The Taft Institute for Government and Civic Education, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit 501 (c)3 organization, was founded in 1961 to expand and improve political participation in the U.S.   The Institute works to achieve this goal in four areas: Curriculum Development, Teacher Training, Community Leadership Training, and Adult Civic Education.

Over 30,000 teachers have graduated from Taft Institute seminars. More recently, the Institute has partnered with the Museum of the Moving Image and the Museum of the City of New York to offer its seminar to New York area teachers.