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TELOS-PAUL PICCONE INSTITUTE INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 461082291 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A23 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · telosinstitute.net
revenue
$137K
expenses
$178K
net assets
$127K
employees
0
program ratio
85%
mission · from form 990

THE TELOS-PAUL PICCONE INSTITUTE DEVELOPS NEW IDEAS FOR ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF MODERNITY WORLDWIDE THROUGH THE RESOURCES OF PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES AND TRADITIONS. CENTERED AROUND A UNIQUE INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF SCHOLARS AND PRACTITIONERS, THE INSTITUTE COMBINES CRITICAL ANALYSES OF ISSUES OF MODERNITY WITH A SENSE FOR ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES IN ORDER TO CREATE INNOVATIVE POLICY IDEAS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE FOCUS ON COMMUNITIES AND TRADITIONS GROUNDS THIS VISION IN TERMS OF LOCAL PERSPECTIVES AND DECISION MAKING.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Telos-Paul Piccone Institute (TPPI) is a research and advocacy organization focused on critical theory and intellectual engagement with contemporary political and cultural issues. It examines the role of theory in global challenges such as the response to the October 7 Hamas attacks and U.S.-China relations, producing analysis through webinars, conferences, publications, and podcasts. The institute operates internationally with a focus on higher education, ideology, and policy, grounded in a network of scholars and practitioners.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

China Initiative
A program fostering reciprocal intellectual exchange between Chinese and Western political thought, examining concepts like "China Keywords" and the "Party-State." Includes annual conferences in New York, a podcast series, and publications aimed at influencing policy and public understanding of China.
Israel Initiative
A program exploring the role of critical theory in responses to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, featuring webinars, podcasts, commentaries, and a planned in-person conference in New York City (postponed). Focuses on campus discourse, antisemitism, and the moral implications of theoretical frameworks in higher education.
TPPI Podcast
A podcast series featuring in-depth interviews with scholars and experts on topics such as the Israel-Hamas conflict, Chinese political thought, and ideological dynamics in academia.
Telos Insights Substack
A publishing platform for essays and commentaries on contemporary political and cultural issues, including contributions from scholars on topics related to Israel, China, critical theory, and higher education.
Webinar Series
Monthly online discussions held on the seventh day of each month at noon Eastern Time, focusing on the Israel Initiative and broader themes in critical theory and contemporary politics.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Leadership & Policy Dialogue Forums 2 activities
    • Advocating for renewal through American intellectual traditions
      Hosts conferences and discussions aimed at re-evaluating American pragmatism and populism as foundations for social and political renewal, challenging conventional Left/Right political frameworks.
    • Facilitating cross-ideological intellectual exchange and collaboration
      Creates international public spaces for informed debate and fosters cross-ideological collaborations among scholars, critics, and intellectuals through conferences, publications, and thematic initiatives.
  • Academic Journal and Scholarly Publication 1 activity
    • Conducting and disseminating interdisciplinary research on global challenges of modernity
      Develops and publishes scholarly research that critically engages with contemporary political, cultural, and philosophical issues, including Chinese social and political thought, American intellectual traditions, and postliberal political economy. Research is disseminated through the journal Telos, Occasional Papers, and open-access publications under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license.
  • Professional Conference & Symposium Organization 1 activity
    • Organizing international academic conferences and symposia
      Convenes annual and thematic scholarly conferences globally, including in New York, Berlin, Moscow, New Delhi, and Cambridge, on topics such as democracy, constitutional order, postliberalism, mutual aid, and empire. These events bring together scholars, philosophers, and critics from multiple countries to foster dialogue on contemporary political and cultural issues.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Producing and distributing scholarly publications and digital content
      Produces and distributes the journal Telos, Telos Insights, TelosScope blog commentaries, podcasts, and webinars. Provides free and member subscriptions to Telos, offers book discounts, and publishes special issues and Occasional Papers based on conference themes.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Funding scholarly research, publications, and dialogue initiatives
      Provides grants and subventions to support researchers, fund translations in social and political philosophy, and enable the publication of scholarly articles and books. Also finances conferences and discussion groups that promote open dialogue on non-mainstream ideas.
    • Operating thematic research initiatives and regional chapters
      Runs focused programs including the China Initiative, Israel Initiative, Beyond State and Market, American Traditions, and a Black intellectual traditions project. Also leads local chapters in Berlin and Ljubljana to promote regionally grounded scholarly engagement.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$137K
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$137K100%
Investment income$110%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$178K
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineOther
balance sheet
Total assets$127K
Cash$127K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$127K
Liquid reserves8.6 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +22.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 14
  • ADRIAN PABST — EXECUTIVE DI
  • BRENDAN MULLEN — DIRECTOR
  • EUGENE RIVERS — DIRECTOR
  • FLORINDO VOLPACCHIO — DIRECTOR
  • GEORGE SCHWAB — V.P. & DIREC
  • JAY GUPTA — DIRECTOR
  • JOSEPH W BENDERSKY — DIRECTOR
  • KENNETH D JOHNSON — DIRECTOR
  • MARCIA PALLY — DIRECTOR
  • MARK S WEINER — DIRECTOR
  • RUSSELL BERMAN — PRESIDENT
  • TIM LUKE — DIRECTOR
  • WARREN HABIB — PRESIDENT &
  • WAYNE HUDSON — DIRECTOR
relationships · 23

