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Brookings Institution

1775 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036

Mission and Programs

Mission

The Brookings Institution, an independent, nonpartisan research organization, addresses current and emerging policy issues while offering practical approaches to solving them to policymakers as well as the general public. It is devoted to improving the performance of American institutions and the quality of the policies they make. Through its research, Brookings operates as an analyst and a critic that is committed to disseminating its findings. In its conferences, publications, and other activities, Brookings serves as a vital catalyst between scholarship and policymaking, bringing new knowledge to the attention of decision-makers and affording scholars greater insight into public policy issues.

Programs

Brookings's public policy research is structured by three programs: Economic Studies; Foreign Policy Studies; and Governance Studies, each headed by a vice-president who directs research efforts. Under the programs' direction are several policy centers that focus research on specific issues, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary work within the Institution and collaborative efforts in partnership with other institutions. Policy centers include: the Center on Social and Economic Dynamics (CSED); the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Studies; the Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, a collaborative effort established by Brookings and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI); the Tax Policy Center, a cooperative research enterprise launched by Brookings and the Urban Institute; the Saban Center for Middle East Policy; the Center on the United States and France (CUSF); the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS); the Brown Center on Education Policy; and the Center for Public Service.

Additional Comments from the Organization

The Brookings Council brings together business and community leaders nationwide who have a serious interest in major policy issues. The Brookings Council has active chapters in five cities and its members are actively engaged in the intellectual life of the Institution. Brookings scholars publish and disseminate their research in a wide variety of print forms and multimedia publications. Brookings Policy Briefs provide timely short, and informative analysis that bring background and recommendations on current issues to policymakers, journalists, and the general public. Brookings utilizes World Wide Web capabilities to encourage dialogue on key policy issues to foster research and immediate dissemination to world audiences. There are continuous updates of content and technologies to its web site, www.brookings.edu. Center for Public Policy Education (CPPE) provides executive education to business and government managers about federal policymaking processes, issues, and management, employing both open and customized programs.

Who We Are

The Brookings Institution, founded in 1916, was established to analyze and present solutions on current and emerging public policy issues at the national level.

NTEE Code

Goals and Results


Accomplishments for Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2002

  1. The Brookings Institution has made many definitive improvements throughout 2002. The changeover of the previously known Governmental Studies to Governance Studies incorporates not only research related to the workings of the U.S. governmental and political system but also the relationship among the non-governmental, private, and public sectors; corporate governance; and the emergence of a new international system. Brookings has worked towards placing an emphasis on collaboration both internally and externally by producing more interdisciplinary studies across traditional and departmental lines and by participating in more joint projects with other think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and universities. Brookings is striving to become a more national think tank, partly due to the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy. Brookings has established itself at a global level offering institutionally-sponsored discussions worldwide. The Saban Center for Middle East Policy is a premier sponsor of both private and public dialogue and policy analysis both in the United States and in the Middle East.
  2. Please reference the Brookings Institution web site for program accomplishments and information: http://www.brookings.edu

Objectives for Fiscal Year Beginning January 1, 2003

  1. Brookings founder Robert S. Brookings (1850-1932) believed that in a democracy policy analysis should not be left solely to the government, but should also be undertaken by professional, independent scholars pursuing their research in a collegial and nonpartisan setting. Since 1916, Brookings has attempted to improve the performance of American institutions by analyzing emerging public policy issues and offering practical approaches to solving them to policymakers as well as the general public.

Self Assessment

The president, vice presidents, and trustees oversee a formal process of project review on the completion of every study. The board of trustees approves the fields of investigation and the major specific studies to which the available funds are allocated. The president formulates and coordinates policies, recommends projects for investigation, and approves projects and publications. Each program and center has external member advisory boards. Quantifiable benchmarks are recorded (web site hits, press mentions of Brookings, scholar's periodical publications and testimony before Congress, etc.).

Chief Executive Profile

Strobe Talbott assumed the presidency of the Brookings Institution in July 2002 after a career in journalism, government and academe. Previously, he was the founding director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. He served in the State Department from 1993 to 2001. Before entering the government, Mr. Talbott served as a reporter, bureau chief, editor-at-large and a foreign affairs columnist for Time magazine. He is the author of many books and has had a multitude of articles published in widely read newspapers and magazines. Mr. Talbott received his B.A. and M.A.Hon. from Yale and his M.Litt. at Oxford. He has honorary doctorates from the Monterrey Institute, Trinity College and Georgetown University, and he has been awarded state orders by the presidents of Lithuania and Poland.

Financial Data

Revenues and Expenses: Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2008

Revenue
Contributions $65,248,454
Government Grants $1,364,832
Program Services $5,282,571
Investments $16,484,407
Special Events $0
Sales $2,215,148
Other $1,166,545
Total Revenue $91,761,957
Expenses
Program Services $61,605,437
Administration $18,590,758
Other $2,640,236
Total Expenditures $82,836,431
Net Gain/Loss $8,925,526

Balance Sheet: Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2008

Note: The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot long survive, but the types of assets and liabilities also must be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

  July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008 Change
Assets      
Cash & Equivalent $17,491,889 $21,461,832 $3,969,943
Accounts Receivable $2,569,050 $1,874,321 ($694,729)
Pledges & Grants Receivable $63,712,437 $68,762,217 $5,049,780
Receivables/Other $0 $0 $0
Inventories for Sale or Use $537,843 $480,770 ($57,073)
Investments/Securities $282,505,421 $261,596,836 ($20,908,585)
Investments/Other $0 $0 $0
Fixed Assets $13,828,063 $43,122,100 $29,294,037
Other $963,026 $698,511 ($264,515)
Total Assets $381,607,729 $397,996,587 $16,388,858
Liabilities      
Accounts Payable $7,268,256 $11,254,735 $3,986,479
Grants Payable $0 $0 $0
Deferred Revenue $613,122 $612,915 ($207)
Loans and Notes $28,333 $28,031,437 $28,003,104
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities $0 $0 $0
Other $3,071,000 $3,340,000 $269,000
Total Liabilities $10,980,711 $43,239,087 $32,258,376
Fund Balance $370,627,018 $354,757,500 ($15,869,518)

Basic Information