DonorsTrust: Difference between revisions

DonorsTrust
Formation	1999
Type	Nonprofit (IRC § 501(c)(3))
Tax ID no.	52-2166327
Location	Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.;
Coordinates	38°48′20″N 77°03′37″W / 38.8056°N 77.0603°W
Services	Donor-advised fund
CEO	Lawson Bader
Board of directors	Kimberly Dennis; James Piereson; Lawson Bader; Thomas Beach; George G. H. Coates Jr.;
Affiliations	Donors Capital Fund
Revenue	$323 million (2022)
Expenses	$248 million (2022)
Endowment	$1.39 billion in assets (2022)
Website	donorstrust.org

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DonorsTrust is an American nonprofit donor-advised fund. It was founded in 1999 with the goal of "safeguarding the intent of libertarian and conservative donors".^[5] As a donor advised fund, DonorsTrust is not legally required to disclose the identity of its donors, and most of its donors remain anonymous.^[6]^[7] It distributes funds to various conservative and libertarian organizations, and has been characterized as the "dark money ATM" of the political right.^[6]^[8]^[9]^: 1

It is affiliated with Donors Capital Fund, another donor-advised fund. In September 2015, Lawson Bader was announced as the new president of both DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund. Bader was formerly president of the Competitive Enterprise Institute and Vice President at the Mercatus Center.^[2]

Overview

DonorsTrust is a 501(c)(3) organization.^[1] As a public charity and a donor-advised fund, DonorsTrust offers clients a variety of tax advantages compared to a private foundation.^[10]

DonorsTrust accepts donations from charitable foundations and individuals.^[11] Grants from DonorsTrust are based on the preferences of the original contributor, and the organization assures clients that their contributions will never be used to support politically liberal causes.^[12]^[13] As a donor advised fund, DonorsTrust can offer anonymity to individual donors, with respect to their donations to DonorsTrust, as well as with respect to an individual donor's ultimate grantee.^[12]^[14]^[15]^[16]

As a donor advised fund and public charity, DonorsTrust accepts cash or assets from donors, and in turn creates a separate account for the donor, who may recommend disbursements from the fund to other public charities.^[15] DonorsTrust requires an initial deposit of $10,000 or more.^[17]^[18] DonorsTrust is associated with Donors Capital Fund. DonorsTrust refers clients to Donors Capital Fund if the client plans to maintain a balance of $1 million or more.^[19]^[20] DonorsTrust president Lawson Bader said the goal of the organization is to "safeguard the intent of libertarian and conservative donors," ensuring that funds are used only to promote "liberty through limited government, responsibility, and free enterprise".^[5]

History

DonorsTrust was established in 1999 by Whitney Lynn Ball.^[21] According to DonorsTrust, the organization was founded by a group of donors and nonprofit executives who were "actively engaged in supporting and promoting a free society as understood in America's founding documents."^[13] A major selling point to donors is that even after their death, their money will continue to fund conservative/libertarian goals, and not change based on the attitudes of their heirs or trustees as a family foundation might.^[6]^: 1

In early 2013, DonorsTrust was the subject of reports by The Independent,^[22] The Guardian,^[11]^[12]^[23] Mother Jones,^[18]^[24] and the Center for Public Integrity.^[10] Mother Jones described DonorsTrust as having funded a conservative public policy agenda in the areas of labor unions, climate science, public schools, and economic regulations.^[18]

In January 2021, CNBC reported that in 2019, DonorsTrust had given millions of dollars to conservative organizations that went on to push claims of election fraud in the 2020 election.^[25]

Donors

As of 2013, DonorsTrust had 193 contributors, mostly individuals, and some foundations.^[10]

The Charles G. Koch Foundation contributed millions to DonorsTrust since the mid-2000s.^[22]^[26]^[27] Two Koch brothers, Charles and David Koch, were the top contributors to DonorsTrust in 2011, according to an analysis by the Columbia Journalism Review.^[28] In 2010, DonorsTrust received a US$2 million grant from the Donors Capital Fund.^[14]

DonorsTrust account holders have included the John M. Olin Foundation, the Castle Rock Foundation, the Searle Freedom Trust, and the Bradley Foundation.^[10]^[29] The Bradley family contributed $650,000 between 2001 and 2010.^[18] The DeVos family foundation contributed $1 million in 2009 and $1.5 million in 2010 to Donors Trust.^[18]

Robert Mercer and Rebekah Mercer contributed nearly $20 million through DonorsTrust in 2020.^[30]

Recipients

From its founding in 1999 through 2013, DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund distributed nearly $400 million, and through 2015 $740 million, to various nonprofit organizations, including numerous conservative and libertarian causes.^[10]^[31]^[32] DonorsTrust requires that recipients are registered with the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Whitney Ball, the former president of the Trust, told The Guardian in 2013 that it has about 1,600 grantees.^[33] In 2014, Ball said that 70 to 75 percent of grants go to public policy organizations, with the rest going to more conventional charities such as social service and educational organizations.^[34]

In 2010, the Americans for Prosperity Foundation^[35] received a DonorsTrust grant of $7 million, nearly half of the Foundation's revenue that year.^[10] Other DonorsTrust recipients have included The Heritage Foundation, Americans for Tax Reform, the National Rifle Association Freedom Action Foundation, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Cato Institute, the Federalist Society, the FreedomWorks Foundation, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, and the Center for Class Action Fairness.^[18]^[24]^[36]

DonorsTrust paid the legal fees of the Project on Fair Representation, a Washington, D.C.–based legal defense fund that assembled the plaintiff's legal team in Fisher v. University of Texas, a 2013 United States Supreme Court case concerning affirmative action college admissions policies.^[37] In 2011, the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, an online conservative news organization, received $6.3 million in DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund grants, 95 percent of the center's revenue that year.^[38]^[39]

Other DonorsTrust recipients have included the Foundation for Jewish Camp, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the James Randi Educational Foundation, the Marijuana Policy Project,^[34]^[40]^[41] and PragerU.^[42]

Climate change contrarian funding

DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund have been major sources of funding for conservative groups with contrarian stances on climate change.^[43]^[44]^[12]^[18]

The Guardian reported DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund distributed nearly $120 million to 102 think tanks and action groups "which have a record of denying the existence of a human factor in climate change, or opposing environmental regulations" between 2002 and 2010.^[12] According to an analysis by Drexel University environmental sociologist Robert Brulle, between 2003 and 2010, DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund combined were the largest funders of organizations opposed to restrictions on carbon emissions.^[18]^[45] By 2009, approximately one-quarter of the funding of what Brulle calls the "climate change counter-movement" came from grants via DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund.^[19]

