Gatestone Institute

Overview

Mission

Gatestone institute is a policy research and education organization (a "think tank") formed for the purpose of supporting the institutions of human rights and democracy worldwide (including freedom of speech, the press and religion, property rights and free-market opportunities, the rule of law and governmental accountability and transparency) in order to promote social, legal, political and economic fairness and a peaceful existence for all people. Gatestone will conduct research and analysis, inform the public and the policy community and foster communication and the exchange of ideas among the public, advocates, opinion leaders and policy makers, in an effort to achieve fair and just social, legal, political and economic policies for all people and promote a safe and peaceful world in a manner that is useful to individuals and beneficial to the community.

Operating model

Revenue model

Donor-supported. 81% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.

Distribution model

Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

• Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

MIXED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most filed governance safeguards are in place. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

• Financial Efficiency: 70
• Transparency & Controls: 44
• Accountability: 66
• Sustainability: 13
• Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Details

• Where the money goes: 74.2% of revenue deployed · 68% of spending went to programs
• Governance: 2 of 4 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
• Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.2M in reported program spending
• Leadership: top reported pay $318K · 5 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
• Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $327K reported
• Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
• Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
• Filing history: 11 filing years from 2013 to 2024
• Contacts: How to reach this organization
• Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
• Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
• Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
• People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

• High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
• Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 50/100.
• High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
• High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
• Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 52/100.
• High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
• High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
• High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 18/100.
• High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 6/100.
• Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
• High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 12/100.
• High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 11/100.