Monday, July 6, 2020

Think Tanks Received Millions in PPP Loans

Today the US's Small Business Administration (SBA) released information on nearly 700,000 loans issued as part of the $660 billion Payroll Protection Program (PPP), and Think Tank Watch has been scouring SBA's database in search of think tanks that received money.

The database consists of small businesses and nonprofits that received at least $150,000.  Here are a few of the think tanks we found that received PPP funds:

  • Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC): $1-$2 million
  • Center for a New American Security (CNAS): $350,000 - $1 million 
  • Center for Security Policy (CSP): $150,000 - $350,000
  • Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA): $350,000 - $1 million
  • Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): $2-$5 million
  • Economic Policy Institute (EPI): $350,000 to $1 million
  • Institute for Policy Studies (IPS): $350,000 to $1 million
  • Institute for the Study of War (ISW): $150,000 to $350,000
  • Middle East Institute (MEI): $350,000 to $1 million
  • New America: $2-$5 million
  • Stimson Center: $350,000 to $1 million
  • Third Way: $350,000 to $1 million

As previously noted by Think Tank Watch, the Aspen Institute returned $8 million that it had received from the PPP.

The libertarian Cato Institute is one of the few think tanks that has promised not to take bailout money.