New America Foundation

New America Foundation
Name	New America Foundation
Formation	1999
Type	think tank
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Leader title	President
Leader name	Anne-Marie Slaughter (example)

New America Foundation is an American public policy think tank focused on technology, foreign policy, education, and social policy. Founded in 1999, it operates in Washington, D.C., and maintains research programs, publications, and events that engage policymakers, journalists, and academics. Its work intersects with institutions, media outlets, universities, and philanthropic organizations across the United States and internationally.

History

The organization was founded in 1999 by Ted Halstead and Sherle R. Schwenninger with early guidance from figures associated with Progressive Policy Institute and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In the 2000s it expanded through partnerships with scholars from Harvard University, Princeton University, and Columbia University, hiring experts formerly affiliated with Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, and Center for American Progress. Throughout the 2010s it launched initiatives that attracted staff from U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, Federal Communications Commission, and the White House; board members and fellows have included alumni of Council on Foreign Relations, RAND Corporation, and International Monetary Fund. The organization’s offices and events have linked it to think tanks such as American Enterprise Institute and international groups like Chatham House and Mercator Institute for China Studies.

Mission and Areas of Work

The institution states goals in public policy innovation that span technology policy, foreign policy, education reform, and social entrepreneurship. Program areas have included studies on cybersecurity with experts who previously worked at National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security, analyses of trade and globalization tied to alumni of World Bank and World Trade Organization, and research on civic technology involving practitioners from Mozilla Foundation and Electronic Frontier Foundation. Its education and child policy work has engaged scholars from Teachers College, Columbia University and partners such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Projects addressing urban policy and housing drew on research linked to Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Urban Institute.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The organization is governed by a board of directors composed of leaders from academia, philanthropy, and business, including former officials from U.S. Department of Treasury, executives from Google, and philanthropists associated with Rockefeller Foundation and MacArthur Foundation. Senior fellows and program directors often hold joint appointments at universities such as Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Yale University and have backgrounds at Google, Microsoft, Amazon (company), and media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. Executive leadership historically included figures with prior roles in Johns Hopkins University's schools and in the Council on Foreign Relations. Administrative functions have collaborated with law firms and consultancies including Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and McKinsey & Company.

Funding and Financials

Funding sources have ranged from philanthropic foundations such as Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Open Society Foundations to corporate donors and government grants from agencies like National Science Foundation. Financial support also came from individual donors and family foundations tied to families involved with Walmart and Koch family donations to other institutions. Annual budgets and tax filings recorded grants, program service revenue, and endowment income; auditors and legal advisors have included firms with ties to Deloitte and Ernst & Young. Funding relationships occasionally intersected with partners in the private sector such as AT&T, Facebook, and Microsoft.

Notable Programs and Publications

Notable initiatives have included research centers and projects on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, immigration policy, and civic technology. Publications and platforms produced by fellows appeared in outlets including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and academic journals from Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Programs featured fellows and contributors who previously served in administrations from Clinton administration and Obama administration, authored books published by Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, and presented work at venues such as Brookings Institution events and Munich Security Conference. Signature publications included reports on internet governance, economic policy briefs, and project-based white papers disseminated to stakeholders at United Nations meetings and congressional hearings on technology and privacy.

Criticism and Controversies

The organization has faced scrutiny over donor transparency and potential conflicts involving corporate funding, drawing criticism from journalists at The New York Times and commentators at The Guardian and Salon. Debates arose about perceived influence from donors in projects linked to Facebook and Google, and about fellowships held by former government officials who moved between the organization and roles at Department of State and White House offices. Critics from academic centers including Harvard Kennedy School and advocacy groups such as Public Citizen raised questions about funding disclosure and editorial independence; defenders pointed to internal policies and compliance with tax reporting standards overseen by legal counsel with experience advising nonprofit organizations.

Category:Think tanks based in the United States