As of 2010, DonorsTrust grants to conservative and libertarian organizations active in climate change issues included more than $17 million to the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank; $13.5 million to the Heartland Institute, a public policy think tank; and $11 million to Americans for Prosperity, a political advocacy group.^[23] In 2011, the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), a conservative Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit organization, received $1.2 million from Donors Trust, 40 percent of CFACT's revenue in that year.^[14] Climate change writer Wei-Hock "Willie" Soon received hundreds of thousands of dollars from DonorsTrust.^[46]^[47] In 2015, The Guardian reported that Donors Trust gave $4.3 million to the Competitive Enterprise Institute over three years.^[48]

State-based policy funding

Between 2008 and 2013, DonorsTrust granted $10 million to the State Policy Network (SPN), a national network of conservative and libertarian think tanks focused on state-level policy. SPN used the grants to incubate new think tanks in Arkansas, Rhode Island and Florida. DonorsTrust also issued grants to SPN's affiliates at the state level during the same period. The American Legislative Exchange Council, a nonprofit organization of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives that drafts and shares model state-level legislation, is a DonorsTrust recipient.^[10]

Project Veritas

The organization donated $1.7 million to Project Veritas, a watchdog group run by conservative activist James O'Keefe, which uses undercover videos to demonstrate the bias in mainstream media organizations and liberal groups.^[49] DonorsTrust's relationship with Project Veritas came under scrutiny in 2017 after Project Veritas had one of its operatives contact The Washington Post, falsely claiming to have been impregnated by Roy Moore while she was a teenager.^[49]

Elections and the judiciary

In 2018, the organization funded more than 99% of the Judicial Education Project, a legal alias for Honest Elections Project and The 85 Fund.^[9]^[50]^[51]

Board of directors

The board of directors of DonorsTrust includes:^[3]

Kimberly Dennis, chairman – president of the Searle Freedom Trust
Lawson Bader, president and CEO – DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund
James Piereson, vice chairman – conservative scholar and president of the William E. Simon Foundation
Thomas E. Beach
George G.H. Coates Jr. – chairman of the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives

References

^ ^a ^b "2017 IRS 990 FORM". Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "DonorsTrust's New CEO". Donors Trust. September 22, 2015. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Directors & Staff - DonorsTrust". Donors Trust. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Donors Trust Inc". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. 2022. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Callahan, David (March 3, 2016). "Inside DonorsTrust: What This Mission-Driven DAF Offers Philanthropists on the Right". Inside Philanthropy. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kroll, Andy (February 5, 2013). "Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
^ Callahan, David (August 23, 2017). "Inside DonorsTrust: What This Mission-Driven DAF Offers Philanthropists on the Right". Inside Philanthropy. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
^ SLODYSKO, Brian (July 27, 2020). "Wealthy donors pour millions into fight over mail-in voting". Minneapolis Tribune. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020. A substantial portion of the financing comes from Donors Trust, a nonprofit often referred to as the "dark money ATM" of the conservative movement. The organization helps wealthy patrons invest in causes they care about while sheltering their identities from the public.
^ ^a ^b Levine, Sam; Massoglia, Anna (May 27, 2020). "Revealed: conservative group fighting to restrict voting tied to powerful dark money network". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Abowd, Paul (February 14, 2013). "Koch-funded charity passes money to free-market think tanks in states". NBC News. Center for Public Integrity. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Goldenberg, Suzanne (February 15, 2013). "Media campaign against windfarms funded by anonymous conservatives". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Goldenberg, Suzanne (February 14, 2013). "Secret funding helped build vast network of climate denial thinktanks". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Mission & Principles". Donors Trust. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hickley, Walter (February 12, 2013). "Inside The Secretive Dark-Money Organization That's Keeping The Lights On For Conservative Groups". Business Insider. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "The future of donor-advised funds". Philanthropy Roundtable. September 2005. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017.
^ "FAQs". Donors Trust. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
^ "Open An Account". Donors Trust. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Kroll, Andy (February 5, 2013). "Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Robert Brulle: Inside the Climate Change "Countermovement"". Frontline. PBS. October 23, 2012. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
^ "What is Donors Capital Fund?". Donors Capital Fund. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
^ Gillespie, Nick (August 18, 2015). "Whitney Ball, Founder of DonorsTrust, RIP". Reason. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Connor, Steve (January 24, 2013). "Exclusive: Billionaires secretly fund attacks on climate science". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Goldenberg, Suzanne (February 14, 2013). "How Donors Trust distributed millions to anti-climate groups". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Kroll, Andy (February 11, 2013). "Exclusive: Donors Trust, The Right's Dark-Money ATM, Paid Out $30 Million in 2011". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
^ Schwartz, Brian (January 13, 2021). "Dark-money GOP fund funneled millions of dollars to groups that pushed voter fraud claims". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
^ Lewis, Charles; Holmberg, Eric; Fernandez Campbell, Alexia; Beyoud, Lydia (July 1, 2013). "Koch millions spread influence through nonprofits, colleges". Investigative Reporting Workshop. American University School of Communication. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
^ "Project Veritas received $1.7 million last year from charity associated with the Koch brothers". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019.
^ Chavkin, Sasha (April 22, 2013). "The Koch brothers' media investment". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015. In 2011, fully 95 percent of the Franklin Center's revenues came from a charity called Donors Trust, whose top contributors were the Koch brothers.
^ Miller, John J. (November 8, 2007). "Daniel C. Searle, R.I.P." National Review. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
^ Schwartz, Brian (September 15, 2021). "Mercer family played bigger role in 2020 election than thought, giving nearly $20 million to dark money GOP fund". CNBC. Retrieved December 16, 2024. In 2019, the Donors Trust, sent donations to groups such as Turning Point USA, which is led by vocal Trump supporter Charlie Kirk; and the VDARE Foundation, which the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled a hate group.
^ Goodman, Amy (February 19, 2013). "Donors Trust: Little-Known Group Helps Wealthy Backers Fund Right-Wing Agenda in Secret". Democracy Now!. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
^ Meyerson, Adam (August 17, 2015). "Whitney Ball Was a Champion of Liberty Par Excellence". National Review. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
^ Connor, Steve (January 24, 2013). "How the 'Kochtopus' stifled green debate; Behind the climate 'countermovement' are two billionaire brothers". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Zeiser, Bill (September 24, 2014). "Dark Money: The Left's unprincipled campaign against philanthropic privacy". National Review. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
^ Pettersson, Edvard (February 17, 2015). "Koch Group Gets to Keep Donors Secret in California Lawsuit". Bloomberg Business. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
^ Zahorsky, Rachel (April 1, 2010). "Unsettling Advocate". ABA Journal. American Bar Association. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
^ Smith, Morgan (February 23, 2012). "One Man Standing Against Race-Based Laws". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
^ "Koch-funded charity passes money to free-market think tanks in states". Center for Public Integrity. February 14, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via NBC News.
^ Goldenberg, Suzanne; Bengtsson, Helena (June 9, 2015). "Secretive donors gave US climate denial groups $125m over three years". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
^ "Marijuana Policy Project". OpenSecrets. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
^ Morse Wooster, Martin (August 26, 2015). "Remembering Whitney Ball's lasting but rarely noticed work". Philanthropy Daily. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
^ Kotch, Alex (December 27, 2018). "Who Funds PragerU's Anti-Muslim Content?". Sludge. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
^ Coan, Travis G.; Boussalis, Constantine; Cook, John; Nanko, Mirjam O. (November 16, 2021). "Computer-assisted classification of contrarian claims about climate change". Scientific Reports. 11 (1). doi:10.1038/s41598-021-01714-4. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 8595491. PMID 34785707. Notably, prominent contrarian CTTs such as the Heartland Institute are heavily dependent upon these key donors and, in particular the "donor-advised" funding flows from Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund, which ensure anonymous funding to conservative causes
^ Brulle, Robert J.; Hall, Galen; Loy, Loredana; Schell-Smith, Kennedy (May 2021). "Obstructing action: foundation funding and US climate change counter-movement organizations". Climatic Change. 166 (1–2). doi:10.1007/s10584-021-03117-w. ISSN 0165-0009. Donors Trust and DCF alone account for 13.7% of grants.
^ Brulle, Robert J. (December 21, 2013). "Institutionalizing delay: foundation funding and the creation of U.S. climate change counter-movement organizations". Climatic Change. 122 (4): 681–94. doi:10.1007/s10584-013-1018-7. S2CID 27538787.
^ Gillis, Justin; Schwartz, John (February 21, 2015). "Deeper Ties to Corporate Cash for Doubtful Climate Researcher". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
^ Basken, Paul (February 25, 2015). "A Climate Crusader Melts, Exposing a Profitable Link to Harvard's Name". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Archived from the original on March 3, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
^ Goldenberg, Suzanne; Bengtsson, Helena (June 9, 2015). "Secretive donors gave US climate denial groups $125m over three years". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
^ ^a ^b O'Harrow, Robert Jr. (December 2, 2017). "Project Veritas received $1.7 million last year from charity associated with the Koch brothers". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
^ Swan, Jonathan; Treene, Alayna. "Leonard Leo to shape new conservative network, step aside from the Federalist Society". Axios. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
^ "Conservative 'dark money' network rebranded to push voting restrictions before 2020 election". OpenSecrets. May 27, 2020. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2020.

