Foreign Money in Domestic Protests

Segment #640

It doesn’t take a sophisticated legal mind to understand how easy it is to corrupt the non profit organizations that have twisted the mission to influence US politics. NGO and 501C3 entities will come under serious scrutiny by the FBI and DOJ in an effort to understand how foreign money has entered the system

Key 501(c)(3) Nonprofits Involved in Supporting Democratic-Aligned Protests and Receiving Foreign Funding Under U.S. tax law, 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from directly intervening in political campaigns or elections, but they can engage in limited advocacy, education, and support for issue-based protests (e.g., on racial justice, climate, or foreign policy) as long as it aligns with their charitable mission. Foreign funding is permitted for U.S.-based 501(c)(3)s if it supports charitable activities, though donor identities are often not publicly disclosed on IRS Form 990 filings, leading to transparency concerns. Reports from congressional investigations, media analyses, and watchdog groups highlight several such organizations that channel resources to protests often aligned with Democratic priorities (e.g., Black Lives Matter, anti-Trump rallies, pro-Palestinian demonstrations). These groups receive foreign money primarily through grants from international philanthropists or foreign-linked foundations, which then flows to protest-supporting activities.Below is a table summarizing prominent examples based on publicly reported grants and investigations. "Support for protests" refers to funding for organizing, training, bail funds, or rapid-response efforts tied to demonstrations. Foreign money is substantiated via grant disclosures and expert analyses, though exact amounts can vary due to fiscal sponsorships (where a 501(c)(3) hosts unformed projects, obscuring flows).

Key Insights

• Foreign Influence Concerns: U.S. law allows 501(c)(3)s to accept foreign grants without disclosing donor names (unless >$5,000 from one source, per Schedule F), enabling anonymity. A 2023 Ways & Means Committee hearing highlighted $200M+ from Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss alone to Arabella Advisors/Tides networks, aiding Democratic voter efforts and protests. No direct electioneering occurs, but funds support "get-out-the-vote" in protest contexts.

• Fiscal Sponsorship Loophole: Groups like Tides host "projects" (e.g., BLM early on), pooling foreign/domestic money without full transparency, as noted in IRS critiques.

• Scale: In 2020 BLM protests, $90M+ flowed through these channels; 2024-2025 saw $330K+ for pro-Palestinian actions via Emergent Fund (Tides-sponsored).

• Counterpoints: OSF/Tides state funds promote "nonviolent civic engagement," not violence. No evidence of illegal activity, but critics (e.g., NGO Monitor) argue it amplifies partisan protests.

Tides Foundation (San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) donor-advised fund)

Manages $1.4B+ in assets; fiscally sponsors and grants to groups organizing BLM protests (2020), anti-Israel campus occupations (2024), and anti-Trump "No Kings" rallies (2025). Funds bail, logistics, and grassroots mobilization.

- George Soros (Hungarian-born, via Open Society Foundations): $17.8M (2022-2023). - Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss: $200M+ to Tides-linked networks (2020-2024). - Other: European foundations like Oak Foundation (Denmark-based). Total foreign-linked: Hundreds of millions annually.

Seeded by Soros; under House Ways & Means scrutiny for hiding donors. Funds flowed to Jewish Voice for Peace/IfNotNow for Columbia protests.

Open Society Foundations (U.S. arm, 501(c)(3))

Funds civil rights/social justice groups for nonviolent protests; supported BLM responses to police violence (e.g., post-Ferguson, 2014-2020) and anti-Trump "No Kings" protests (2025 via grantees). Emphasizes democracy/reform advocacy.

- George Soros (personal/international): $32B+ total since 1979, with $33M+ to U.S. protest-linked groups (2014-2020). - Foreign operations (e.g., European offices): $80M+ to U.S. grantees tied to protests (2016-2025).

Denies paying protesters directly but grants to organizers like Indivisible ($7.6M since 2017). Criticized in congressional reports for enabling "dark money" in left-leaning activism.

Thousand Currents (Oakland-based 501(c)(3); fiscal sponsor)

Sponsored BLM Global Network Foundation (2016-2020); managed $90M+ in BLM donations for 2020 protests, funding grants to local chapters for organizing/rapid response.

- International grants via Tides/OSF networks: $3.4M+ in net assets (2019), including foreign-sourced funds pooled from Soros/Wyss. - Global donors: Tied to European/Asian philanthropies (e.g., via Tides).

BLM sued Tides (2025) over $33M withheld funds; Thousand Currents handled initial BLM inflows, blending foreign/domestic sources.

Rockefeller Brothers Fund (New York-based 501(c)(3))

Grants for racial justice and climate protests; supported BLM-aligned groups and pro-Palestinian campus actions (2023-2024).

- David Rockefeller Jr. (international family ties): $1M+ to protest organizers like IfNotNow (2020-2024). - Foreign foundations: European partners contributing via global philanthropy networks.

Board-linked funding to Tides grantees; part of Democratic donor ecosystem per Politico analysis.

William J. Clinton Foundation (Little Rock-based 501(c)(3))

Funds global health/justice initiatives tied to U.S. protests (e.g., BLM health equity grants); indirect support via partnerships.

- International donors (e.g., Saudi/Qatari entities via Clinton Global Initiative): $10M+ total foreign (pre-2020), some re-granted to U.S. advocacy.

Less direct protest focus but flagged in foreign influence probes; funds social justice amid Democratic ties.

For deeper dives, review IRS Form 990s or congressional reports. This is based on diverse sources, including conservative (Fox, Jewish Insider), mainstream (Politico, ProPublica), and official (Ways & Means) to balance viewpoints.