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New America, formerly the New America Foundation, is an American liberal think tank founded in 1999.[3][4][5] It focuses on a range of public policy issues, including national security, technology, health, gender, energy, education, and the economy. The organization is based in Washington, D.C., and Oakland, California.[6] Anne-Marie Slaughter is the think tank’s chief executive officer.[7]

History

New America’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

New America was founded in 1999 by Ted Halstead, Sherle Schwenninger, Michael Lind, and Walter Russell Mead as the New America Foundation[8] Bill Moyers, Norman Lear, and members of the Rockefeller family were early financial backers.[9] The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C.[10] In 2001, Halstead and Lind published The Radical Center, a book that argued the United States was ripe for a realignment around centrist political policies. The New York Times has claimed that the book is “in effect the foundation’s mission statement.”[11] Over New America’s first two years, its budget tripled from approximately $1 million to $3 million.[9]

Ted Halstead served as New America’s founding president and CEO starting in 1999.[9] Steve Coll, a former managing editor at the Washington Post, took over for Halstead in 2007.[12] Anne-Marie Slaughter, a Princeton professor and former State Department official, succeeded Coll as CEO in 2013.[13]

In the 2000s, New America’s Len Nichols and Jacob Hacker advocated for healthcare reform built around a public option, a health insurance mandate, and an increase in taxes to provide subsidies for Americans who could not afford insurance.[14][15][16]

In September 2011, Maya MacGuineas, who had previously worked for the Brookings Institution as well as on Wall Street, formed Fix the Debt, a campaign for tax reform and deficit reduction that included businesspeople and politicians such as Erskine Bowles, Alan Simpson, and Mark Warner. MacGuineas ran the campaign out of New America’s offices.[17]

The foundation’s Economic Growth Program, directed by New America co-founders Sherle Schwenninger and Michael Lind, aimed to take a policy look at America and the world’s economic problems. In 2011, the program commissioned a paper “The Way Forward: Moving From the Post-Bubble, Post-Bust Economy to Renewed Growth and Competitiveness”.[18]

On June 27, 2017, Barry C. Lynn, the director of the anti-monopoly Open Markets program at New America, issued a statement, criticizing Google, one of the organization’s main sponsors. On August 30, 2017, it became known that Lynn was fired, and the Open Markets program was closed.[19][20] According to The New York Times, New America did it to please Google.[21][22] In response to the decision to fire Lynn and his team, 25 former and current employees of the think tank signed a letter expressing concern about the extent to which sponsors are influencing New America’s work.[23] Google reportedly made New America take this action because the researchers, including prominent young competition law scholar Lina Khan,[24] had lauded the EU‘s antitrust ruling against Google.[25] New America’s president Anne-Marie Slaughter denied the allegations of improper influence by Google.[21]

In 2021, Paul Butler, formerly COO of the consulting firm Sparks & Honey, joined New America as its president and chief transformation officer.[26]

Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America

Political stance

In 2002, Newsweek's Howard Fineman called New America a “hive of state-of-the-art policy entrepreneurship”.[27] New America has been characterized as “liberal” by the Pacific Standard online magazine,[28] “left-leaning” by The Washington Post,[29] and “left-of-center” by the Capital Research Center organization.[30]

Open Technology Institute

Not to be confused with Open Technology Fund.

The Open Technology Institute (OTI) is the technology program of the New America Foundation. OTI formulates policy and regulatory reforms to support open architectures and open-source innovations and facilitates the development and implementation of open technologies and communications networks.[31][32]

Commotion Wireless

Main article: Commotion Wireless

Commotion Wireless was an open source “device-as-infrastructure” communication platform that promised to integrate users’ existing cell phones, Wi-Fi-enabled computers, and other wireless-capable devices to create community- and metro-scale, peer-to-peer communications networks.[33] The project was described as the “Internet in a Suitcase” by The New York Times.[34]

After an initial flurry of attention, the project did not prove sustainable. The relevant code development profiles for the project have not been updated since 2016,[35] and the project’s website has been offline since approximately September 2024.[36]