External links

Official website
Organizational Profile – National Center for Charitable Statistics (Urban Institute)
"DonorsTrust Internal Revenue Service filings". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

[IRS-1] "2017 IRS 990 FORM". Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.

[bader-2] "DonorsTrust's New CEO". Donors Trust. September 22, 2015. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.

[board-3] "Directors & Staff - DonorsTrust". Donors Trust. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2022.

[nonprofitexplorer-4] "Donors Trust Inc". ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. 2022. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2022.

[inside-5] Callahan, David (March 3, 2016). "Inside DonorsTrust: What This Mission-Driven DAF Offers Philanthropists on the Right". Inside Philanthropy. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.

[MJ_1-6] Kroll, Andy (February 5, 2013). "Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.

[7] Callahan, David (August 23, 2017). "Inside DonorsTrust: What This Mission-Driven DAF Offers Philanthropists on the Right". Inside Philanthropy. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.

[8] SLODYSKO, Brian (July 27, 2020). "Wealthy donors pour millions into fight over mail-in voting". Minneapolis Tribune. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020. A substantial portion of the financing comes from Donors Trust, a nonprofit often referred to as the "dark money ATM" of the conservative movement. The organization helps wealthy patrons invest in causes they care about while sheltering their identities from the public.

[Guardian_20200527-9] Levine, Sam; Massoglia, Anna (May 27, 2020). "Revealed: conservative group fighting to restrict voting tied to powerful dark money network". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.

[nbc-10] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Abowd, Paul (February 14, 2013). "Koch-funded charity passes money to free-market think tanks in states". NBC News. Center for Public Integrity. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.

[Guardian021513-11] Goldenberg, Suzanne (February 15, 2013). "Media campaign against windfarms funded by anonymous conservatives". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2013.

[secret-12] Goldenberg, Suzanne (February 14, 2013). "Secret funding helped build vast network of climate denial thinktanks". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2015.

[mission-13] "Mission & Principles". Donors Trust. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.

[businessinsider-14] Hickley, Walter (February 12, 2013). "Inside The Secretive Dark-Money Organization That's Keeping The Lights On For Conservative Groups". Business Insider. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.

[future-15] "The future of donor-advised funds". Philanthropy Roundtable. September 2005. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017.

[faq-16] "FAQs". Donors Trust. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.

[17] "Open An Account". Donors Trust. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.

[MotherJones20130205-18] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Kroll, Andy (February 5, 2013). "Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.

[brulle-19] "Robert Brulle: Inside the Climate Change "Countermovement"". Frontline. PBS. October 23, 2012. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.

[overview-20] "What is Donors Capital Fund?". Donors Capital Fund. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2015.

[21] Gillespie, Nick (August 18, 2015). "Whitney Ball, Founder of DonorsTrust, RIP". Reason. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.

[independent20130124-22] Connor, Steve (January 24, 2013). "Exclusive: Billionaires secretly fund attacks on climate science". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.

[Guardian021413-23] Goldenberg, Suzanne (February 14, 2013). "How Donors Trust distributed millions to anti-climate groups". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.

[MotherJones20130211-24] Kroll, Andy (February 11, 2013). "Exclusive: Donors Trust, The Right's Dark-Money ATM, Paid Out $30 Million in 2011". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.

