Nonprofit · EIN 36-3611426
CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT
Tax-exempt · MINNETONKA, MN 55343
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $4,815,572 | $4,387,778 | $427,794 | $2,352,155 | $882,101 | $1,470,054 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $4,313,337 | $4,150,088 | $163,249 | $1,829,607 | $787,347 | $1,042,260 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $4,661,132 | $4,871,382 | -$210,250 | $1,489,913 | $610,902 | $879,011 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $4,775,356
- Program service revenue
- $50,699
- Investment income
- $19,477
- Net income from fundraising events
- -$94,960
- Other revenue
- -$29,960
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $50,000
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $201,544
- Other salaries and wages
- $1,364,209
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $2,005,443
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Legal fees
- $5,131
- Accounting fees
- $33,502
- Occupancy
- $188,088
- Travel
- $200,720
- Depreciation
- $14,199
- Program services (functional)
- $3,886,577
- Management and general (functional)
- $90,089
- Fundraising (functional)
- $411,112
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $1,829,607
- Total assets, end of year
- $2,352,155
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $882,101
- Net assets, end of year
- $1,470,054
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $41,479
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $1,470,054
- Gross receipts
- $5,178,838
- Employees
- 22
- Volunteers
- 100
- Year formed
- 1988
- State of legal domicile
- MN
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hinderaker | President Trustee or director, Officer | 50 | $163,000 | $38,544 |
| John Phelan | Economist Highest-paid employee | 50 | $121,656 | $31,872 |
| Catrin Wigfall | Policy Fellow Highest-paid employee | 50 | $112,206 | $25,272 |
| Bill Walsh | Director of Communications Highest-paid employee | 50 | $110,171 | $26,352 |
| Mike Amery | Greater MN Highest-paid employee | 50 | $105,425 | $16,668 |
| Ron Eibensteiner | Chairman Trustee or director, Officer | 5 | $0 | $0 |
| Molly Cronin | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 5 | $0 | $0 |
| Scott Rile | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 5 | $0 | $0 |
| Ed Anderson | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Elam Baer | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Nataly Baig | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike Barry | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Bob Breckner | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mitch Davis | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jerry Dettinger | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
27 more people on this return
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Dovolis | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Greg Frandsen | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Ben Golnik | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Sharon Hawkins | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Mike Hayden | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Lowell Hellervik | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Robin Kelleher | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Russell King | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Mark Kroll | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Robert Kukuljan | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Jeremy LaBeau | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Carol Lanners Hockert | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Ken Morris | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Wendy Dankey | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Mike O'Shaughnessy | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Richard Penn | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Ted Risdall | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Kent Roers | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Tom Rosen | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Ron Schutz | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Daniel Spiegel | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Ross Strehlow | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Barb Sutter | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Ben Wilmoth | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Ron Yougdahl | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Nick Zerwas | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Kevin Roche | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 41 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hinderaker | President Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $155,000 | $33,876 |
| Peter Nelson | Policy Fellow Highest-paid employee | 40 | $140,000 | $18,844 |
| John Phelan | Economist Highest-paid employee | 40 | $110,000 | $33,544 |
| Bill Walsh | Director of Communications Highest-paid employee | 40 | $102,000 | $23,016 |
| Ron Eibensteiner | Chairman Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Molly Cronin | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Scott Rile | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ed Anderson | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Elam Baer | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Nataly Baig | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike Barry | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Bob Breckner | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mitch Davis | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jerry Dettinger | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Barbara Dovolis | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Greg Frandsen | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ben Golnik | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Sharon Hawkins | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike Hayden | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Lowell Hellervik | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Robin Kelleher | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Russell King | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mark Kroll | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Robert Kukuljan | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jeremy LaBeau | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Carol Lanners Hockert | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ken Morris | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Charles Nickoloff | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike O'Shaughnessy | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Richard Penn | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ted Risdall | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kent Roers | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Tom Rosen | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ron Schutz | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Daniel Spiegel | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ross Strehlow | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Barb Sutter | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ben Wilmoth | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ron Yougdahl | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Nick Zerwas | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kevin Roche | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 39 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hinderaker | President Trustee or director, Officer | 40 | $150,000 | $33,072 |
| Peter Nelson | Policy Fellow Highest-paid employee | 40 | $130,000 | $18,140 |
| Isaac Orr | Policy Fellow Highest-paid employee | 40 | $120,000 | $25,176 |
| Ron Eibensteiner | Chairman Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Molly Cronin | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Scott Rile | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ed Anderson | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Elam Baer | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Asim Baig | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike Barry | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Bob Breckner | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mitch Davis | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jerry Dettinger | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Barbara Dovolis | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Greg Frandsen | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ben Golnik | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Sharon Hawkins | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike Hayden | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Lowell Hellervik | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Robin Kelleher | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Russell King | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mark Kroll | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Robert Kukuljan | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jeremy LaBeau | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Carol Lanners Hockert | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ken Morris | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Charles Nickoloff | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike O'Shaughnessy | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Richard Penn | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ted Risdall | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kent Roers | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Tom Rosen | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ron Schutz | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Daniel Spiegel | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ross Strehlow | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Barb Sutter | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ben Wilmoth | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Ron Yougdahl | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Nick Zerwas | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 12600 WHITEWATER DR, MINNETONKA, MN 55343-9449
- In care of
- % PETER ZELLER
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- John Hinderaker, 12600 Whitewater Dr Ste 150, Minnetonka, MN 55343
- Signed the 990
- John Hinderaker, President
- Phone
- (612) 338-3605
- Website
- www.americanexperiment.org
- Return prepared by
- Abdo LLP
Mission
Center of the American Experiment is a nonpartisan public policy and educational institution that brings conservative and free market ideas to bear on the hardest problems facing Minnesota and the nation. Through research, op-eds, public forums, legislative testimony, public messaging in a variety of media, and a stream of publications, we are working to build a Culture of Prosperity in Minnesota and the nation.
