What Independence Institute does

Independence Institute is a private 501(c)(3) free-market, pro-liberty think tank founded in 1985 and headquartered at 727 East 16th Avenue in Denver, Colorado. The Institute educates citizens, legislators, opinion-makers, and the media on Colorado-specific policy issues spanning constitutional studies, fiscal policy (especially TABOR), education reform, energy and environment, emerging technology, and Second Amendment rights. Its audience is concentrated entirely in Colorado, with grassroots civic-engagement infrastructure reaching Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, and Weld counties plus state boards and commissions through the Citizen Involvement Project.

The Institute's product portfolio is content- and research-led rather than software-based. Core offerings include policy publications and issue briefs, the wholly-owned investigative news outlet CompleteColorado.com, the quarterly Independent Inking Magazine, the TABOR Talk video/podcast series, the Independence Institute TV YouTube channel, multiple email newsletters, and the Future Leaders Internship Program. Underlying "technology" is a policy-research and analysis operation built around credentialed staff — including a constitutional law scholar whose work has been cited by U.S. Supreme Court justices 41 times since 2013 — rather than proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI systems.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Independence Institute generates revenue almost entirely through donations and philanthropic support from individuals and organizations aligned with its free-market philosophy, protected under donor-privacy policies. Its go-to-market is community-led: combining published research, video, podcasts, newsletters, and direct civic-engagement programming to recruit volunteers, interns, and donors, and to influence Colorado legislative and electoral outcomes. No public funding rounds, debt issuance, or transactions were disclosed.

Name

Independence Institute

Legal name

Independence Institute

Website

https://i2i.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Independence Institute is a Denver-based, 501(c)(3) free-market think tank founded in 1985 that produces policy research, original news via CompleteColorado.com, podcasts, video, and civic-engagement programs for Colorado citizens, legislators, and media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Think Tank Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

Keywords

• Policy research
• Think tank publications
• Civic engagement
• Fiscal policy analysis
• Public affairs journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Support: The organization relies on donor support and investments from individuals and organizations who share their free-market, pro-liberty philosophy. The Privacy Policy mentions protecting donor privacy as a core value, indicating dependency on charitable contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Independence Institute is a Colorado-based free-market, pro-liberty think tank that produces original policy research, publications, and reports on constitutional, fiscal, education, energy, and emerging-tech issues. It also publishes original news and commentary through its Complete Colorado outlet, produces video and podcast content (including the TABOR Talk series), runs a Citizen Involvement Project placing Coloradans on local boards and commissions, and operates an internship pipeline for future policy advocates.

Product overview

Independence Institute is a free-market think tank offering a portfolio of policy-focused content products including research publications, original news reporting through Complete Colorado, video content (TABOR Talk series), quarterly magazine, email newsletters, educational internship programs, and civic engagement initiatives. The organization serves as a policy education and advocacy resource for Colorado citizens, legislators, and media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Complete Colorado: Original reporting and commentary news site covering Colorado politics and policy
• Independent Inking Magazine
• Independence Institute TV (IITV)
• TABOR Talk

Products and services

• Policy Publications and Reports Research-based policy analysis publications covering constitutional studies, fiscal policy (including TABOR), education, energy, and other Colorado state issues; targeted at legislators, policymakers, journalists, and engaged citizens.
• Complete Colorado Original investigative news reporting and commentary outlet covering Colorado politics and policy, operating as a wholly owned affiliated news site of the Institute.
• TABOR Talk Video and podcast series featuring policy experts discussing TABOR and Colorado fiscal issues, including legislative topics such as Senate Bill 135 and Initiative 195.
• Independent Inking Magazine Quarterly publication covering policy topics and institute activities, distributed to supporters and stakeholders.
• Email Newsletters Recurring policy-focused email newsletters including the Bi-Weekly Policy Center Update, Jon Caldara's Note, Citizen Involvement Project updates, and quarterly Independent Inking Magazine newsletter.
• Future Leaders Internship Program Educational internship program for students interested in policy, liberty-focused advocacy, and free-market public affairs.
• Events and Classes Educational events, classes, and civic engagement opportunities for citizens and legislators hosted by the Institute.
• Citizen Involvement Project Program connecting Colorado citizens with local government boards and commissions across Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, and Weld counties, as well as state-level Colorado boards and commissions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rob Natelson's constitutional research has been cited by Supreme Court justices 40+ times since 2013

