PETER G. PETERSON FOUNDATION

What PETER G. PETERSON FOUNDATION does

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 2008 by Peter G. Peterson, the former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and co-founder of the Blackstone Group. Headquartered at 399 Park Avenue, New York, with 11-50 employees, it is dedicated to increasing public awareness of America's long-term fiscal challenges, including the national debt, federal budget deficits, Social Security and Medicare solvency, defense spending, and tax policy.

Its core products are educational and advocacy-oriented rather than commercial technology. The flagship asset is the National Debt Clock, a real-time tracker of U.S. public debt (reported at over $39 trillion as of 2026). Supporting products include the Expert Views essay series (convening cross-ideological policy experts), the Solutions Initiative (an annual comparative analysis of budget-reform proposals from think tanks across the political spectrum), freely available Chart Packs for editorial reuse, and an email newsletter. The foundation operates six related entities under its umbrella, including the Peterson Center on Healthcare, Peterson Health Technology Institute, Peterson Philanthropies, Peterson Solutions Fund, and the youth-engagement program Up to Us.

The organization does not sell products or services; all resources are provided free for educational and editorial use. Funding flows from grants and contributions rather than commercial revenue. It reaches audiences primarily through its website (pgpf.org), a dedicated Solutions Initiative portal, email, and social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, X, YouTube), and uses recurring voter polling (U.S. Fiscal Confidence Index, 1,000+ registered voter sample) as a data asset for advocacy. Michael Peterson serves as chairman and CEO.

Name

PETER G. PETERSON FOUNDATION

Legal name

Peter G. Peterson Foundation

Website

https://pgpf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Peter G. Peterson Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit, founded in 2008 in New York, that educates U.S. voters and policymakers on federal fiscal challenges through the National Debt Clock, policy research, polling, and cross-ideological policy convenings, funded by grants and contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiscal Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Fiscal policy research
• Policy advocacy
• Budget analysis
• Economic education
• Nonprofit think tank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit that increases public awareness and accelerates action on long-term U.S. fiscal challenges. It produces and distributes free educational content, policy analysis, and advocacy materials covering the national debt, federal budget, Social Security, Medicare, healthcare costs, and tax policy. Its offerings include the National Debt Clock, Expert Views essay series, Solutions Initiative, Chart Packs, and an email newsletter.

Product overview

Peter G. Peterson Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of fiscal challenges threatening America's future. The foundation operates a portfolio of educational products including the National Debt Clock (a real-time national debt counter), Expert Views essay series (convening policy experts), Solutions Initiative (budget reform proposals), Chart Packs (freely available educational materials), and an email newsletter. The organization focuses on issues including national debt, federal budget, healthcare costs, Social Security, and economic outlook through research, analysis, and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Debt Clock A real-time counter displaying the current U.S. national debt and fiscal metrics, operated by the foundation to provide public awareness of government borrowing. Intended for the general public, policymakers, educators, and journalists.
• Fiscal Policy Research and Analysis Research, articles, and expert analysis on national debt, the federal budget, healthcare costs, Social Security, Medicare, and the U.S. fiscal outlook, published on pgpf.org for the general public, policymakers, and media.
• Expert Views Essay Series A convening initiative featuring essays from policy experts across the political spectrum addressing fiscal and economic challenges. Targeted at engaged citizens, policymakers, and media.
• Solutions Initiative A platform showcasing budget proposals from major policy organizations across the political spectrum to address Social Security, healthcare, and broader fiscal challenges. Available to the general public, policymakers, and researchers.
• Chart Packs Free educational charts and data visualizations on fiscal topics available for educational and editorial use with attribution. Used by educators, journalists, and the general public.
• Email Newsletter Newsletter subscription keeping subscribers updated on fiscal developments, economic policy issues, and foundation programming. Available to any registered user via pgpf.org.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of voters express concern about national debt and its impact on inflation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Peterson Center on HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of of the Peterson organizations network focused on addressing healthcare challenges. Operates at petersonhealthcare.org.
• Peterson Health Technology InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Peterson organizations addressing health technology challenges. Operates at phti.com.
• Peterson PhilanthropiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Peterson organizations addressing key challenges for America's future through philanthropy.
• Peterson Solutions FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Peterson organizations focused on developing solutions to fiscal challenges.
• Up to UscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth engagement initiative building a fiscally sustainable future. Operates at itsuptous.org.
• American Action ForumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organization in Solutions Initiative 2024, providing conservative policy proposals for fiscal reform.
• American Enterprise InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organization in Solutions Initiative 2024, providing conservative policy proposals for fiscal reform.
• Bipartisan Policy CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organization in Solutions Initiative 2024, providing centrist bipartisan policy proposals for fiscal reform.
• Center for American ProgressflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organization in Solutions Initiative 2024, providing progressive policy proposals for fiscal reform.
• Economic Policy InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organization in Solutions Initiative 2024, providing progressive policy proposals for fiscal reform.
• Manhattan InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organization in Solutions Initiative 2024, providing conservative policy proposals for fiscal reform.
• Progressive Policy InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organization in Solutions Initiative 2024, providing centrist progressive policy proposals for fiscal reform.
• Council on Foreign RelationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRichard Haass, President Emeritus of CFR, contributed Expert Views essay on debt crisis and American national security at Fortune CEO Initiative dinner.
• Urban InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of Kids' Share report on federal spending on children, referenced by foundation for budget analysis.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Concord Coalition: Nonpartisan organization dedicated to educating the public about the federal deficit and long-term fiscal challenges. Closely comparable to PGPF in mission, nonpartisan framing, and focus on entitlement sustainability.
• Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: Bipartisan budget watchdog focused on federal debt, deficits, and entitlement reform. Direct peer in fiscal-policy research, polling, and policy proposal comparison—operates with a similar nonpartisan analytical stance to PGPF.
• Bipartisan Policy Center: Think tank focused on bipartisan policy solutions across fiscal, health, and economic issues. Direct peer as a Solutions Initiative 2024 participating organization with overlapping fiscal-policy research and convening role.

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: Large, established think tank producing research across economics, governance, and social policy. Comparable as a fiscal-policy research publisher but with a much broader agenda than PGPF's fiscal-sustainability focus.
• American Enterprise Institute: Prominent policy research organization producing economic and fiscal policy analysis. Comparable through participation in PGPF's Solutions Initiative and overlapping budget/deficit research, but anchored to a center-right ideological perspective.
• Center for American Progress: Major progressive policy research and advocacy organization. Comparable as a Solutions Initiative 2024 participant producing budget/fiscal reform proposals, though ideologically aligned rather than nonpartisan like PGPF.
• Cato Institute: Libertarian think tank publishing fiscal and entitlement policy analysis. Comparable in policy research output but ideologically distinctive, with a narrower audience than PGPF's nonpartisan cross-spectrum framing.
• Economic Policy Institute: Progressive-leaning think tank producing economic and budget policy research. Comparable as a Solutions Initiative 2024 partner but aligned with a single ideological perspective rather than PGPF's cross-ideological approach.
• Manhattan Institute: Free-market policy research organization covering fiscal and economic policy. Comparable through Solutions Initiative participation and overlapping budget-reform research agenda, with a center-right framing.

Emerging players

• Urban Institute: Nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization. Comparable through fiscal-policy research and Kids' Share analysis referenced by PGPF; broader focus but overlaps in federal spending and budget analysis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pgpfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/pgpfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/pgpfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-peter-g--peterson-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

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 PETER G. PETERSON FOUNDATION