[25] Schwartz, Brian (January 13, 2021). "Dark-money GOP fund funneled millions of dollars to groups that pushed voter fraud claims". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.

[26] Lewis, Charles; Holmberg, Eric; Fernandez Campbell, Alexia; Beyoud, Lydia (July 1, 2013). "Koch millions spread influence through nonprofits, colleges". Investigative Reporting Workshop. American University School of Communication. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.

[27] "Project Veritas received $1.7 million last year from charity associated with the Koch brothers". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019.

[28] Chavkin, Sasha (April 22, 2013). "The Koch brothers' media investment". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015. In 2011, fully 95 percent of the Franklin Center's revenues came from a charity called Donors Trust, whose top contributors were the Koch brothers.

[searle-29] Miller, John J. (November 8, 2007). "Daniel C. Searle, R.I.P." National Review. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2015.

[:1-30] Schwartz, Brian (September 15, 2021). "Mercer family played bigger role in 2020 election than thought, giving nearly $20 million to dark money GOP fund". CNBC. Retrieved December 16, 2024. In 2019, the Donors Trust, sent donations to groups such as Turning Point USA, which is led by vocal Trump supporter Charlie Kirk; and the VDARE Foundation, which the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled a hate group.

[dunbar-31] Goodman, Amy (February 19, 2013). "Donors Trust: Little-Known Group Helps Wealthy Backers Fund Right-Wing Agenda in Secret". Democracy Now!. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.

[32] Meyerson, Adam (August 17, 2015). "Whitney Ball Was a Champion of Liberty Par Excellence". National Review. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.

[33] Connor, Steve (January 24, 2013). "How the 'Kochtopus' stifled green debate; Behind the climate 'countermovement' are two billionaire brothers". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.

[nr20140924-34] Zeiser, Bill (September 24, 2014). "Dark Money: The Left's unprincipled campaign against philanthropic privacy". National Review. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.

[35] Pettersson, Edvard (February 17, 2015). "Koch Group Gets to Keep Donors Secret in California Lawsuit". Bloomberg Business. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2017.

[ABA-36] Zahorsky, Rachel (April 1, 2010). "Unsettling Advocate". ABA Journal. American Bar Association. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2015.

[37] Smith, Morgan (February 23, 2012). "One Man Standing Against Race-Based Laws". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015.

[38] "Koch-funded charity passes money to free-market think tanks in states". Center for Public Integrity. February 14, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via NBC News.

[39] Goldenberg, Suzanne; Bengtsson, Helena (June 9, 2015). "Secretive donors gave US climate denial groups $125m over three years". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 16, 2024.

[40] "Marijuana Policy Project". OpenSecrets. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.

[41] Morse Wooster, Martin (August 26, 2015). "Remembering Whitney Ball's lasting but rarely noticed work". Philanthropy Daily. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2015.

[Sludge-42] Kotch, Alex (December 27, 2018). "Who Funds PragerU's Anti-Muslim Content?". Sludge. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.

[43] Coan, Travis G.; Boussalis, Constantine; Cook, John; Nanko, Mirjam O. (November 16, 2021). "Computer-assisted classification of contrarian claims about climate change". Scientific Reports. 11 (1). doi:10.1038/s41598-021-01714-4. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 8595491. PMID 34785707. Notably, prominent contrarian CTTs such as the Heartland Institute are heavily dependent upon these key donors and, in particular the "donor-advised" funding flows from Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund, which ensure anonymous funding to conservative causes

[44] Brulle, Robert J.; Hall, Galen; Loy, Loredana; Schell-Smith, Kennedy (May 2021). "Obstructing action: foundation funding and US climate change counter-movement organizations". Climatic Change. 166 (1–2). doi:10.1007/s10584-021-03117-w. ISSN 0165-0009. Donors Trust and DCF alone account for 13.7% of grants.

[brulle2-45] Brulle, Robert J. (December 21, 2013). "Institutionalizing delay: foundation funding and the creation of U.S. climate change counter-movement organizations". Climatic Change. 122 (4): 681–94. doi:10.1007/s10584-013-1018-7. S2CID 27538787.

[doubtful-46] Gillis, Justin; Schwartz, John (February 21, 2015). "Deeper Ties to Corporate Cash for Doubtful Climate Researcher". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2015.

[Basken_2015-47] Basken, Paul (February 25, 2015). "A Climate Crusader Melts, Exposing a Profitable Link to Harvard's Name". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Archived from the original on March 3, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.

[Guardian_2015-48] Goldenberg, Suzanne; Bengtsson, Helena (June 9, 2015). "Secretive donors gave US climate denial groups $125m over three years". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.

[:0-49] O'Harrow, Robert Jr. (December 2, 2017). "Project Veritas received $1.7 million last year from charity associated with the Koch brothers". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2017.

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[51] "Conservative 'dark money' network rebranded to push voting restrictions before 2020 election". OpenSecrets. May 27, 2020. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2020.