Red Hook Wi-Fi

Main article: Red Hook Wi-Fi

Founded in 2011 through a collaboration with OTI and Commotion Wireless, Red Hook Wi-Fi is a mesh network which services residents of Red Hook, Brooklyn, in New York City. The Wi-Fi network reached prominence in 2012, when Hurricane Sandy shut down many internet and communication systems throughout the city, but Red Hook remained connected through its mesh network.[37][38]

Assets and funding

New America is registered as a non-profit under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.[39] Its financial information is publicly available through annual IRS Form 990 filings and independent audits.[40] For the financial year ending in 2023, the organization reported revenue of approximately $46.8 million and expenses of $40.8 million. Its total assets for the same period were recorded at $88.0 million, and a net asset position of $56,424,720.[40][41][2]

The organization maintains a funding disclosure policy and publishes a list of institutional donors on its website.[42] Top institutional donors in recent years have included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, Google,[43] Alphabet, the MacArthur Foundation,[44] and the Rockefeller Foundation.[45][46][47]

Board of directors

New America’s board leadership has changed several times since the organization’s founding. In November 2017, Lenny Mendonca was appointed chair of the board.[48] He was succeeded in September 2019 by Helene D. Gayle, who served as chair until 2023.[49] Following her tenure, Gayle has continued to serve as a member of the board.[50] In January 2024, the organization announced the addition of Don Katz and Patrick Radden Keefe as new board members.[51]

As of 2025, the chair of the board is Sally R. Osberg, with Monica C. Lozano and Todd Park serving as vice chairs.[52]

