Mackinac Center for Public Policy

What Mackinac Center for Public Policy does

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational institute founded in 1987 and headquartered in Midland, Michigan. It produces free-market policy research across nine issue areas (education, energy, environment, labor, transparency, healthcare, fiscal, criminal justice, and a 250th anniversary initiative) and disseminates it to Michigan state legislators, policymakers, and the general public. Its core deliverables include policy studies, viewpoints, legislative testimony, and policy guides, alongside four proprietary public databases: the Michigan Government Salaries Database, the Michigan Votes legislative tracking database, the Collective Bargaining Agreements Database, and the School Report Card databases. The organization operates an owned news property (Michigan Capitol Confidential/CapCon), a bimonthly IMPACT magazine, and The Overton Window podcast, and pursues legal advocacy through its affiliated Mackinac Center Legal Foundation (amicus briefs and FOIA litigation).

The Mackinac Center has no proprietary technology product; its technical infrastructure consists of public-facing websites and searchable databases. It maintains a wholly owned multi-state labor initiative called Workers for Opportunity, plus domain-specific policy initiatives (Education, Energy, Environmental, Labor, Transparency, Healthcare, Criminal Justice, and the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative) and two affiliated media properties (Michigan Capitol Confidential and the Frank Beckmann Center for Journalism).

Revenue is generated almost entirely through charitable giving. The bulk of funding flows through Koch network channels (estimated $11 million in 2024 per third-party reporting), supplemented by a tiered individual membership program ranging from $100 to $100,000+ annually and a Legacy Society for planned gifts. The organization employs 45 full-time staff and draws on a 50-member Board of Scholars, with an annual operating budget of approximately $13 million. Its go-to-market motion is advocacy-led: it influences Michigan policy through research publication, legislative testimony, coalition-building with aligned organizations (Americans for Prosperity-Michigan, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Tax Reform, NFIB), and selective litigation.

Name

Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Legal name

Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Website

https://mackinac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute that produces free-market policy research, maintains government transparency databases, runs an investigative news site, and pursues legal advocacy to influence state legislators and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Political Organizations (813940)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF), Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA), Government & Public Policy Publishing (Regulations, Gazettes, Legislative Tracking) (MPAJACAI), Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Free market advocacy
• Legislative testimony
• Government transparency
• Policy think tank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ho Ho Kus

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. Donations and Contributions: The Mackinac Center is a Koch-funded nonprofit research and educational institute (501(c)(3)) that generates revenue primarily through donations. It is described as having $11 million in 2024 revenue from the Koch network funding.
2. Membership Program: The organization operates a membership program with multiple giving levels (Member $100-$499, Jefferson Society $500-$999, President's Council $1,000-$9,999, 1851 Society $10,000-$49,999, Liberty Member $50,000-$99,999, Patriot Society $100,000+). Members receive publications, event invitations, and other benefits.
3. Legacy/Planned Giving: The organization operates a Legacy Society for planned giving through wills, living trusts, charitable gift annuities, life insurance, and retirement plan designations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational institute that produces and distributes policy research, publications, transparency databases, investigative journalism, and legal advocacy to advance free-market principles and limited government in Michigan. Its core offerings include policy studies and reports, IMPACT magazine, The Overton Window Podcast, the Michigan Capitol Confidential news website, public databases tracking government salaries, legislative votes, school performance, and collective bargaining agreements, and legal advocacy through the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation.

