Back
InfluenceWatch - MacArthur Foundation
webinfluencewatch.org·influencewatch.org/non-profit/john-d-and-catherine-t-maca...
This InfluenceWatch profile is a watchdog-style reference on the MacArthur Foundation, useful for understanding philanthropic funding landscapes adjacent to AI safety and governance, but not directly focused on AI safety itself.
Metadata
Importance: 15/100wiki pagereference
Summary
InfluenceWatch profile of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a major philanthropic organization that funds a wide range of causes including nuclear security, climate change, journalism, and international peace. The profile examines the foundation's grantmaking priorities, leadership, and political affiliations from a watchdog perspective. MacArthur has some relevance to AI governance through its funding of policy and security research.
Key Points
- •MacArthur Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the US, with assets exceeding $7 billion and broad grantmaking across global issues.
- •The foundation funds programs in nuclear security and international peace, areas that overlap with existential risk and global catastrophic risk reduction.
- •InfluenceWatch provides a critical/watchdog perspective on the foundation's political leanings and organizational affiliations.
- •MacArthur has historically funded think tanks and policy organizations relevant to technology governance and security.
- •Limited direct AI safety focus, but relevant as a major funder in adjacent governance and existential risk spaces.
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| MacArthur Foundation | Organization | 65.0 |
Cached Content Preview
HTTP 200Fetched Mar 20, 202682 KB
# [InfluenceWatch](https://www.influencewatch.org/)
- [About Us](https://www.influencewatch.org/about-us/)
- [Report an Error](https://www.influencewatch.org/contribute-to-influencewatch/#report-error)
- [Suggest a New Entry](https://www.influencewatch.org/contribute-to-influencewatch/#suggest-entry)
- [* * *](https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/john-d-and-catherine-t-macarthur-foundation/)
- [Listen to the weekly IW Podcast](https://www.spreaker.com/show/influencewatch-podcast)
- [Subscribe to Our Newsletter](https://www.influencewatch.org/newsletter/)
- [Educational Guide](https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2025/03/influencewatch-educational-guide-2.pdf)
- [* * *](https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/john-d-and-catherine-t-macarthur-foundation/)
- [Hubs](https://www.influencewatch.org/hub)
* * *
- [People](https://www.influencewatch.org/person/)
- [Non-profits](https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/)
- [For-profits](https://www.influencewatch.org/for-profit/)
- [Labor Unions](https://www.influencewatch.org/labor-union/)
- [Other Groups](https://www.influencewatch.org/organization/)
- [Political Parties/527](https://www.influencewatch.org/political-party/)
- [Government Agencies](https://www.influencewatch.org/government-agency/)
- [Movements](https://www.influencewatch.org/movement/)
- [Legislation](https://www.influencewatch.org/legislation/)
* * *
- [FOLLOW US](https://twitter.com/influence_watch) [](https://twitter.com/influence_watch)
Menu
[Donate](https://www.influencewatch.org/donate)
Non-profit
# John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (also known as the MacArthur Foundation) was the 20th-largest foundation in the world as of 2024, with total assets over $8 billion. [1](https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/john-d-and-catherine-t-macarthur-foundation/#easy-footnote-bottom-1-25 "") From 2000 to 2017, MacArthur granted an average of just over $200 million each year to programs in support of higher education, the arts, mental health, and a large number of left-of-center causes including human rights, international affairs, disarmament, environmentalist policy, population control, abortion access, economic development, affordable housing, and juvenile justice policy. [2](https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/john-d-and-catherine-t-macarthur-foundation/#easy-footnote-bottom-2-25 "")
MacArthur Foundation logo, current as of March 2013 ( [link](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MacArth_primary_logo_stacked.svg))
| | |
| --- | --- |
|
... (truncated, 82 KB total)Resource ID:
e13d78901424c052 | Stable ID: ZjRiNzFjMz