Competitive Enterprise Institute
Organization summary
Type of Nonprofit
Designated as a Organizations for any of the following purposes: religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition (as long as it doesn’t provide athletic facilities or equipment), or the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
Donations to this organization are tax deductible.
Summary charts: organization finances over time
Revenue
$10.1M
(2023)
Expenses
$8.43M
(2023)
Total Assets
$10M
(2023)
Total Liabilities
$4.4M
(2023)
Tax Filings by Year
Form 990 is an information return that most organizations claiming federal tax-exempt status must file yearly with the IRS. Nonprofit Explorer has IRS digitized Form 990 data for filings processed in 2012 and later. If this organization filed an amended return, it may not be reflected below. Duplicate download links may indicate a resubmission or amendment to this organization's original return. Form 990 data is from the IRS.
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2023
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $10,336,502 |
> 100%
|
| Program Services | $0 | |
| Investment Income | $63,255 |
0.6%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$328,752 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$96 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $54,538 |
0.5%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $782,641 |
9.3%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $107,823 |
1.3%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $3,115,858 |
37.0%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,012,425 | |
| Total Liabilities | $4,403,863 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Lassman (President) | $278,255 | $0 | $28,122 |
| Joel Zinberg (Senior Fellow) | $178,442 | $0 | $3,231 |
| Wayne Crews Fred L Smith (Fellow In Regulatory Studies) | $169,603 | $0 | $29,995 |
Document Links
990
Filed on March 3, 2024Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2022
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $7,868,382 |
> 100%
|
| Program Services | $0 | |
| Investment Income | $16,006 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$214,408 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$2,699 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $91,495 |
1.2%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $695,686 |
10.4%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $41,850 |
0.6%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $2,837,602 |
42.5%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,463,449 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,915,841 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Lassman (President) | $313,279 | $0 | $29,972 |
| Joel Zinberg (Senior Fellow) | $173,000 | $0 | $2,595 |
| Wayne Crews (Vp For Policy) | $165,996 | $0 | $30,608 |
Document Links
990
Filed on April 27, 2023Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2021
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $6,747,374 |
> 100%
|
| Program Services | $0 | |
| Investment Income | $15,613 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$128,760 | |
| Sales of Assets | $150 |
0.0%
|
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $100,929 |
1.5%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $794,400 |
12.1%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $56,100 |
0.9%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $2,732,043 |
41.5%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,757,663 | |
| Total Liabilities | $2,286,866 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Lassman (President) | $254,835 | $0 | $27,284 |
| Greg Conko (Senior Fellow Until 7/9/21) | $175,742 | $0 | $11,039 |
| Wayne Crews (Vp For Policy) | $172,415 | $0 | $27,844 |
Document Links
990
Filed on April 5, 2022Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2020
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $6,696,253 |
98.4%
|
| Program Services | $6,108 |
0.1%
|
| Investment Income | $12,609 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$133 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $90,633 |
1.3%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $704,031 |
11.4%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $59,500 |
1.0%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $2,414,252 |
39.1%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,480,576 | |
| Total Liabilities | $2,162,820 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Lassman (President) | $244,359 | $0 | $25,698 |
| Wayne Crews (Vp For Policy) | $157,967 | $0 | $28,196 |
| Sam Kazman (Vice President, General Counsel) | $136,339 | $0 | $21,667 |
Document Links
990
Filed on Feb. 16, 2021Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2019
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $7,110,810 |
99.9%
|
| Program Services | $154,288 |
2.2%
|
| Investment Income | $10,741 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$239,679 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$186 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $82,842 |
1.2%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $719,462 |
11.6%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $51,000 |
0.8%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $2,327,229 |
37.5%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,901,274 | |
| Total Liabilities | $2,218,817 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Lassman (President) | $226,238 | $0 | $24,750 |
| Theodore Frank Director (Of Ctr. For Class Action Fairness) | $206,555 | $0 | $10,649 |
| Wayne Crews (Vp For Policy) | $154,481 | $0 | $28,257 |
Document Links
990
Filed on Aug. 12, 2020Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2018
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $6,309,693 |
98.6%
|
| Program Services | $186,313 |
2.9%
|
| Investment Income | $11,315 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$207,882 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$1,346 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $99,783 |
1.6%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $813,736 |
12.0%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $30,000 |
0.4%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $2,793,561 |
41.1%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,160,827 | |
| Total Liabilities | $2,383,904 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Lassman (President) | $212,577 | $0 | $24,542 |
| Theodore Frank Director (Of Ctr. For Class Action Fairness) | $207,149 | $0 | $10,327 |
| Wayne Crews (Vp For Policy) | $154,551 | $0 | $31,354 |
Document Links
990
Filed on July 9, 2019Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
990-T
For unrelated business income from activities not substantially related to the organization's tax-exempt purpose
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2017
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $7,226,930 |
99.2%
|
| Program Services | $162,413 |
2.2%
|
| Investment Income | $10,905 |
0.1%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$196,412 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$516 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $84,195 |
1.2%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $880,037 |
10.5%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $44,000 |
0.5%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $2,872,412 |
34.4%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,880,015 | |
