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Pacific Research Institute
| Pacific Research Institute | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Pasadena, California |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Top official: | Sally C. Pipes, President and Chief Executive Officer |
| Founder(s): | Sir Antony Fisher and James North |
| Year founded: | 1979 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Pacific Research Institute (PRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in California. The organization "promotes the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility. The Institute believes these principles are best encouraged through policies that emphasize a free economy, private initiative, and limited government."[1]
Background
Sir Antony Fisher and James North founded the Pacific Research Institute in 1979. Fisher was a British activist and political thinker who founded the Institute of Economic Affairs in the United Kingdom in 1957. Fisher founded affiliated think tanks, some under the umbrella of the Atlas Foundation, including the Manhattan Institute in New York. In 1979, Fisher joined with James North, an advertising executive with General Foods and San Francisco resident, to establish the Pacific Research Institute.[2][3][4]
As of September 2025, the organization's mission was "to champion freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility for all individuals by advancing free-market policy solutions."[5]
Leadership
As of September 2025, the following individuals held positions of leadership at the Pacific Research Institute:[6]
- Sally C. Pipes, president and chief executive officer
- Rowena Itchon, chief operating officer
- Tim Anaya, vice president of marketing and communications
- Lance T. Izumi, J.D., senior director for education studies
- Ben Smithwick, vice president of development
- Matt Fleming, director of communications
As of September 2025, the following individuals sat on the Pacific Research Institute's board of directors:[6]
- Clark S. Judge, chairman
- Sally C. Pipes, president and chief executive officer
- Sean M. McAvoy, secretary and treasurer
- Steven Dennis, M.D.
- Peter C. Farrell, Ph.D., AM
- Russell A. Johnson
- Daniel M. Kolkey
- Daniel Oliver, chairman emeritus
- Richard Samuelson, Ph.D.
- Lawrence J. Siskind
- Paul Tosetti
- Kati Kadar Lynn, Ph.D.
Work and activities
Legislative and policy work
As of September 2025, the Pacific Research Institute produced commentary articles, blog posts, and podcasts, all hosted on its website. The organization also hosted events in California. The organization's work covered the following seven policy areas, with three subcategories in each:
- Health Care
- Single-Payer
- Obamacare
- Drug Pricing
- Environment
- Energy
- Green Subsidies
- Water
- Business & Economics
- Overregulation
- Taxes
- Entrepreneurship
- Free Cities
- Homelessness
- Crime
- Transportation
- Medical Economics & Innovation
- Price and Costs
- Value
- Innovation
- California Reform
- Housing
- Outmigration
- Poverty
- Education
- Charter Schools
- Homeschooling
- School Choice
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the Pacific Research Institute's revenues and expenses from 2001 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $4.4 million | $4.3 million |
| 2002 | $3.2 million | $4.0 million |
| 2003 | $4.0 million | $3.6 million |
| 2004 | $3.6 million | $4.6 million |
| 2005 | $4.9 million | $4.8 million |
| 2006 | $3.7 million | $4.1 million |
| 2007 | $6.8 million | $4.5 million |
| 2008 | $4.0 million | $4.8 million |
| 2009 | $4.7 million | $4.9 million |
| 2010 | $3.9 million | $5.3 million |
| 2011 | $4.7 million | $4.9 million |
| 2012 | $4.7 million | $3.6 million |
| 2013 | $6.6 million | $3.3 million |
| 2014 | $4.6 million | $3.6 million |
| 2015 | $5.2 million | $3.1 million |
| 2016 | $4.9 million | $3.6 million |
| 2017 | $4.7 million | $6.3 million |
| 2018 | $5.2 million | $3.7 million |
| 2019 | $6.1 million | $4.5 million |
| 2020 | $5.6 million | $4.4 million |
| 2021 | $7.8 million | $4.7 million |
| 2022 | $7.1 million | $5.1 million |
| 2023 | $12.0 million | $5.4 million |
See also
External links
- Pacific Research Institute official website
- Pacific Research Institute on Facebook
- Pacific Research Institute on X
- Pacific Research Institute on Instagram
- Pacific Research Institute on YouTube
- Pacific Research Institute on LinkedIn
Footnotes
- ↑ Pacific Research Institute, "Home page," accessed September 12, 2025
- ↑ Pacific Research Institute, "PRI's History," accessed September 12, 2025
- ↑ Adam Smith Institute, "Antony Fisher, herald of freedom," accessed September 12, 2025
- ↑ SFGate, "James Dennis North," June 10, 1999
- ↑ Pacific Research Institute, "Mission Statement," accessed September 12, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pacific Research Institute, "People," accessed September 12, 2025
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