Sanders Institute

The Sanders Institute is a think tank which supports causes affiliated with Senator Bernie Sanders. It was founded by Jane Sanders, the wife of Bernie Sanders, and her son David Driscoll.^[1]

The institute was launched in 2017. It occupied an office in Burlington, Vermont with three staff members and volunteer fellows.^[2] It was initially funded with $25,000 of personal money from Bernie and Jane Sanders to help cover the approximate $125,000 cost in starting the non-profit. Our Revolution, an organization which was spun off from the 2016 Sanders campaign, contributed the rest of the seed money, which was to be repaid later on.^[3]

In November 2018, the institute hosted "The Gathering," a convention of progressive politicians and activists. Attendees included Cornel West, Danny Glover, and Carmen Yulín Cruz.^[4][5]

In March 2019, the institute announced that it was going to suspend operations by the end of May 2019 to avoid any issues with Sanders 2020 presidential campaign.^[6][7]

In April 2021, the institute was relaunched with a $350,000 donation by the 2020 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.^[8]