Technology & National Security portfolios.
- Heritage Foundation: A large Washington think tank with major defense and foreign policy programs. Heritage's Index of U.S. Military Strength and its influence on Republican administrations compete with CNAS for defense policymakers, though from a conservative editorial position.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Center for a New American Security social profiles
Digital presenceCenter for a New American Security compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Center for a New American Security financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Center for a New American Security leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Center for a New American Security funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Center for a New American Security M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Center for a New American Security
What does Center for a New American Security do?
CNAS is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit think tank that produces fact-based policy research, reports, congressional testimony, and multimedia content focused on U.S. national security and defense policy. It operates eight research programs spanning Defense, Indo-Pacific Security, Technology & National Security, Transatlantic Security, Middle East Security, Energy Economics & Security, National Security Human Capital, and National Security Law, and runs the Gaming Lab for wargaming exercises and fellowship programs that prepare emerging national security leaders.
Is Center for a New American Security a public or private company?
Center for a New American Security is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Center for a New American Security founded?
Center for a New American Security was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Center for a New American Security based?
Center for a New American Security is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Center for a New American Security make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, foundation Grants and government Support.
Who are Center for a New American Security's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RAND Corporation, Hudson Institute, Atlantic Council, Stimson Center, American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Brookings Institution, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Heritage Foundation.
Does Center for a New American Security have an API?
No public API is recorded for Center for a New American Security.