The Next Chapter for the # Vision for Liberty Cato’s Vision for Liberty Campaign goal for 2027 is expanding to $400 million. Here’s why the moment demands it. [Donate Now](#donate-embed) ![Vision for Liberty Cover v2](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/aside_3x/public/2026-04/V4L%20Cover.png?itok=3CVD3r16) The ## Campaign Update [See Cato’s Impact](#impact-link) ##### Download the latest Vision for Liberty brochure [Download PDF]() When we launched the Vision for Liberty Campaign, we set an ambitious $300 million goal with a clear mission to expand our policy capacity, invest in future generations, and reach broader audiences with the case for liberty. *Because of partners like you,* we reached that goal ahead of schedule. But the work is not finished. Demand for Cato’s research, programming, and expertise now exceeds our capacity to supply it. Congressional Fellowship applications outpace available slots. Educators seek Sphere programs still in development. Media requests exceed our current communications capacity. At the same time, realizing the full impact of this work requires sustained investment in marketing and strategic outreach to ensure our ideas reach broader audiences, shape public debate, and translate influence into lasting change. *That is why we are expanding the Vision for Liberty Campaign to* **$400 million by 2027**. ## Ideas, Influence, and Impact What your Investment has Already Delivered --- ### Ideas that Drive Change - **Saved taxpayers $525 billion** by scaling back wasteful green-energy subsidies. - **Played a key role in the defeat of the Trump administration’s global tariffs** at the Supreme Court. - **Led the charge against a federal digital currency** that could give the government unprecedented control over Americans’ lives. - **Engaged over 300 Hill staffers** in our Congressional Fellowship—an intensive, bipartisan education program introducing the libertarian policy perspective to senior congressional staff. ### Future Generations - **Scaled Sphere 580%**—from 2,500 to 20,000+ educators reaching more than 2.5 million students annually across all 50 states. - **Hosted 700+ college students** through Cato University since its relaunch. - **Launched Cato Courses (cato.courses)** with AI tutors and mobile-first design, on track for 2,000+ users by the end of 2026. - **Grew our intern alumni network to 2,200+** across government, media, academia, and business. ### Bringing Liberty to Life In 2025: - **2,500+ media appearances**—our best year ever - **14 million+ website visits** - **1 million+** podcast downloads and **18 million+** social media views ![Free Economy V4L v2](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/special_callout_background/public/2026-04/free_economy_new%201_noise.jpg?itok=i435TCou) ## The Threat Executive power is expanding at an unprecedented pace, steadily eroding the constitutional checks and balances that once constrained government overreach. Authority has shifted from the legislature to the executive. Powers once considered temporary and extraordinary are now exercised as a matter of course. The result is not simply a larger government—but a different one: faster, more centralized, and less accountable to the people it governs. The longer these changes persist, the harder they will be to reverse. *This is where Cato’s voice must break through the noise to* rescue and restore liberty. --- ![V4L Mic Flag Optimized](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/special_callout_background/public/2026-04/Optimized%20Mic%20Flag.png?itok=tWoGlQRC) ## The Opportunity ![V4L 2 Audience Image](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/aside_mobile/public/2026-04/2025-07-25-Cato%20Institute-Intern%20Debate-d-257-MM%201.png?itok=UqZUjmL3) A record 45 percent of Americans now identify as political independents—the highest level ever recorded. They are not disengaged. They are disillusioned. And they are searching for a principled alternative to partisan excess. If we reach them, we don’t simply grow our audience. We change the incentives of those in power. *When millions of independent voters demand constitutional limits*, lawmakers listen. *When independents reject executive overreach*, presidents retreat. *When the political middle insists on liberty,* both parties recalibrate. Cato is uniquely positioned to lead this shift. Our scholars are trusted across ideological lines because we challenge power wherever it accumulates—regardless of who holds it. Preaching to the choir will not change the world. We must meet new audiences where they are: in newsrooms and social feeds, in state capitals and congressional offices, in classrooms and living rooms. --- ### What the Additional $100 Million Will Do ##### Advancing Ideas That Drive Change Recruit **top scholars** in executive power, trade, technology, and civil liberties. **Scale the Congressional Fellowship** from four to six sessions annually. **Launch nationwide talent competitions** to discover the next generation of libertarian thinkers. ##### Equipping Future Generations Grow Sphere from 25,000 to **50,000+ educators by 2030.** Expand Cato University to 1,000+ participants. Scale Cato Courses to tens of thousands of learners through AI-enabled, mobile-first education. ##### Bringing Liberty to Life **Build a world-class digital marketing engine** producing daily video, podcasts, and shareable content that cuts through the noise. Elevate Cato scholars into go-to experts for journalists, podcasters, and opinion leaders. Launch a journalist fellowship program to change how reporters and influencers cover policy from the ground up. Cato’s Annual Reach 17 *research areas* 14.8M+ *visits to Cato’s websites* 200+ *research studies published annually* 760+ *op-eds published annually* 2,500+ *media appearances annually* 600+ *meetings with policymakers annually* 1M+ *podcast downloads annually* 1.7M+ *social media followers* 20,000+ *teachers in Sphere network* 2.5M+ *students reached annually through Sphere* ## Why our Partners Support Cato --- “As Cato celebrates our 50th anniversary in 2027, we’re positioning ourselves for scale and impact over the next half century. Always guided by our Statement of Principles, we will continue making the moral case for liberty, while also showing the positive impact freedom makes in the lives of real people. This clarity positions us to expand our influence when principled, independent voices matter more than ever. We hope you’ll be part of what comes next.” **Jay Lapeyre** *Chairman,* Cato Board of Directors *President,* Laitram, LLC “More than 25 years ago I worked at Cato as an intern. It was a wonderful experience that changed my life. I want Cato to continue to help people discover a faith in liberty and prosperity, which will lead us to a better tomorrow. It is critically important to offer fresh ideas in a time when the two major parties trot out nothing but tired mantras. Cato’s work reminds people that there is another way out there.” **James H.** North Carolina “Thank you for your outreach to young people because our country needs the upcoming generations to carry the flag of liberty. We should not cede the intellectual formation of the younger people to the high schools and universities, of which a majority do not promote the important values held by our founding fathers. Cato provides a credible intellectual framework for advancing liberty.” **David M.** Arizona [Donate](/donate) ### Deepen your investment in liberty. For nearly 50 years, the Cato Institute has been a trusted, principled voice for liberty. The threats we face today demand that we make that voice much louder. We accept no government funding. We answer to no party or political interest. And we will not stop making the case for individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. --- ##### Questions? Contact [partners@​cato.​org](mailto:partners@cato.org) for more information.