| Total Liabilities | $2,703,889 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theodore Frank Director (Of Ctr. For Class Action Fairness) | $211,736 | $0 | $7,114 |
| Fred L Smith Jr Founder (Director, Dir. For Ctr. For Adv. Cap.) | $181,272 | $0 | $21,812 |
| Kent Lassman (President (As Of 04/2016)) | $161,946 | $0 | $14,217 |
Document Links
990
Filed on March 20, 2018Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2016
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $6,903,266 |
89.6%
|
| Program Services | $945,550 |
12.3%
|
| Investment Income | $10,648 |
0.1%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$159,547 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$2,499 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $6,345 |
0.1%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $744,611 |
9.5%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $40,672 |
0.5%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $2,802,974 |
35.9%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,136,116 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,893,531 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawson Bader (President Until 12/2015) | $219,559 | $0 | $15,927 |
| Fred L Smith Jr Founder (Director, Dir. For Ctr. For Adv. Cap.) | $170,202 | $0 | $13,244 |
| Wayne Crews (Vp For Policy) | $146,063 | $0 | $17,179 |
Document Links
990
Filed on July 12, 2017Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2015
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $7,605,353 |
> 100%
|
| Program Services | $10,400 |
0.1%
|
| Investment Income | $9,779 |
0.1%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$182,154 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$915 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $2,354 |
0.0%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $748,362 |
10.2%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $408,190 |
5.5%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $2,121,499 |
28.8%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,854,282 | |
| Total Liabilities | $504,171 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawson Bader (President) | $172,681 | $0 | $17,028 |
| Fred L Smith Jr Founder (Director, Dir. For Ctr. For Adv. Cap.) | $170,586 | $0 | $13,264 |
| Wayne Crews (Vp For Policy) | $146,583 | $0 | $16,861 |
Document Links
990
Filed on Feb. 19, 2016Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2014
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $7,105,791 |
> 100%
|
| Program Services | $10,500 |
0.1%
|
| Investment Income | $10,120 |
0.1%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$150,062 | |
| Sales of Assets | -$639 | |
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $34,136 |
0.5%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $817,095 |
12.7%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $40,991 |
0.6%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,905,136 |
29.6%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,913,637 | |
| Total Liabilities | $651,433 |
Compensation
| Key Employees and Officers | Compensation | Related | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fred L Smith Jr Founder (Director, Dir. For Ctr. For Adv. Cap.) | $192,976 | $0 | $12,327 |
| Lawson Bader (President) | $172,979 | $0 | $15,720 |
| Wayne Crews (Vp For Policy) | $148,813 | $0 | $12,439 |
Document Links
990
Filed on April 30, 2015Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2013
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $6,470,211 |
> 100%
|
| Program Services | $0 | |
| Investment Income | $10,824 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $0 | |
| Net Fundraising | -$212,067 | |
| Sales of Assets | $466 |
0.0%
|
| Net Inventory Sales | $0 | |
| Other Revenue | $75,190 |
1.2%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $795,950 |
10.3%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $370,942 |
4.8%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,904,917 |
24.6%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,769,236 | |
| Total Liabilities | $1,089,930 |
Document Links
990
Filed on July 3, 2014Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2012
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $6,291,729 |
99.0%
|
| Program Services | $0 | |
| Investment Income | $12,241 |
0.2%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $9,600 |
0.2%
|
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $147 |
0.0%
|
| Net Inventory Sales | $1,031 |
0.0%
|
| Other Revenue | $40,084 |
0.6%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $915,800 |
17.0%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $0 | |
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,252,386 |
23.3%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,520,366 | |
| Total Liabilities | $219,592 |
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2011
Extracted Financial Data
Extracted Financial Data from Form 990
| Notable Sources of Revenue | Percent of Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | $5,224,185 |
97.7%
|
| Program Services | $0 | |
| Investment Income | $14,485 |
0.3%
|
| Bond Proceeds | $0 | |
| Royalties | $0 | |
| Rental Property Income | $5,225 |
0.1%
|
| Net Fundraising | $0 | |
| Sales of Assets | $87 |
0.0%
|
| Net Inventory Sales | $3,713 |
0.1%
|
| Other Revenue | $101,967 |
1.9%
|
| Notable Expenses | Percent of Total Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Compensation | $901,082 |
18.5%
|
| Professional Fundraising Fees | $27,353 |
0.6%
|
| Other Salaries and Wages | $1,358,637 |
27.9%
|
| Assets/Debt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,560,594 | |
| Total Liabilities | $170,683 |
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2010
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2009
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2008
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2007
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2006
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2005
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2004
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2003
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2002
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
Fiscal Year Ending Sept.
2001
No Extracted Financial Data
Extracted financial data is not available for the forms filed in this tax period, but Form 990 documents are available for download.
Document Links
990
Primary tax return for a nonprofit’s activities, finances, and governance
About This Data
Nonprofit Explorer includes summary data for nonprofit tax returns and full Form 990 documents, in both PDF and digital formats.
The summary data contains information processed by the IRS during the 2012-2019 calendar years; this generally consists of filings for the 2011-2018 fiscal years, but may include older records. This data release includes only a subset of what can be found in the full Form 990s.
In addition to the raw summary data, we link to PDFs and digital copies of full Form 990 documents wherever possible. This consists of separate releases by the IRS of Form 990 documents processed by the agency, which we update regularly.
We also link to copies of audits nonprofit organizations that spent $750,000 or more in Federal grant money in a single fiscal year since 2016. These audits are copied from the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.