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@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2015}}
 {{Infobox organization
-| name                = Donors Trust
+| name                     = DonorsTrust
-| native_name         =
+| native_name              =
-| image               = File:Donors_Trust_logo.png
+| image                    = File:Donors_Trust_logo.png
-| image_size          =
+| image_size               =
-| alt                 =
+| alt                      =
-| caption             =
+| caption                  =
-| map                 =
+| map                      =
-| map_size            =
+| map_size                 =
-| map_alt             =
+| map_alt                  =
-| map_caption         =
+| map_caption              =
-| map2                =
+| map2                     =
-| map2_size           =
+| map2_size                =
-| map2_alt            =
+| map2_alt                 =
-| map2_caption        =
+| map2_caption             =
-| abbreviation        =
+| abbreviation             =
-| predecessor         =
+| predecessor              =
-| merged              =
+| merged                   =
-| successor           =
+| successor                =
-| formation           = 1999
+| formation                = 1999
-| founder             =
+| founder                  =
-| extinction          =
+| extinction               =
-| merger              =
+| merger                   =
-| type                = Nonprofit ([[Internal Revenue Code|IRC]] § [[501(c) organization#501(c)(3)|501(c)(3)]])<ref name="IRS">{{cite web|title=2017 IRS 990 FORM|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522166327/03_2019_prefixes_51-56%2F522166327_201712_990_2019030616152331|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423205120/https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522166327/03_2019_prefixes_51-56%2F522166327_201712_990_2019030616152331|url-status=live}}</ref>
+| type                     = Nonprofit ([[Internal Revenue Code|IRC]] § [[501(c) organization#501(c)(3)|501(c)(3)]])<ref name="IRS">{{cite web|title=2017 IRS 990 FORM|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522166327/03_2019_prefixes_51-56%2F522166327_201712_990_2019030616152331|access-date=October 25, 2020|archive-date=April 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423205120/https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522166327/03_2019_prefixes_51-56%2F522166327_201712_990_2019030616152331|url-status=live}}</ref>
-| tax_id              = 52-2166327
+| tax_id                   = 52-2166327
-| registration_id     =
+| registration_id          =
-| status              =
+| status                   =
-| purpose             =
+| purpose                  =
-| headquarters        =
+| headquarters             =
-| location            = [[Alexandria, Virginia]], U.S.
+| location                 = [[Alexandria, Virginia]], U.S.
-| coords              = {{coord| 38.8056|-77.0603|display=inline,title}}
+| coords                   = {{coord| 38.8056|-77.0603|display=inline,title}}
-| region              =
+| region                   =
-| services            = [[Donor-advised fund]]
+| services                 = [[Donor-advised fund]]
-| products            =
+| products                 =
-| methods             =
+| methods                  =
-| fields              =
+| fields                   =
-| membership          =
+| membership               =
-| membership_year     =
+| membership_year          =
-| language            =
+| language                 =
-| owner               =
+| owner                    =
-| sec_gen             =
+| sec_gen                  =
-| leader_title        = CEO
+| leader_title             = CEO
-| leader_name         = Lawson Bader<ref name=bader>{{cite news|title=DonorsTrust's New CEO|url=http://www.donorstrust.org/news-notes/donorstrusts-new-ceo/|access-date=3 February 2016|publisher=Donors Trust|date=September 22, 2015|archive-date=February 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203224328/http://www.donorstrust.org/news-notes/donorstrusts-new-ceo/|url-status=live}}</ref>
+| leader_name              = Lawson Bader<ref name=bader>{{cite news|title=DonorsTrust's New CEO|url=http://www.donorstrust.org/news-notes/donorstrusts-new-ceo/|access-date=3 February 2016|publisher=Donors Trust|date=September 22, 2015|archive-date=February 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203224328/http://www.donorstrust.org/news-notes/donorstrusts-new-ceo/|url-status=live}}</ref>
-| leader_title2       =
+| leader_title2            =
-| leader_name2        =
+| leader_name2             =
-| leader_title3       =
+| leader_title3            =
-| leader_name3        =
+| leader_name3             =
-| leader_title4       =
+| leader_title4            =
-| leader_name4        =
+| leader_name4             =
-| board_of_directors  = {{hlist | Kimberly Dennis | [[James Piereson]] | Lawson Bader | Thomas Beach | George G. H. Coates Jr.<ref name=board>{{cite web|title=Directors & Staff - DonorsTrust|url=http://www.donorstrust.org/who-we-are/directors-and-staff/|publisher=Donors Trust|access-date=2022-01-13|archive-date=November 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130041949/http://www.donorstrust.org/who-we-are/directors-and-staff/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
+| board_of_directors       = {{hlist | Kimberly Dennis | [[James Piereson]] | Lawson Bader | Thomas Beach | George G. H. Coates Jr.<ref name=board>{{cite web|title=Directors & Staff - DonorsTrust|url=http://www.donorstrust.org/who-we-are/directors-and-staff/|publisher=Donors Trust|access-date=2022-01-13|archive-date=November 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130041949/http://www.donorstrust.org/who-we-are/directors-and-staff/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
-| key_people          =
+| key_people               =
-| main_organ          =
+| main_organ               =
-| parent_organization =
+| parent_organization      =
-| subsidiaries        =
+| subsidiaries             =
-| secessions          =
+| secessions               =
-| affiliations        = [[Donors Capital Fund]]
+| affiliations             = [[Donors Capital Fund]]
-| budget              =
+| budget                   =
-| budget_year         =
+| budget_year              =
-| revenue             = $202,776,626 <ref name="nonprofitexplorer">{{cite web|title=DONORS TRUST INC|date=May 9, 2013 |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522166327|access-date=2022-01-13|archive-date=February 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216074912/https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522166327|url-status=live}}</ref>
+| revenue                  = $323 million<ref name="nonprofitexplorer">{{cite web|title=Donors Trust Inc|website=[[ProPublica]] Nonprofit Explorer|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522166327|date=2022|access-date=2022-01-13|archive-date=February 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216074912/https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522166327|url-status=live}}</ref>
-| revenue_year        = 2018
+| revenue_year             = 2022
-| disbursements       =
+| disbursements            =
-| expenses            = $144,780,322<ref name="nonprofitexplorer"/>
+| expenses                 = $248 million<ref name="nonprofitexplorer"/>
-| expenses_year       = 2018
+| expenses_year            = 2022
-| endowment           = $210,429,495
+| endowment                = $1.39 billion in assets<ref name="nonprofitexplorer"/>
-| staff               =
+| endowment_year           = 2022
-| staff_year          =
+| staff                    =
-| volunteers          =
+| staff_year               =
-| volunteers_year     =
+| volunteers               =
-| website             = {{official URL}}
+| volunteers_year          =
-| remarks             =
+| website                  = {{official URL}}
-| formerly            =
+| remarks                  =
-| footnotes           =
+| formerly                 =
+| footnotes                =
 }}
+{{Conservatism US|other organizations}}
