Founding Patrons

Independent research at the institutional layer.

HSI is accepting Founding Patrons in support of the Institute's first publication and convening cycle. Founding Patrons sustain editorially independent research on the institutional architecture required for the 2025–2045 horizon, and are recognized in the Institute's permanent record as the founding circle.

What patron support sustains

Founding Patrons fund the institutional functions that allow HSI to operate as an independent research institute, not as a consultancy or a sponsored content operation. Patron support is general operating support, directed by the Institute toward its mission across the four pillars.

  1. 01
    The four publication streams. The Searchlight every two weeks, HSI Briefs each month, Horizon Scans each quarter, and the Annual Outlook each year. Editorial team, research time, citations and source acquisition, fact-checking, and publication infrastructure.
  2. 02
    The trimester salons and annual flagship. Convening costs across New York, London, and Tokyo, plus the annual flagship convening released alongside the Annual Outlook. Salons are not revenue-generating; they exist to test analysis with practitioners and to build the network within which HSI's research lands.
  3. 03
    The Fellowship and research engine. The HSI Fellowship in support of exceptional doctoral scholars, and the editorial and research team across the four pillars.
  4. 04
    The applied tools. The AI Governance Pulse and Navigator are published as public-good assessment tools any organization can use. Patron support allows the Institute to maintain these tools without paywalling them or licensing them commercially.

What Founding Patrons receive

Founding Patron status is a recognition of seriousness, not a transactional purchase of access. The benefits below are the practical expression of being inside the founding circle of an independent institute.

Permanent recognition

Named in the founding record

Founding Patrons are named in the Institute's published register, in the inaugural Annual Outlook, and in the permanent record of HSI's founding period. Anonymous patronage is also welcome and respected.

Advance access

Publications one to two weeks early

Founding Patrons receive each Horizon Scan, Brief, and the Annual Outlook one to two weeks before public release. Searchlight issues remain on the public biweekly cadence.

Convening invitations

Trimester Salon and annual flagship

Trimester Salon invitations across New York, London, and Tokyo, plus access to the annual flagship convening released alongside the Annual Outlook. Salons are by invitation only and run on Chatham House conventions.

Annual letter

Patron Letter from the Executive Director

An annual Patron Letter from the Executive Director, sent in advance of the Annual Outlook, addressing the Institute's research direction, the year ahead, and the structural questions Founding Patrons most consistently raise.

Editorial independence

Research independence statement

HSI's research is editorially independent. Patrons and funders may support HSI's mission and pillars but do not direct research conclusions, do not review work prior to publication, and do not receive editorial input on what the Institute publishes or when.

Patrons receive advance access to publications on the same content the public will receive. Patrons do not receive a different version, a custom briefing on their industry, or any commercial output. The advance window is a recognition of partnership, not a deliverable.

Where patrons or their organizations are themselves the subject of HSI research, the Institute applies its standard sourcing and verification standards without exception.

Concentration and foreign-funding policy

Disclosure thresholds

The Institute discloses all individual and institutional contributions of $25,000 or more in its Annual Outlook. Disclosures include the funder's name, the contribution range, and the year received. Patrons may elect anonymity at the time of contribution; anonymous contributions are reported in aggregate and counted against the Institute's concentration limits.

Concentration limits

Once HSI reaches steady-state funding, no single individual or institutional funder may exceed an agreed share of the Institute's annual operating budget. The exact threshold is documented in the Institute's gift acceptance policy and reviewed annually by the Board of Directors upon its constitution. During the founding period, the Institute prioritizes assembling a diversified base of Founding Patrons rather than relying on any single source.

Foreign-funding review

Funding from foreign government entities, sovereign wealth funds, state-owned enterprises, or organizations with state-linked governance is reviewed under HSI's foreign-funding policy and disclosed regardless of size. Some sources are declined as a matter of policy. The full policy is referenced in the Institute's operating documents.

Tax-deductibility and fiscal sponsorship

Horizon Search Institute is a Delaware nonstock nonprofit corporation operating under the 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship of Fiscal Sponsorship Allies (FSA). Donations to HSI are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law and are processed through FSA, which issues receipts and provides institutional oversight of financial and compliance functions. HSI's own application for 501(c)(3) determination is anticipated in 2026.

HSI
EIN 42-1954110
Delaware nonstock nonprofit corporation. Incorporated April 15, 2026.
Fiscal sponsor
Fiscal Sponsorship Allies (EIN 85-0839183)
A registered 501(c)(3) public charity. Receipts for tax-deductible contributions are issued by FSA on HSI's behalf.
Inquire

For prospective Founding Patrons.

Founding Patron arrangements are structured individually and conducted in confidence. Inquiries are received by the Executive Director, and a structured conversation typically follows within the same week.