 According to the 2016 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, Transparency International was number 9 of 100 in the "Top Think Tanks Worldwide (non-U.S.)" category and number 27 of 150 in the "Top Think Tanks Worldwide (U.S. and non-U.S.)" category.Transparency International was founded in May 1993.According to political scientist Ellen Gutterman, "TI's presence in Germany, and indeed its organizational development and rise from a small operation to a prominent international TNGO, benefited from the activities and personal connections of at least three key German individuals