-'''Donors Trust''' is an American nonprofit [[donor-advised fund]]. It was founded in 1999 with the goal of "safeguarding the intent of libertarian and conservative donors".<ref name="inside">{{cite web|last1=Callahan|first1=David|title=Inside DonorsTrust: What This Mission-Driven DAF Offers Philanthropists on the Right|url=http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/3/3/inside-donorstrust-what-this-mission-driven-daf-offers-phila.html|access-date=May 31, 2016|website=Inside Philanthropy|date=March 3, 2016|archive-date=April 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428165644/http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/3/3/inside-donorstrust-what-this-mission-driven-daf-offers-phila.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  As a donor advised fund, Donors Trust is not legally required to disclose the identity of its donors, and most of its donors remain anonymous.<ref name=MJ_1>{{cite magazine |last1=Kroll |first1=Andy |title=Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos/ |access-date=2 April 2019 |magazine=Mother Jones |date=February 5, 2013 |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002141421/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Callahan |first1=David |title=Inside DonorsTrust: What This Mission-Driven DAF Offers Philanthropists on the Right |url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/3/3/inside-donorstrust-what-this-mission-driven-daf-offers-phila.html |access-date=2 April 2019 |website=Inside Philanthropy |date=August 23, 2017 |archive-date=August 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830160500/https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/3/3/inside-donorstrust-what-this-mission-driven-daf-offers-phila.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It distributes funds to various [[conservative]] and [[libertarian]] organizations, and has been characterized as the "[[dark money]] ATM" of the political [[Right-wing politics|right]].{{ r | MJ_1}}<ref>{{cite news|last=SLODYSKO|first=Brian|date=27 July 2020|title=Wealthy donors pour millions into fight over mail-in voting|url=https://www.startribune.com/wealthy-donors-pour-millions-into-fight-over-mail-in-voting/571915722/|work=[[Minneapolis Tribune]]|access-date=20 November 2020|quote=A substantial portion of the financing comes from Donors Trust, a nonprofit often referred to as the "dark money ATM" of the conservative movement. The organization helps wealthy patrons invest in causes they care about while sheltering their identities from the public.|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031215247/https://www.startribune.com/wealthy-donors-pour-millions-into-fight-over-mail-in-voting/571915722/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{ r | Guardian_20200527 | p=1 | q=For nearly a decade, the organization has been almost entirely funded by DonorsTrust, known as a "dark money ATM" backed by the Koch network and other prominent conservative donors, according to data tracked by OpenSecrets. }}
+'''DonorsTrust''' is an American nonprofit [[donor-advised fund]]. It was founded in 1999 with the goal of "safeguarding the intent of libertarian and conservative donors".<ref name="inside">{{cite web|last1=Callahan|first1=David|title=Inside DonorsTrust: What This Mission-Driven DAF Offers Philanthropists on the Right|url=http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/3/3/inside-donorstrust-what-this-mission-driven-daf-offers-phila.html|access-date=May 31, 2016|website=Inside Philanthropy|date=March 3, 2016|archive-date=April 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428165644/http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/3/3/inside-donorstrust-what-this-mission-driven-daf-offers-phila.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  As a donor advised fund, DonorsTrust is not legally required to disclose the identity of its donors, and most of its donors remain anonymous.<ref name=MJ_1>{{cite magazine |last1=Kroll |first1=Andy |title=Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos/ |access-date=2 April 2019 |magazine=Mother Jones |date=February 5, 2013 |archive-date=October 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002141421/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Callahan |first1=David |title=Inside DonorsTrust: What This Mission-Driven DAF Offers Philanthropists on the Right |url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/3/3/inside-donorstrust-what-this-mission-driven-daf-offers-phila.html |access-date=2 April 2019 |website=Inside Philanthropy |date=August 23, 2017 |archive-date=August 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830160500/https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2016/3/3/inside-donorstrust-what-this-mission-driven-daf-offers-phila.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It distributes funds to various [[conservative]] and [[libertarian]] organizations, and has been characterized as the "[[dark money]] ATM" of the political [[Right-wing politics|right]].{{ r | MJ_1}}<ref>{{cite news|last=SLODYSKO|first=Brian|date=27 July 2020|title=Wealthy donors pour millions into fight over mail-in voting|url=https://www.startribune.com/wealthy-donors-pour-millions-into-fight-over-mail-in-voting/571915722/|work=[[Minneapolis Tribune]]|access-date=20 November 2020|quote=A substantial portion of the financing comes from Donors Trust, a nonprofit often referred to as the "dark money ATM" of the conservative movement. The organization helps wealthy patrons invest in causes they care about while sheltering their identities from the public.|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031215247/https://www.startribune.com/wealthy-donors-pour-millions-into-fight-over-mail-in-voting/571915722/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{ r | Guardian_20200527 | p=1 | q=For nearly a decade, the organization has been almost entirely funded by DonorsTrust, known as a "dark money ATM" backed by the Koch network and other prominent conservative donors, according to data tracked by OpenSecrets. }}
-It is affiliated with [[Donors Capital Fund]], another donor-advised fund. In September 2015, Lawson Bader was announced as the new president of both Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund. Bader was formerly president of the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]] and Vice President at the [[Mercatus Center]].<ref name=bader/>
+It is affiliated with Donors Capital Fund, another donor-advised fund. In September 2015, Lawson Bader was announced as the new president of both DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund. Bader was formerly president of the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]] and Vice President at the [[Mercatus Center]].<ref name=bader/>
 ==Overview==
-Donors Trust is a [[501(c) organization#501(c)(3)|501(c)(3) organization]].<ref name=IRS/> As a public charity and a donor-advised fund, Donors Trust offers clients a variety of tax advantages compared to a private foundation.<ref name=nbc/>
+DonorsTrust is a [[501(c) organization#501(c)(3)|501(c)(3) organization]].<ref name=IRS/> As a public charity and a donor-advised fund, DonorsTrust offers clients a variety of tax advantages compared to a private foundation.<ref name=nbc/>
-Donors Trust accepts donations from charitable foundations and individuals.<ref name=Guardian021513>{{cite news |title=Media campaign against windfarms funded by anonymous conservatives |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/15/media-campaign-windfarms-conservatives |access-date=February 16, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 15, 2013 |author-link=Suzanne Goldenberg |first=Suzanne |last=Goldenberg |archive-date=February 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215085631/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/15/media-campaign-windfarms-conservatives |url-status=live }}</ref> Grants from Donors Trust are based on the preferences of the original contributor, and the organization assures clients that their contributions will never be used to support politically [[Liberalism in the United States|liberal]] causes.<ref name=secret/><ref name=mission>{{cite web|title=Mission & Principles|url=http://www.donorstrust.org/who-we-are/mission-principles/|publisher=Donors Trust|access-date=May 31, 2016|archive-date=May 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527233606/http://www.donorstrust.org/who-we-are/mission-principles/|url-status=live}}</ref> As a donor advised fund, Donors Trust can offer anonymity to individual donors, with respect to their donations to Donors Trust, as well as with respect to an individual donor's ultimate grantee.