Balsa Research (legally Balsa Policy Institute Inc) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank founded by Zvi Mowshowitz in 2022. The organization identifies high-leverage, neglected areas of federal policy and takes a full-stack approach to reform: commissioning academic research to quantify problems, drafting viable legislation, and working to identify congressional champions who can drive change. Their primary focus is repealing the Jones Act of 1920, which they argue has crippled American domestic shipping. Secondary research areas include NEPA reform, federal housing policy, and AI safety policy focused on compute governance.
Funding Details
- Annual Budget
- $143,000
- Monthly Burn Rate
- $11,917
- Current Runway
- -
- Funding Goal
- $200,000
- Funding Raised to Date
- -
- Fiscal Sponsor
- -
Theory of Change
Balsa Research operates on the diagnosis that most policy organizations are misaligned, optimizing for donor satisfaction and appearances rather than actual policy change. Their theory of change involves a full-stack approach to policy reform: (1) identify neglected, high-leverage federal policy areas where relatively small investments can unlock large economic benefits, (2) commission rigorous academic research to credibly quantify problems and potential gains, (3) draft professional legislative text that can withstand political modification, (4) identify and support congressional champions who can drive legislation, and (5) provide ongoing research support and public messaging to build coalitions. By focusing on implementation rather than status, and by accepting funding only from deeply aligned donors, they aim to break through the dysfunction of the existing policy ecosystem and deliver concrete reforms.
Grants Received
from Survival and Flourishing Fund
Projects
No linked projects.
People
No linked people.
Discussion
Sign in to join the discussion.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.
Details
- Last Updated
- Apr 2, 2026, 9:49 PM UTC
- Created
- Mar 18, 2026, 11:18 PM UTC