Program accomplishments
- Our Policy Fellows were hard at work during this year's legislative session. We testified 13 times on a variety of topics, including public safety, healthcare, the budget, energy, education, and fraud. We submitted written testimony on even more issues, including housing and childcare. We also appeared in Congress, in the North Dakota and Ohio legislatures, and in front of the Minneapolis City Council. (Accomplishments continued on schedule o)In the legislature we: -With more than 20,000 emails, we led the chorus of Minnesotans who demanded that House Democrats return to work, and they did, with a favorable outcome for conservatives after a 23-day boycott. -Successfully pressured the legislature to terminate the program funding healthcare for illegal immigrants -Successfully opposed the "sick tax" proposed by Senate Democrats that would have led to a cost increase on all health care services -Played a prominent role in the establishment of the House Fraud Prevention committee, and testified twice in front of that committee In the community we: -Released an exclusive recording of Keith Ellison's private meeting with Feeding Our Future fraudsters, who he assures he's "here to help" -Debuted a viral video debunking wind and solar's status as "clean" energy sources that has been watched over 6 million times-Launched significant initiative to bring real school choice to Minnesota, and awarded our first ever scholarship to support students receiving high-quality private education -Exposed Mary Moriarty's harmful policies as Hennepin County Attorney through publication of her decisions and their results, including her refusal to properly charge carjacking crimes. She will not be seeking re-election-Received national attention for exposing Governor Walz's radical Ethnic Studies framework, and successfully suing the Department of Education when they withheld this framework from the public. -Rebutted the failed socialist policies attempting to rebrand as "democratic socialism and take root in the Twin Cities As an organization we:-Increased our email audience to over 200,000 subscribers -Put on 51 events across the state of Minnesota, including a 20-stop summer tour called Minnesota DOGE: Cut the waste, save the budget.-Received donations from more than 11,000 Minnesotans, with the median donation being $35-Released 6 original reports and 6 policy briefings aimed at educating policy makers and citizens on conservative solutions to our biggest problems -Reached more people on social media than ever before, amassing tens of millions of impressions with our content, and hundreds of millions of contacts through all media In North Dakota we: -Helped pass a long-overdue bill legalizing charter schools and micro schools to give parents and children more educational options -Got a high-quality school choice bill to the Governor's desk -were awarded a prize by the State Policy Network for our innovative plan to support new charter schools in North DakotaExpenses $3,886,577 · grants $50,000 · revenue $50,699
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | 990 on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 36-3611426
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 1989
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Youth development (O99Z)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $2,352,155
- Income (IRS master file)
- $5,178,838
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $4,815,572 | $4,387,778 | $2,352,155 | XML |
| 990 | December 2024 | $4,313,337 | $4,150,088 | $1,829,607 | XML |
| 990 | December 2023 | $4,661,132 | $4,871,382 | $1,489,913 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $3,399,952 | $5,005,753 | $1,816,526 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 36-3611426).
Questions about CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT
- What is the EIN of CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT is 36-3611426.
- Is CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1989.
- Are donations to CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT due?
- The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names John Hinderaker.
- Who are the officers and directors of CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 42 people; 5 received compensation from the organization, the highest $163,000 (John Hinderaker, President).
- How much revenue does CENTER OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $4,815,572, expenses of $4,387,778 and total assets of $2,352,155 at year end.
Other nonprofits in MINNETONKA
- CONSTRUCTION CAREERS FOUNDATION EIN 16-1777355 · last filed 990 for 2024
- GZ US CONNECTS EIN 93-3738757 · last filed 990-N for 2025
- RUNWAY ROOKIES INC EIN 86-2694930 · last filed 990-N for 2025
- GIRLS RUN GLOBAL EIN 99-1171310 · last filed 990-N for 2024
- KEYS FOR KIDS EIN 45-3911452 · last filed 990-N for 2023
- BOLIVIAN COMMUNITY PROJECT INC EIN 31-1786796 · last filed 990-N for 2025
- TOOLS4TEENS INC EIN 84-3640333 · last filed 990-N for 2025
- DAYTON-CHAMPLIN D A R E EIN 41-1842423 · last filed 990-N for 2025
All nonprofits in MINNETONKA · Minnesota · Youth development