<ref name=secret/><ref name=businessinsider>{{cite news |title=Inside The Secretive Dark-Money Organization That's Keeping The Lights On For Conservative Groups |first=Walter |last=Hickley |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donors-trust-capital-fund-conservative-dark-money-2013-2 |newspaper=[[Business Insider]] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=August 25, 2015 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924043939/http://www.businessinsider.com/donors-trust-capital-fund-conservative-dark-money-2013-2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=future>{{cite news|title=The future of donor-advised funds|url=http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/whitney_ball|publisher=[[Philanthropy Roundtable]] |date=September 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504162453/http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/whitney_ball|archive-date=May 4, 2017}}</ref><ref name=faq>{{cite web |title=FAQs |url=http://www.donorstrust.org/where-to-start/frequently-asked-questions/ |publisher=Donors Trust |access-date=May 31, 2016 |archive-date=July 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715163331/http://www.donorstrust.org/where-to-start/frequently-asked-questions/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+DonorsTrust accepts donations from charitable foundations and individuals.<ref name=Guardian021513>{{cite news |title=Media campaign against windfarms funded by anonymous conservatives |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/15/media-campaign-windfarms-conservatives |access-date=February 16, 2013 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 15, 2013 |author-link=Suzanne Goldenberg |first=Suzanne |last=Goldenberg |archive-date=February 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215085631/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/15/media-campaign-windfarms-conservatives |url-status=live }}</ref> Grants from DonorsTrust are based on the preferences of the original contributor, and the organization assures clients that their contributions will never be used to support politically [[Liberalism in the United States|liberal]] causes.<ref name=secret/><ref name=mission>{{cite web|title=Mission & Principles|url=http://www.donorstrust.org/who-we-are/mission-principles/|publisher=Donors Trust|access-date=May 31, 2016|archive-date=May 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527233606/http://www.donorstrust.org/who-we-are/mission-principles/|url-status=live}}</ref> As a donor advised fund, DonorsTrust can offer anonymity to individual donors, with respect to their donations to DonorsTrust, as well as with respect to an individual donor's ultimate grantee.<ref name=secret/><ref name=businessinsider>{{cite news |title=Inside The Secretive Dark-Money Organization That's Keeping The Lights On For Conservative Groups |first=Walter |last=Hickley |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donors-trust-capital-fund-conservative-dark-money-2013-2 |newspaper=[[Business Insider]] |date=February 12, 2013 |access-date=August 25, 2015 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924043939/http://www.businessinsider.com/donors-trust-capital-fund-conservative-dark-money-2013-2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=future>{{cite news|title=The future of donor-advised funds|url=http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/whitney_ball|publisher=[[Philanthropy Roundtable]] |date=September 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504162453/http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/whitney_ball|archive-date=May 4, 2017}}</ref><ref name=faq>{{cite web |title=FAQs |url=http://www.donorstrust.org/where-to-start/frequently-asked-questions/ |publisher=Donors Trust |access-date=May 31, 2016 |archive-date=July 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715163331/http://www.donorstrust.org/where-to-start/frequently-asked-questions/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-As a donor advised fund and public charity, Donors Trust accepts cash or assets from donors, and in turn creates a separate account for the donor, who may recommend disbursements from the fund to other public charities.<ref name=future/> Donors Trust requires an initial deposit of $10,000 or more.<ref>{{cite web|title=Open An Account|url=http://www.donorstrust.org/where-to-start/open-an-account/|publisher=Donors Trust|access-date=May 31, 2016|archive-date=May 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528054712/http://www.donorstrust.org/where-to-start/open-an-account/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=MotherJones20130205/> Donors Trust is associated with [[Donors Capital Fund]]. Donors Trust refers clients to Donors Capital Fund if the client plans to maintain a balance of $1 million or more.<ref name=brulle>{{cite news |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/environment/climate-of-doubt/robert-brulle-inside-the-climate-change-countermovement/ |title=Robert Brulle: Inside the Climate Change "Countermovement" |publisher=[[PBS]] |work=[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]] |date=October 23, 2012 |access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-date=January 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131113416/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/environment/climate-of-doubt/robert-brulle-inside-the-climate-change-countermovement/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=overview>{{cite web |title=What is Donors Capital Fund? |url=http://www.donorscapitalfund.org/AboutUs/Overview.aspx |publisher=Donors Capital Fund |access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-date=October 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028224946/http://www.donorscapitalfund.org/AboutUs/Overview.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Donors Trust president Lawson Bader said the goal of the organization is to "safeguard the intent of libertarian and conservative donors," ensuring that funds are used only to promote "liberty through limited government, responsibility, and free enterprise".<ref name="inside"/>
+As a donor advised fund and public charity, DonorsTrust accepts cash or assets from donors, and in turn creates a separate account for the donor, who may recommend disbursements from the fund to other public charities.<ref name=future/> DonorsTrust requires an initial deposit of $10,000 or more.<ref>{{cite web|title=Open An Account|url=http://www.donorstrust.org/where-to-start/open-an-account/|publisher=Donors Trust|access-date=May 31, 2016|archive-date=May 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528054712/http://www.donorstrust.org/where-to-start/open-an-account/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=MotherJones20130205/> DonorsTrust is associated with [[Donors Capital Fund]]. DonorsTrust refers clients to Donors Capital Fund if the client plans to maintain a balance of $1 million or more.<ref name=brulle>{{cite news |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/environment/climate-of-doubt/robert-brulle-inside-the-climate-change-countermovement/ |title=Robert Brulle: Inside the Climate Change "Countermovement" |publisher=[[PBS]] |work=[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]] |date=October 23, 2012 |access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-date=January 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131113416/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/environment/climate-of-doubt/robert-brulle-inside-the-climate-change-countermovement/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=overview>{{cite web |title=What is Donors Capital Fund? |url=http://www.donorscapitalfund.org/AboutUs/Overview.aspx |publisher=Donors Capital Fund |access-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-date=October 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028224946/http://www.donorscapitalfund.org/AboutUs/Overview.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> DonorsTrust president Lawson Bader said the goal of the organization is to "safeguard the intent of libertarian and conservative donors," ensuring that funds are used only to promote "liberty through limited government, responsibility, and free enterprise".<ref name="inside"/>
 ==History==
