What C.D. Howe Institute does

C.D. Howe Institute is a Canadian not-for-profit policy research institute founded in 1958 and headquartered in Toronto. It produces independent, non-partisan research on economic and public policy issues, distributing findings through published policy reports aimed primarily at Canadian government policymakers and regulators, with a secondary audience in the financial services sector. The Institute's research agenda spans general economic policy, a dedicated Health Policy Advisory Board, and — as of November 2025 — policy recommendations on AI use in Canadian financial advice, calling for government guidelines to address risks of misinformation in AI-driven advisory services.

The Institute's core products are policy reports and recommendations rather than technology platforms; no proprietary technology stack, software products, APIs, or AI models are disclosed in the available source material. Distribution occurs through direct delivery of policy reports to government and regulatory bodies, supplemented by earned media coverage in major Canadian outlets including The Globe and Mail and Financial Post, which amplify research reach.

As a non-profit, the Institute's revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed and no funding rounds, ownership structure, or institutional investors are identified. The organization operates with a small team of 11–50 employees and is led by President Duncan Munn, with Bernard Morency as co-chair and Tom Closson chairing the Health Policy Advisory Board. Pricing is not applicable in the conventional sense; the value exchange is research output for policy influence and, implicitly, donor or member support that sustains operations.

Name

C.D. Howe Institute

Website

https://cdhowe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

C.D. Howe Institute is a Canadian not-for-profit policy research institute founded in 1958 and headquartered in Toronto, producing independent economic and public policy research for government policymakers and the financial services sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Policy research
• Economic analysis
• Public policy advisory
• Regulatory commentary
• Think tank research

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The C.D. Howe Institute is a Canadian not-for-profit research institute that produces independent, evidence-based policy research and recommendations on economic and public policy issues. Its research output includes policy reports, briefs, and commentary aimed at informing Canadian government policymakers, regulators, and the financial services sector, including recent work on AI use in financial advice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Research Reports Independent, evidence-based policy reports covering economic, financial, and public policy issues for Canadian government policymakers, regulators, and the financial services sector.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Major US-based nonprofit research institution producing policy analysis across many domains. Comparable in mission (evidence-based research to inform policy) and non-partisan positioning, though materially larger and more diversified than C.D. Howe.
• Brookings Institution: Large, established US-based public policy research organization. Comparable as a non-partisan think tank producing policy analysis cited by major media and aimed at shaping government decisions, though operating at significantly larger scale than C.D. Howe.

Direct peers

• Conference Board of Canada: Major Canadian applied research organization producing economic and policy analysis for business and government. Direct peer given overlapping policy-research scope and similar reliance on member-supported, evidence-based outputs.
• Macdonald-Laurier Institute: Ottawa-based Canadian public policy think tank focused on federal policy. Directly comparable to C.D. Howe as a similarly-sized Canadian think tank publishing policy research, convening stakeholders, and seeking media pickup in national outlets.
• Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP): Montreal-based independent Canadian policy research institute. Comparable as a bilingual, non-partisan think tank producing research on economic and social policy with similar target audience of federal policymakers and media.
• Canada West Foundation: Calgary-based Canadian public policy think tank focused on western Canadian perspectives. Comparable as a regionally grounded policy institute that produces research on economic and regulatory issues for federal and provincial decision-makers.
• Smart Prosperity Institute: Ottawa-based Canadian think tank focused on economic and environmental policy innovation. Comparable as a smaller, mission-driven Canadian policy research organization pursuing evidence-based recommendations to government.
• Fraser Institute: Major Canadian public policy think tank headquartered in Calgary with a national footprint. Direct peer because both operate as non-partisan-leaning Canadian policy research institutes producing reports cited by major media and aimed at shaping federal and provincial policy.
• Public Policy Forum: Ottawa-based Canadian policy organization convening dialogue and producing research on democratic governance. Comparable as an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy-focused organization targeting government decision-makers and media.

Emerging players

• Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy: University of Toronto-based policy research and graduate studies centre. Comparable in Canadian policy research focus and academic-policy bridge role, though housed within a university rather than operating as an independent think tank.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cdhoweinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/254245404682417
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c-d--howe-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about C.D. Howe Institute