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
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.
The
Opportunity
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
Questions?
Contact partners@cato.org for more information.