International charities give $2 billion to US climate and political advocacy organizations: report

Foreign Charities Fund U.S. Nonprofits Focused on Climate Change

A recent report has uncovered that five foreign charities have contributed nearly $2 billion to various U.S. nonprofits and groups dedicated to climate change and political advocacy. Americans for Public Trust has provided further insights. Their detailed report includes evidence tracking the flow of funds from these foreign entities to U.S. organizations. Although direct donations to political candidates are prohibited under federal law, activities related to elections—like “get out the vote” campaigns and certain lobbying efforts—can serve as channels for foreign money.

According to Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, it’s clear where this money is going. “We know that foreign money is flowing into everything from U.S. policy fights to climate litigation to research to protest and lobbying,” she stated. Many observers share her concern, as Sutherland indicated, “Foreign money is coming in and trying to erode our democracy.”

Key Contributors

Notable contributors include the Quadrature Climate Foundation (UK), KR Foundation (Denmark), Oak Foundation (Switzerland), Laudes Foundation (Switzerland/Netherlands), and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (UK). Among these, the Quadrature Climate Foundation stands out, having donated roughly $520 million to 41 U.S. organizations since 2020.

Interestingly, Sutherland noted that funds ended up with the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), which is recognized for its Climate Justice Project that educates judges about climate-related litigation. “The fact that organizations educating judges about climate are benefiting from foreign funding is a huge problem,” she said.

Since 2018, ELI has received $650,000 in grants from the Oak Foundation. The ELI spokesperson explained that in 2018, a $300,000 grant aimed to support the development of a toolkit for sustainable small-scale fisheries. They emphasize their independence, asserting that their work isn’t influenced by funders, which are subject to IRS regulations.

Context and Implications

In a related context, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin discontinued federal funding for ELI after the Trump administration’s request. This action was part of a wider trend, where concerns about foreign influence are becoming more pronounced. Notably, Sutherland also highlighted $1.6 million in funding from the Oak Foundation to another organization, Community Change, which has been active in political protests against the Trump administration.

Community Change has indeed been termed a “financial sponsor” of the Free DC movement, which organized protests against President Trump’s actions in Washington. When reaching out to various foreign charities for comments on their financial dealings with U.S. organizations, no responses were forthcoming.

Sutherland expressed her perspective that the goal behind these donations may be to import extreme European policies into the U.S. “It’s evident that foreign money is working to implement a radical European vision here,” she concluded, pointing out that many of these groups seem intent on shifting American policies leftward.