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Adams County Boards & CommissionscoreOthersThrough the Citizen Involvement Project, Independence Institute connects citizens to Adams County boards and commissions, supporting civic engagement and local governance participation.
• Arapahoe County Boards and CommissionscoreOthersThrough the Citizen Involvement Project, Independence Institute connects citizens to Arapahoe County boards and commissions, supporting civic engagement and local governance participation.
• Broomfield County Boards and CommissionscoreOthersThrough the Citizen Involvement Project, Independence Institute connects citizens to Broomfield County boards and commissions, supporting civic engagement and local governance participation.
• Colorado Boards and CommissionscoreOthersThrough the Citizen Involvement Project, Independence Institute connects citizens to state-level Colorado boards and commissions, supporting civic engagement and governance participation.
• Douglas County Boards & CommissionscoreOthersThrough the Citizen Involvement Project, Independence Institute connects citizens to Douglas County boards and commissions, supporting civic engagement and local governance participation.
• Denver Boards and CommissionscoreOthersThrough the Citizen Involvement Project, Independence Institute connects citizens to Denver boards and commissions, supporting civic engagement and local governance participation.
• El Paso County Boards and CommissionscoreOthersThrough the Citizen Involvement Project, Independence Institute connects citizens to El Paso County boards and commissions, supporting civic engagement and local governance participation.
• Jefferson County Boards and CommissionscoreOthersThrough the Citizen Involvement Project, Independence Institute connects citizens to Jefferson County boards and commissions, supporting civic engagement and local governance participation.
• Weld County Boards and CommissionscoreOthersThrough the Citizen Involvement Project, Independence Institute connects citizens to Weld County boards and commissions, supporting civic engagement and local governance participation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centennial Institute: Colorado-based free-market public policy think tank focused on state-level issues, affiliated with Colorado Christian University. Closely aligned with Independence Institute in ideology, geography, and product mix (policy reports, civic engagement, fellowships).
• Manhattan Institute: National policy research organization with state-level issue foci on fiscal policy, education reform, and constitutional questions. Comparable as a free-market think tank generating original research cited by policymakers and judges.
• Competitive Enterprise Institute: Washington, D.C.-based free-market think tank focused on regulatory, environmental, and technology policy from a limited-government perspective. Comparable as an advocacy-oriented free-market research organization with strong media presence and original commentary.
• Pacific Research Institute: California-based free-market think tank producing policy research on fiscal, regulatory, health, and environmental issues. Comparable as a West-region state-focused think tank with research-and-advocacy operating model and multi-channel content production.
• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC): National membership organization of state legislators producing model free-market policies on fiscal, education, and regulatory issues. Comparable engagement with Colorado legislators and overlap on TABOR-adjacent and education reform policy.
• Colorado Fiscal Institute: Colorado-based independent policy research organization that produces fiscal and economic analysis for state and local policy debates. Directly comparable in geographic focus and think-tank operating model, though from a progressive rather than free-market perspective.
• Goldwater Institute: Arizona-based conservative and libertarian state-level think tank known for constitutional scholarship and litigation-driven policy reform. Directly comparable as a state-focused free-market think tank with strong legal-research orientation and engagement with Supreme Court-level constitutional questions.

Broad incumbents

• Cato Institute: Nationally prominent libertarian think tank producing research across economics, civil liberties, and foreign policy. Comparable in free-market/pro-liberty orientation and broad portfolio of policy reports, op-eds, and multimedia, but at national scale with a far larger donor base.
• Reason Foundation: National libertarian think tank publishing Reason magazine plus policy research on governance, fiscal, and technology issues. Comparable multi-channel content production model (magazine, podcasts, videos, policy reports) under a free-market ideological lens.

Others

• State Policy Network: Umbrella association representing 60+ state-level free-market think tanks, including Colorado-based groups. Independence Institute is a typical member of this network and benefits from shared research, fundraising infrastructure, and peer collaboration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/i2idotorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCu-w7huUgtiCV0MZHa5ltYQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/i2idotorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/independence-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/independenceinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Independence Institute