Capital Research Center

What Capital Research Center does

Capital Research Center (CRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization founded in 1984 and headquartered at 1513 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C. The organization conducts investigative research on nonprofit organizations with a focus on left-leaning nonprofits, dark money networks, philanthropy oversight, environmental NGOs, and political-finance entities. Its primary consumers are federal government officials — specifically the Trump administration and congressional Republicans — who use CRC's research as intelligence for congressional committee work, DOJ letters, and White House briefings. CRC's research has been cited in DOJ actions targeting organizations including Open Society Foundations and contributed to an FBI raid on the Ohio Organizing Collaborative.

CRC's product portfolio centers on the InfluenceWatch research database, a proprietary platform tracking nonprofit organizations, their funding sources, and political activities. Supporting products include the monthly Capital Research Magazine, the Green Watch publication category (focused on environmental NGOs), the Civil Disruption vs Civil Society category, and two podcast series: the InfluenceWatch Podcast and "Who Funds That?" The organization also produces featured investigative reports such as "Enemies of Energy: The Myths, the Movement, and the Money," which profiles 15 anti-energy NGOs. Sub-brands include InfluenceWatch and Green Watch. Core technology is investigative journalism and editorial research; there are no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or software integrations. Distribution is via the capitalresearch.org website, the InfluenceWatch platform, podcast platforms (Spreaker), social media, and email newsletter.

CRC operates as a donation-funded nonprofit and does not sell commercial products or services. Revenue is generated entirely through charitable contributions from individuals and foundations. The organization is led by President Scott Walter, Senior Vice President Kristen Eastlick, and Research Director Michael Watson, supported by a team of subject-specialist staff writers. With 1-10 employees, CRC is a small organization that has achieved disproportionate federal-policy influence, recently contributing to the IRS announcement to revise Form 990 reporting requirements for tax-exempt organizations.

Name

Capital Research Center

Legal name

Capital Research Center

Website

https://capitalresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Capital Research Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 that investigates left-leaning nonprofits, dark money networks, and philanthropy. It serves as a key intelligence source for the Trump administration and congressional Republicans, with its research cited in DOJ letters and congressional proceedings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Nonprofit Watchdog Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Periodical Publishers (51312)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF), Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN)

Keywords

• Nonprofit watchdog research
• Charity sector oversight
• Philanthropy investigative reporting
• Dark money tracking
• Nonprofit funding analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Capital Research Center conducts investigative research on nonprofit organizations, charities, and philanthropic activity, with emphasis on documenting the funding sources and political activities of left-leaning organizations. It operates the InfluenceWatch research database tracking nonprofits and their financial networks, and distributes its findings through a monthly magazine, themed research categories, and podcast series.

Product overview

Capital Research Center (CRC) operates as a conservative nonprofit research organization offering a portfolio of investigative research products and publications. The core offering is the InfluenceWatch research database, which monitors nonprofit organizations and their funding. Supporting this are publication products including the monthly Capital Research Magazine, the Green Watch category (focused on environmental organizations), and the Civil Disruption vs Civil Society category. The organization distributes its research through two podcast series: the 'Who Funds That?' podcast and the InfluenceWatch Podcast. Featured publications like 'Enemies of Energy: The Myths, the Movement, and the Money' provide in-depth investigative reports on specific topics. CRC functions primarily as a think tank and watchdog organization rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• InfluenceWatch: A project of Capital Research Center that monitors and tracks nonprofit organizations and their activities.
• Green Watch
• Capital Research

Products and services

• InfluenceWatch A research database and monitoring platform that tracks nonprofit organizations, their funding sources, and political activities; serves as the organization's main investigative platform for monitoring left-leaning organizations and their financial networks.
• Capital Research Magazine Monthly publication covering nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, and political influence; the April 2026 issue focused on 'Enemies of Energy' examining environmental NGO activism.
• Green Watch A publication and research category dedicated to monitoring the environmental movement, tracking dark money networks, and documenting organizations opposing traditional energy sources.
• Who Funds That? Podcast Weekly podcast series investigating nonprofit funding, featuring discussions on topics including higher education, union finances, and political donor networks.
• InfluenceWatch Podcast Podcast covering nonprofit sector investigations, labor unions, foundations, and political organizations; Michael Watson serves as managing editor.
• Enemies of Energy: The Myths, the Movement, and the Money Comprehensive report profiling fifteen influential opponents of energy production, examining the funding and tactics of anti-energy NGOs.
• Civil Disruption vs Civil Society Research category examining the intersection of protest movements, nonprofit organizations, and civil society, including coverage of radical left activism.

Quantifiable outcome

• CRC research cited in FBI raid on Ohio Organizing Collaborative
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC): Conservative public policy organization producing model legislation for state legislatures; broadly comparable to CRC as a longstanding conservative nonprofit shaping policy via research outputs and direct legislator engagement.
• Heritage Foundation: Large established conservative think tank; broadly comparable to CRC as a D.C.-based policy research organization influencing federal regulation and legislation, but operating at materially larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Center for Public Integrity: Investigative journalism nonprofit producing award-winning reporting on money, power, and policy; comparable to CRC as a 501(c)(3) investigative research organization whose work is cited in official proceedings and regulatory contexts.
• Philanthropy Roundtable: Membership association of charitable foundations and donors; closely comparable to CRC as a nonprofit-sector organization whose publications and research address philanthropy, donor intent, and the political activities of grantmaking entities.
• National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: Nonprofit watchdog that monitors philanthropic institutions and their political activity; directly comparable to CRC as a sector-focused research and advocacy organization examining nonprofit funding flows, though from a progressive perspective.
• Americans for Tax Reform: Conservative advocacy nonprofit focused on tax and government spending issues; comparable to CRC as a long-running conservative policy organization headquartered in Washington that influences federal regulatory and legislative agendas.
• OpenSecrets (Center for Responsive Politics): Nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks money in U.S. politics and lobbying; directly comparable to CRC in operating a research database on funding networks and publishing investigative content used by policymakers and journalists.
• Foundation for Government Accountability: Conservative state-level policy organization focused on welfare and government accountability; comparable to CRC as a like-sized right-of-center research shop whose work is regularly cited by congressional Republicans and federal agencies.
• Media Research Center: Conservative media watchdog that analyzes and exposes liberal bias; comparable to CRC as a nonprofit research organization producing ideological investigative content from a conservative perspective with regulatory and cultural influence.

Emerging players

• InfluenceMap: Research organization tracking corporate influence over climate and energy policy; overlaps with CRC's Green Watch vertical as a nonprofit investigative platform funded by foundations, though from a different ideological orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/capitalresearch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCp7NBbx93BDRMe2jM2h-Wpw
• Facebookfacebook.com/capitalresearchcenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/capitalresearchcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capital-research-center-dc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Capital Research Center