The Cooper Institute is a chartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to advancing the understanding of the relationship between living habits and health. Established in 1970, the Institute has been housed in its own building at the north end of the Cooper Aerobics Center campus in Dallas since 1983.

The Institute is administratively and financially independent from any of the for-profit corporations bearing the Cooper name. Accordingly, in addition to grants from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other foundations, we must rely heavily on the steadfast generosity of our donors, our honored "Circle of Friends," who over the years have made so much possible.