About Economic Policy Institute
An economy that is just and strong, sustainable, and equitable—where every job is good, every worker can join a union, and every family and community can thrive. EPI uses the tools of economics to win policy change that advances power for workers, economic security for families, and racial and gender equity.
Focus Areas
Unions and labor standardsJobs and unemploymentRace, ethnicity, and the economyImmigrationEducationChild laborInequality and povertyMinimum wageRetirementTrade and globalizationBudget, taxes, and public investmentEconomic growthHealthRegulation
About Economic Policy Institute
Economic Policy Institute uses economics as a policy tool, and its recent grants show a steady pattern of supporting state and local research organizations that inform worker, wage, tax, and budget debates. The largest award in the recent list went to Missouri Budget Project for educational research, followed closely by Colorado Fiscal Institute, signaling a strong emphasis on public-policy analysis rather than direct service delivery. Several grantees recur across years, including Colorado Fiscal Institute, Policy Matters Ohio, Kids Forward, Oregon Center for Public Policy, and DC Fiscal Policy Institute Inc., which suggests ongoing support for research capacity over time. The foundation’s funding also reaches labor-oriented groups such as Missouri Jobs With Justice and Alabama Arise, alongside policy shops in states including Florida, Minnesota, Arizona, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Virginia. That mix aligns with EPI’s stated interest in unions and labor standards, jobs and unemployment, race and the economy, immigration, education, minimum wage, taxes, public investment, and wages, incomes, and wealth. The grants list points to a funder that backs organizations producing evidence and analysis for policy change, with repeated awards to the same institutions across multiple years.
What Economic Policy Institute Funds
Educational research is the common label across the recent grants list, but the underlying topics are broader policy analysis. Missouri Budget Project received $253,750 in 2025 for educational research, while Florida Policy Institute received $205,000 in 2024 for the same purpose. In labor and worker organizing, Missouri Jobs With Justice received $162,998 in 2023 and $153,750 in 2025, both tagged educational research. The funder also supports state-level fiscal analysis tied to tax and budget debates: Oregon Center for Public Policy received $150,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis received $125,000 in 2025. Another repeated theme is children and family policy, with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families receiving $125,718 in 2024 and $110,000 in 2023.
How Economic Policy Institute Gives
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure to low-six-figure range: p25 is $25,851, median is $53,305, and p75 is $100,975. The recent list also shows repeated awards to the same recipients across multiple years, especially Colorado Fiscal Institute, Policy Matters Ohio, Kids Forward, Oregon Center for Public Policy, DC Fiscal Policy Institute Inc., Missouri Jobs With Justice, and Alabama Arise. Economic Policy Institute is a Pure DAF Provider, and the profile indicates it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants shown are project-based and research-oriented rather than unrestricted operating gifts.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.8M
Total Assets
$19.6M
Total Revenue
$11.9M
Total Expenses
$13.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $26K and $101K, with a median of $53K.
25th Percentile
$26K
Median
$53K
75th Percentile
$101K
Geographic Reach
National31 states funded
About 2% of grants go to recipients in MO.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
HEIDI SHIERHOLZ
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