Product overview

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute advancing free markets and limited government. Its product portfolio consists of policy research publications (studies, viewpoints, policy guides), media properties (Michigan Capitol Confidential news website, IMPACT Magazine, The Overton Window Podcast), public databases (Michigan Votes legislative tracking, Government Salaries, School Report Cards, Collective Bargaining Agreements), and legal advocacy services through its Legal Foundation. These offerings work together to advance the organization's mission of promoting free-market public policy through research, education, journalism, and litigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Michigan Capitol Confidential (CapCon) An independent news website providing investigative reporting on Michigan state and local government activity, daily and weekly news emails, and investigative journalism for journalists and Michigan residents interested in government transparency.
• IMPACT Magazine A bi-monthly magazine highlighting the Mackinac Center's work on free-market public policy, distributed to members and supporters as part of the membership benefits package.
• The Overton Window Podcast A podcast featuring policy discussions and interviews with policy experts, covering topics including data centers, energy policy, worker freedom, and government reform. Available on Spotify and YouTube.
• Michigan Government Salaries Database A searchable public database of salary information for Michigan state and local government employees, supporting government transparency research.
• Michigan Votes Database A legislative voting record database tracking how Michigan elected officials vote on key policy issues, accessible to the public at michiganvotes.org.
• Collective Bargaining Agreements Database A database containing public sector union contract agreements for Michigan schools and government entities, supporting transparency in public-sector labor arrangements.
• School Report Card Databases Performance data for Michigan elementary, middle, and high schools based on state assessment results, supporting education policy analysis.
• Mackinac Center Legal Foundation The legal arm of the Mackinac Center providing amicus briefs, litigation support, and legal analysis on constitutional and public policy issues, including cases involving wetlands regulation, union dues, and FOIA compliance.
• Policy Studies and Reports Research publications including studies, viewpoints, and policy guides covering broadband/internet policy, energy policy, education policy, labor policy, and other public policy issues affecting Michigan.
• Email Newsletters Subscription email services including 'This Week at Mackinac' weekly newsletter, Michigan Education Digest, Events announcements, IMPACT magazine, CapCon Weekly, and CapCon Daily.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved court-ordered expedited review of Line 5 pipeline tunnel permitting process
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Coalition on Digital Advertising Tax (14 organizations)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 June 2025The Mackinac Center joined with 14 other organizations including Americans for Prosperity-Michigan, Americans for Tax Reform, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and NFIB-Michigan in issuing a joint letter opposing proposed digital advertising tax legislation.
• Institute for Energy Research (IER)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2025The Mackinac Center and Institute for Energy Research jointly wrote to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urging expedited approval of Line 5 tunnel project. Their coordinated advocacy resulted in the Army Corps expediting the permitting process for the $500 million+ private investment.
• Workers for OpportunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkers for Opportunity is described as a 'multi-state project of the Mackinac Center' promoting an American workplace rooted in mutually beneficial relationships between workers and employers, government neutrality, free enterprise, and freedom of choice. The Coalitions Director position reports to WFO's Executive Director.
• EnbridgeminorOthersEnbridge provides property at its North Straits valve site in St. Ignace, Michigan for Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch, a nonprofit organization, to conduct owl banding research. This is an indirect connection through environmental conservation work at company property.
• Frank Beckmann Center for JournalismminorOthersAffiliated organization focused on journalism that is part of the Mackinac Center's media ecosystem.
• Michigan Capitol ConfidentialcoreOthersMichigan Capitol Confidential (CapCon) is described as 'the news website of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy' providing investigative reporting on government activity.
• Mackinac Center Legal FoundationcoreOthersThe Mackinac Center Legal Foundation is the legal arm of the organization, providing legal support on constitutional issues, filing amicus briefs, and engaging in litigation to prevent government overreach.

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heartland Institute: A national free-market think tank focused on energy, environment, and education policy; comparable as a Koch-network-affiliated advocacy organization publishing policy research, briefs, and amicus-style commentary on state-level legislation.
• American Enterprise Institute: A Washington-based public policy think tank conducting research on economics, politics, and social welfare; comparable as a center-right research institute with a comparable funding scale, scholarly staff, and policy-publication output model.
• Reason Foundation: A libertarian policy research organization publishing analysis and Reason Magazine; comparable as a multi-issue think tank that pairs research publications with a flagship magazine and podcast distribution model.
• Manhattan Institute: A free-market policy research organization with city-based focus expanding nationally; comparable as a State Policy Network-adjacent think tank emphasizing state-level reform, journalism partnerships, and policy research dissemination.
• Goldwater Institute: A state-level (Arizona-based) conservative public policy and litigation organization; comparable as a state-focused free-market think tank with an integrated legal arm filing constitutional litigation, mirroring Mackinac's Legal Foundation structure.
• Pacific Research Institute: A California-based free-market think tank producing policy research on the West Coast; comparable as a State Policy Network affiliate producing studies, op-eds, and legislative outreach on similar issue verticals.
• Heritage Foundation: A leading national conservative think tank producing policy research across economics, foreign policy, and social issues; structurally comparable as a Koch-aligned, multi-issue policy research organization with affiliated legal and media arms.
• Cato Institute: A libertarian public policy research foundation producing studies, books, and policy analysis; comparable as a free-market think tank distributing research through publications, events, and digital channels to influence legislators and the public.

Broad incumbents

• Americans for Prosperity: A Koch-funded 501(c)(4) grassroots advocacy organization; comparable as a State Policy Network-aligned partner organization that shares donor base, issue focus, and coalition-based policy advocacy motion with Mackinac.
• State Policy Network: The umbrella network of state-level free-market think tanks of which Mackinac is an affiliate; comparable as the institutional hub coordinating funding, strategy, and best practices across the same network of state policy organizations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mackinaccenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MackinacCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/36091862898
• Instagraminstagram.com/mackinaccenter
• TikToktiktok.com/@mackinac_center
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mackinac-center-for-public-policy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries12 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 Mackinac Center for Public Policy