Milken believes the ability to attract outside support is the litmus test for measuring the think tank’s effectiveness. “If it’s totally dependent on one individual or one funding source, then you have no idea whether it will be around or survive,” he says. “Also, if there isn’t anyone else who finds its work worthwhile, then maybe you should do something else.”

Because of Milken’s reduced role and competing interests—he is the nonexecutive chairman of a number of organizations, travels internationally, keeps a busy speaking schedule and is working on a book about accelerating medical solutions—the institute’s president and CEO, Michael Klowden, plays a pivotal role. He oversees a staff of 40 and 12 senior fellows. He evaluates how well the institute’s ideas are circulating by tracking how often the institute is mentioned in the media, the number of times reports are downloaded and by tracking the impact of particular projects.

Klowden admits the organization’s nonpartisan stand both helps and hinders it financially. On the one hand, he says the Milken Institute attracts many donations to fund specific research assignments precisely because its analysts are viewed as unbiased. Conversely, some individuals who regularly attend and praise the Global Conference are known to contribute to ideological think tanks but are less eager to support the Milken Institute because of its nonpartisan position. Klowden says there are some individuals who participate in the institute’s activities and give modest donations, but who, “even though they support our work, find a greater emotional pull to more ideologically based organizations.” 

 Return to main article: The Policy Revolutionaries