Progressive Policy Institute

What Progressive Policy Institute does

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public policy think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., founded in 1989 by Will Marshall. The organization develops pragmatic, data-driven policy proposals aimed at bridging ideological divides and operates through approximately 13 distinct research projects spanning antitrust/competition policy, energy and climate solutions, trade and global markets, fiscal and economic policy, workforce development, education, housing, space policy, foreign policy (including a dedicated Ukraine project), and democratic renewal initiatives such as the Campaign for Working America and the Project on Center-Left Renewal.

PPI's service model is content- and influence-driven rather than technology-driven. Its deliverables consist of published reports, policy briefs, op-eds placed in major national media, congressional testimony, and convening events such as the Women in Policy Alliance series. PPI also runs the Mosaic Economic Project to train diverse women experts in economics and technology, and the Center for Funding America's Future on fiscal policy. The organization does not develop proprietary software, AI products, or commercial platforms; its technology footprint is limited to standard digital publishing and social distribution channels. No patents, trademarks, certifications, or API products are disclosed.

PPI is funded through foundation grants, individual donations, and related non-profit revenue streams, with no publicly disclosed revenue figures, no parent company, and no venture or equity backing. It employs 11-50 staff, led by President Will Marshall and a team of vice presidents, directors, and senior advisors including former members of the U.S. Congress. PPI is not a commercial enterprise in the traditional sense and has no customers, contracts, or pricing model; its work is distributed free of charge to policymakers, journalists, and the general public.

Name

Progressive Policy Institute

Legal name

Progressive Policy Institute

Website

https://progressivepolicy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Progressive Policy Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit think tank founded in 1989 that produces pragmatic center-left policy research and convenes events for policymakers, journalists, and policy professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Democratic Governance & Public Administration Reform (BPADAGAJ)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Policy think tank
• Policy analysis services
• Economic policy research
• Legislative policy proposals

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Individual Donations: PPI operates as a non-profit think tank funded through foundation grants and individual donations from supporters who align with its mission of pragmatic policy innovation.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Progressive Policy Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public policy think tank that produces original policy research, analysis, and recommendations across competition/antitrust, energy and climate, education, workforce development, trade, fiscal, housing, and political reform issues. It distributes this work through published reports, op-eds, a podcast, hosted events, expert testimony before Congress, and training programs for policy professionals. All research and programming is provided free of charge to policymakers, media, and the public.

Product overview

The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a policy think tank based in Washington, D.C., offering a portfolio of research projects and initiatives rather than a commercial product platform. The organization operates through approximately 13 distinct projects including the Consumers and the Future of Antitrust, Making Space Work for Us, Center for Funding America's Future, Energy and Climate Solutions Initiative, Campaign for Working America, Women in Policy Alliance, Mosaic Economic Project, American Identity Project, Reinventing America's Schools, What Works Lab, New Skills for a New Economy, Innovation Frontier Project, and Project on Center-Left Renewal. These initiatives produce policy research, publications, events, and advocacy on topics ranging from competition policy and energy/climate solutions to workforce development and democratic renewal. PPI also hosts the Women in Policy Alliance monthly networking events and Coffee & Conversation series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Advanced recycling expansion could more than double U.S. plastic recycling rate from 9% to 19-23% and save municipalities $229.7-$327.5 million annually in avoided landfill tipping fees
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Department of EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026PPI's energy cost research utilized data from the Department of Energy's Low-income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) tool collected through the Census Bureau, enabling analysis of energy burdens across congressional districts.
• Census BureauminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026PPI's energy cost reports used Census Bureau data for demographic and income analysis across congressional districts and census tracts.
• McKell InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024PPI partnered with the McKell Institute, a progressive public policy organization in Australia, to present its encryption research report at events and salon dinners in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. McKell Institute, led by CEO Ed Cavanough, chaired PPI's events in Australia.
• NetsafeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024PPI partnered with Netsafe, New Zealand's digital safety authority appointed by the government, to host a salon dinner in Auckland presenting the encryption research findings and discussing New Zealand's encryption regulations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Third Way: Third Way is a center-left public policy think tank in Washington, D.C., explicitly positioned around pragmatic, center-left ideas. Highly comparable to PPI on positioning, size, and focus on Democratic Party renewal and economic policy.
• Center for American Progress: CAP is a leading center-left policy institute in Washington, D.C. with a broad portfolio spanning economic, energy, education, and democracy policy — directly comparable mission and issue coverage to PPI, though at a larger scale.
• New America: New America is a nonpartisan/centrist think tank in Washington, D.C. with programs covering economic policy, education, technology, and international affairs — overlapping significantly with PPI's policy portfolio and similar D.C.-based operating model.
• Economic Policy Institute: EPI is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on economic policy, labor markets, and working-family issues — directly overlapping with PPI's Campaign for Working America, fiscal policy, and workforce development work.
• Roosevelt Institute: Roosevelt Institute is a progressive think tank focused on economic policy, antitrust, and democratic reform — closely overlapping with PPI's antitrust, fiscal policy, and democracy-related initiatives.
• American Enterprise Institute: AEI is a center-right D.C.-based think tank with broad policy coverage in economics, education, energy, and foreign policy — a structurally comparable counterpart to PPI on the other side of the political spectrum.
• Information Technology and Innovation Foundation: ITIF is a D.C.-based think tank focused on technology, innovation, antitrust, and digital policy — directly comparable to PPI's Innovation Frontier Project and competition/antitrust work.
• Niskanen Center: Niskanen Center is a center-right/centrist think tank emphasizing pragmatic, market-based policy solutions. Comparable to PPI on its pragmatic brand positioning and similar size scale.

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Institution: Brookings is one of the largest and most established D.C.-based think tanks, covering economic, education, energy, and foreign policy. Comparable in topic coverage to PPI but operates at materially larger scale and budget.
• The Heritage Foundation: Heritage is the largest conservative think tank in Washington, D.C. with broad policy coverage including antitrust, energy, and education — a mirror-image incumbent to PPI on the right and a competitor for media attention and policymaker influence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PPI
• Facebookfacebook.com/progressivepolicyinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/progressive-policy-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Progressive Policy Institute