Below are answers to questions about Brookings’s approach to foreign funding. Brookings routinely reviews and updates its policies to safeguard its commitment to research independence.
How does Brookings ensure that no funder influences its research?
Brookings and all its personnel are governed by robust policies on research independence that do not permit outside parties to undermine or compromise the independence of Brookings’s research or its recommendations. The institution has established donor guidelines that govern its fundraising and donor engagement activities. As a matter of policy, Brookings accepts gifts only from donors who trust and value Brookings’s expertise and do not seek to undermine or compromise the independence of our scholars’ research or otherwise attempt to predetermine or influence recommendations.
Why does Brookings receive funding from overseas?
Brookings is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and depends on financial support to achieve its mission of conducting high-quality, independent research to address the pressing public policy challenges of a complex and interconnected world. In support of its mission, Brookings accepts financial support from funders including individuals, organizations, and governments both within and outside of the United States. As a globally-oriented nonprofit, Brookings is grateful for support from a diverse network of funders outside the United States who appreciate Brookings’s mission and value our approach to trusted, independent analyses.
Does Brookings disclose the foreign funding it receives?
Yes. Since 1983, the institution has voluntarily published information about its finances and a list of donors, including foreign funders, in an annual report. You can find this information here.
Brookings is fortunate to have a highly diversified portfolio of support in which no single source of funding is dominant. Brookings’s aggregate funding from foreign governments today typically makes up less than 10 percent of the institution’s overall financial support.
Does Brookings receive funding from the government of Qatar?
No. Brookings currently receives no financial support from Qatar. Brookings received funding from Qatar in the past to support operations for research and events. In early 2017, Brookings elected not to renew funding from Qatar. Brookings subsequently decided to close the Brookings Doha Center, which had been established in 2007.
Does Brookings receive funding from the government of Saudi Arabia?
No. In 2018, following the disappearance and murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Brookings decided to terminate its sole research grant with the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Does Brookings receive funding from the government of China?
No. Brookings does not receive funding from the Chinese government.
Does Brookings receive funding from the government of Russia?
No. Brookings does not receive funding from the Russian government.
Does Brookings operate offices overseas?
No. In 2019, Brookings decided to formally separate from its three overseas affiliated centers. In this digital age, Brookings embraced a move away from a brick-and-mortar presence to a nimbler approach to global and digital engagement. Read Brookings’s public announcement about the transition of its foreign centers.
How does Brookings address the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)?
Brookings prohibits any employee from engaging in activities that would require the institution or the individual to register under FARA. This includes explicit prohibition of activities that seek to influence the U.S. government or public on behalf of a foreign principal or represent the interests of a foreign principal in interactions with the U.S. government. Brookings mandates training with respect to its policies related to FARA.