References

  1. ^ “Our People”. New America. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c “Form 990” (PDF). New America Foundation. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  3. ^ “Press Room”. New America. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  4. ^ Nissenbaum, Dion (June 28, 2015). “Author Warns U.S. Military to Focus on China”. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  5. ^ “Steve Coll, New America President, Stepping Down, Writing ‘Ghost Wars’ Sequel”. The Huffington Post. June 25, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  6. ^ “Contact New America”. New America. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  7. ^ “Anne-Marie Slaughter”. New America. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  8. ^ Eilperin, Juliet (September 12, 2020). “Ted Halstead, social entrepreneur who created D.C. policy institutes, dies at 52”. Washington Post. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  9. ^ a b c Morin, Richard; Deane, Claudia (December 10, 2001). “Big Thinker. Ted Halstead’s New America Foundation Has It All: Money, Brains and Buzz”. Style Section. The Washington Post. p. 1.
  10. ^ “INew America Launches Innovation Accelerator for Community Colleges”. Government Technology. September 10, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  11. ^ Tanenhaus, Sam (April 14, 2010). “The Radical Center: The History of an Idea”. New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  12. ^ Weil, Martin; Silverman, Elissa (July 23, 2007). “Author, Ex-Post Editor To Head D.C. Think Tank”. Washington Post. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  13. ^ Cohen, Patricia (April 2, 2013). “New America Foundation Naming Anne-Marie Slaughter as President”. ArtsBeat. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  14. ^ Kendall, Joshua (October 16, 2005). “Why Is Healthcare Tied To The Workplace?”. Boston Globe. Len Nichols, a health policy analyst at the New America Foundation, a nonprofit think tank in Washington that stresses bipartisan solutions, has carved out a position right down the middle. He has concluded that employer-sponsored coverage actually makes sense for a small fraction of workers-mostly those at big companies-and doesn’t see why we shouldn’t keep it in place for them. For low-wage workers and workers in small firms, he advocates subsidies so that they can buy into group plans-such as state-employee plans. Likewise, though he supports individual mandates, he also thinks raising at least a hundred billion dollars in taxes may be necessary to provide insurance to all Americans.
  15. ^ Feder Ostrov, Barbara (February 11, 2005). “Proposed Law: All Must Buy Health Insurance; Basic Plan Would Be Mandatory”. San Jose Mercury-News. The Nation-Richman legislation is modeled on concepts developed by the New America Foundation, a centrist think tank that espouses mandatory health insurance for all Americans.
  16. ^ Noah, Timothy (November 17, 2009). “Mr. Level Playing Field”. Slate. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  17. ^ Lowrey, Annie (December 23, 2012). “A Campaign on U.S. Debt Gains Steam”. New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  18. ^ Nocera, Joe (October 10, 2011). “This Time, It Really Is Different”. New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  19. ^ Dayen, David (September 1, 2017). “New Think Tank Emails Show ‘How Google Wields Its Power’ in Washington”. The Intercept. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  20. ^ Biddle, Sam; Dayen, David (August 30, 2017). “Google-Funded Think Tank Fired Google Critics After They Dared Criticize Google”. The Intercept. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Vogel, Kenneth (August 30, 2017). “Google Critic Ousted From Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant”. The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  22. ^ Slaughter, Anne-Marie (August 30, 2017). “New America’s Response to The New York Times“. New America. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  23. ^ Vogel, Kenneth P. (September 1, 2017). “New America, a Google-Funded Think Tank, Faces Backlash for Firing a Google Critic”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  24. ^ Meyer, Robinson (June 12, 2018). “How to Fight Amazon (Before You Turn 29)”. The Atlantic. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  25. ^ Rushe, Dominic (August 30, 2017). “Google-funded thinktank fired scholar over criticism of tech firm”. The Guardian. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  26. ^ Prest, M.J. (February 12, 2021). “Wes Moore to Leave Robin Hood; New America Hires Chief Transformation Officer”. Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved March 4, 2026. Paul Butler, chief operating officer at the consulting firm Sparks & Honey, has joined New America as its president and chief transformation officer. He will work alongside Anne-Marie Slaughter, who is remaining as its CEO.
  27. ^ Fineman, Howard (November 12, 2002). “Living Politics: Election Gave ’04 Brokers More Clout”. Newsweek. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  28. ^ Gunn, Dwyer (January 31, 2019). “Betsy DeVos Is Right, the U.S. Should Rethink Higher Ed—Just Not the Way She Wants To”. Pacific Standard. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  29. ^ Nakamura, David (January 10, 2019). “‘The story keeps changing’: Trump falsely asserts he never promised Mexico would directly pay for the border wall”. The Washington Post.
  30. ^ “New America (New America Foundation)”. influencewatch.org. Capital Research Center. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  31. ^ “New America Foundation Launches Open Technology Institute”. SCTDV. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  32. ^ “Comments of Public Knowledge and Open Technology Institute at New America”. Public Knowledge. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  33. ^ Burkeman, Oliver (April 15, 2012). “Inside Washington’s high risk mission to beat web censors”. The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  34. ^ James Glanz and John Markoff (June 12, 2011). “U.S. Underwrites Internet Detour Around Censors”. The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  35. ^ Open Technology Institute – Github – commotion-router, retrieved November 23, 2025
  36. ^ Wayback Machine – calendar of commotionwireless.net, retrieved November 23, 2025 {{citation}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  37. ^ “United States of America Global Information Society Watch”. www.giswatch.org. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  38. ^ “Rising to the Challenge: Red Hook Initiative”. NYCEDC.
  39. ^ “New America | Washington, DC | Cause IQ”. www.causeiq.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2025. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  40. ^ a b Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Alec Glassford, Ash Ngu, Brandon (May 9, 2013). “New America Foundation – Nonprofit Explorer”. ProPublica. Retrieved December 10, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ “New America Foundation – DBA: New America” (PDF). Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  42. ^ “Our Funding”. New America. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  43. ^ Rushe, Dominic (August 30, 2017). “Google-funded thinktank fired scholar over criticism of tech firm”. The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  44. ^ Thier, Jane. “CEO who recovered from a workplace scandal offers career advice for young workers”. Fortune. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  45. ^ “Our Funding”. New America. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  46. ^ “New America Foundation – MacArthur Foundation”. www.macfound.org. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  47. ^ Carnegie Corporation of New York. “New America Foundation | Carnegie Corporation of New York”. Carnegie Corporation of New York. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  48. ^ “Lenny Mendonca to Chair New America Board of Directors”. New America. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  49. ^ “Dr. Helene Gayle Appointed Chair of New America’s Board of Directors; Katherine Gehl, Reid Hoffman, Ashton Kutcher Join New America’s Board of Directors”. New America. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  50. ^ “Helene D. Gayle”. New America. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  51. ^ “Don Katz and Patrick Radden Keefe Join New America’s Board of Directors”. New America. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  52. ^ “Our People”. New America. Retrieved November 28, 2025.