Who they work with

  • Adrian Pabst Partner — Director of the Beyond State and Market initiative and member of the Board of Directors.
  • Centre for Social Renewal Partner — Co-organized the 2024 Postliberalism Conference with TPPI.
  • Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge Partner — Hosted the 2024 Postliberalism Conference in partnership with the Institute.
  • Danube Institute Partner — Hosts Eric Hendriks, director of the Telos China Initiative.
  • Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft Berlin und Brandenburg e.V. Partner — Cooperates with the organization to host the 2026 Telos Potsdam Conference.
  • Energeia Partner — Co-convened the 2024 Postliberalism Conference with TPPI.
  • Eric Hendriks Partner — Director of the China Initiative.
  • Gabriel Noah Brahm Partner — Director of the Israel Initiative.
  • Higher School of Economics Partner — Co-hosted the 2017 conference on constitutional order amid the crisis of democracy in Moscow, Russia.
  • Humboldt University-Berlin Partner — Hosted the 2016 conference on sacrifice in Berlin, Germany.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru University Partner — Co-hosted the 2016 conference on democracy and secular sectarianism in New Delhi, India.
  • Julius Bielek Partner — Associate Director of the Israel Initiative and Director of the Berlin chapter.
  • Mailchimp Network — Uses Mailchimp as its marketing platform for processing subscriber information.
  • Mark S. Weiner Partner — Director of the American Traditions initiative.
  • Mark S. Weiner Partner — Initiative Director of the American Traditions Initiative
  • Mary Piccone Partner — Partner in continuing the intellectual traditions of Telos as publisher.
  • Niko Čajič Partner — Director of the Ljubljana chapter.
  • Our Common Home Partner — Partner organization in promoting civic participation to address environmental challenges.
  • Plough Partner — Co-convened the 2024 Postliberalism Conference with TPPI.
  • Russell A. Berman Partner — Collaborates with the Telos-Paul Piccone Institute as editor emeritus, contributing to the continuity of the Telos intellectual tradition.
  • Telos Network — Journal affiliated with the Institute that publishes its research.
  • Telos Press Partner — Cooperates with Telos Press on the Israel Initiative, including joint programming and publications.
  • Telos-Paul Piccone Institute Partner — Invited the Black Telos initiative to continue intellectual efforts under its auspices, focusing on Black Americans and the African diaspora.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Culturally-Grounded Policy Innovation
    methodology: culturally-grounded_policy_innovation
    By integrating critical analysis of modernity with intellectual resources from local communities and traditions, the organization generates innovative policy ideas and theoretical responses that are more contextually rooted and culturally diverse, because homogenized Western frameworks alone cannot address complex global challenges.
  • Interdisciplinary Theoretical Encounter
    methodology: critical_theoretical_encounter
    By bringing together divergent intellectual traditions—such as Marxism and phenomenology, or secular and religious thought—the organization enables critical reform and deeper cross-system understanding, because sustained dialogue across theoretical divides produces insights unattainable within isolated paradigms.
  • Moral and Ecological Reconnection
    methodology: moral_ecology
    By advancing an ecological vision that ties environmental stewardship to local communities, belonging, and moral responsibility, the organization counters both technocratic environmentalism and climate denial, because sustainable change requires ethical and cultural grounding, not just scientific data.
  • Pluralistic Intellectual Exchange
    methodology: intellectual_pluralism_through_dialogue
    By fostering open forums and multi-format platforms that host deeply divergent perspectives without ideological censorship, the organization strengthens intellectual pluralism and public discourse, because exposure to challenging ideas in a free and structured context promotes critical thinking and societal resilience.
  • Problem-Oriented Interdisciplinary Research
    methodology: interdisciplinary_problem-oriented_research
    By using a problem-centered, interdisciplinary approach that bridges academic research and public discourse, the organization advances more relevant and actionable theoretical work, because real-world issues require integrated perspectives beyond disciplinary silos.