-Donors Trust was established in 1999 by Whitney Lynn Ball.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gillespie|first1=Nick|title=Whitney Ball, Founder of DonorsTrust, RIP|url=http://reason.com/blog/2015/08/18/whitney-ball-founder-of-donorstrust-rip|access-date=May 31, 2016|publisher=Reason|date=August 18, 2015|archive-date=June 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605092746/http://reason.com/blog/2015/08/18/whitney-ball-founder-of-donorstrust-rip|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Donors Trust, the organization was founded by a group of donors and nonprofit executives who were "actively engaged in supporting and promoting a free society as understood in America's founding documents."<ref name=mission/>  A major selling point to donors is that even after their death, their money will continue to fund conservative/libertarian goals, and not change based on the attitudes of their heirs or trustees as a family foundation might.{{ r | MJ_1 | p=1 | q=Donors Trust grew out of the fear among right-leaning donors that their family foundations might end up in the hands of those who would fund centrist or, even worse, left-of-center causes. ... Ball says she travels all over the country courting wealthy conservatives and libertarians, and attends Koch donor retreats and Cato "shareholder" meetings. The crux of her pitch is this: Rich folks can give to Donors Trust and rest easy knowing that their millions will continue bankrolling the conservative movement long into the future, even after their death. They don&apos;t have to worry that, after they die, their heirs and trustees will use their bucks for causes they would never support. Ball points to the Ford Foundation as one example of a major charity that, in her view, drifted leftward over time and away from the ideals of man who started it, industrialist Edsel Ford. }}
+DonorsTrust was established in 1999 by Whitney Lynn Ball.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gillespie|first1=Nick|title=Whitney Ball, Founder of DonorsTrust, RIP|url=http://reason.com/blog/2015/08/18/whitney-ball-founder-of-donorstrust-rip|access-date=May 31, 2016|publisher=Reason|date=August 18, 2015|archive-date=June 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605092746/http://reason.com/blog/2015/08/18/whitney-ball-founder-of-donorstrust-rip|url-status=live}}</ref> According to DonorsTrust, the organization was founded by a group of donors and nonprofit executives who were "actively engaged in supporting and promoting a free society as understood in America's founding documents."<ref name=mission/>  A major selling point to donors is that even after their death, their money will continue to fund conservative/libertarian goals, and not change based on the attitudes of their heirs or trustees as a family foundation might.{{ r | MJ_1 | p=1 | q=Donors Trust grew out of the fear among right-leaning donors that their family foundations might end up in the hands of those who would fund centrist or, even worse, left-of-center causes. ... Ball says she travels all over the country courting wealthy conservatives and libertarians, and attends Koch donor retreats and Cato "shareholder" meetings. The crux of her pitch is this: Rich folks can give to Donors Trust and rest easy knowing that their millions will continue bankrolling the conservative movement long into the future, even after their death. They don&apos;t have to worry that, after they die, their heirs and trustees will use their bucks for causes they would never support. Ball points to the Ford Foundation as one example of a major charity that, in her view, drifted leftward over time and away from the ideals of man who started it, industrialist Edsel Ford. }}
-In early 2013, Donors Trust was the subject of reports by ''[[The Independent]]'',<ref name=independent20130124/> ''[[The Guardian]]'',<ref name=Guardian021513/><ref name=secret/><ref name=Guardian021413/> ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'',<ref name=MotherJones20130205/><ref name=MotherJones20130211/> and the [[Center for Public Integrity]].<ref name=nbc/> ''Mother Jones'' described Donors Trust as having funded a conservative public policy agenda in the areas of labor unions, climate science, public schools, and economic regulations.<ref name=MotherJones20130205>{{cite news |title=Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement |url=http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos |first=Andy |last=Kroll |date=February 5, 2013 |access-date=February 20, 2015 |journal=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] |archive-date=February 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218002434/http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos |url-status=live }}</ref>
+In early 2013, DonorsTrust was the subject of reports by ''[[The Independent]]'',<ref name=independent20130124/> ''[[The Guardian]]'',<ref name=Guardian021513/><ref name=secret/><ref name=Guardian021413/> ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'',<ref name=MotherJones20130205/><ref name=MotherJones20130211/> and the [[Center for Public Integrity]].<ref name=nbc/> ''Mother Jones'' described DonorsTrust as having funded a conservative public policy agenda in the areas of labor unions, climate science, public schools, and economic regulations.<ref name=MotherJones20130205>{{cite news |title=Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement |url=http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos |first=Andy |last=Kroll |date=February 5, 2013 |access-date=February 20, 2015 |journal=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] |archive-date=February 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218002434/http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos |url-status=live }}</ref>
-In January 2021, [[CNBC]] reported that in 2019, Donors Trust had given millions of dollars to conservative organizations that went on to push claims of election fraud in the 2020 election.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schwartz|first=Brian|date=2021-01-13|title=Dark-money GOP fund funneled millions of dollars to groups that pushed voter fraud claims|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/13/dark-money-gop-fund-funneled-millions-groups-that-pushed-voter-fraud-claims.html|access-date=2021-04-04|website=CNBC|language=en|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318002108/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/13/dark-money-gop-fund-funneled-millions-groups-that-pushed-voter-fraud-claims.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
+In January 2021, [[CNBC]] reported that in 2019, DonorsTrust had given millions of dollars to conservative organizations that went on to push claims of election fraud in the 2020 election.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schwartz|first=Brian|date=2021-01-13|title=Dark-money GOP fund funneled millions of dollars to groups that pushed voter fraud claims|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/13/dark-money-gop-fund-funneled-millions-groups-that-pushed-voter-fraud-claims.html|access-date=2021-04-04|website=CNBC|language=en|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318002108/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/13/dark-money-gop-fund-funneled-millions-groups-that-pushed-voter-fraud-claims.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
 ==Donors==
-As of 2013, Donors Trust had 193 contributors, mostly individuals, and some foundations.<ref name=nbc/>
+As of 2013, DonorsTrust had 193 contributors, mostly individuals, and some foundations.<ref name=nbc/>
-The [[Koch family foundations#Charles G. Koch Foundation|Charles G. Koch Foundation]] contributed millions to Donors Trust since the mid-2000s.<ref name=independent20130124>{{cite news|last1=Connor|first1=Steve|title=Exclusive: Billionaires secretly fund attacks on climate science|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-billionaires-secretly-fund-attacks-on-climate-science-8466312.html|access-date=February 7, 2015|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=January 24, 2013|archive-date=February 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219132559/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-billionaires-secretly-fund-attacks-on-climate-science-8466312.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Koch millions spread influence through nonprofits, colleges |first1=Charles |last1=Lewis |first2=Eric |last2=Holmberg |first3=Alexia |last3=Fernandez Campbell |first4=Lydia |last4=Beyoud |url=http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/the_koch_club/story/Koch_millions_spread_influence_through_nonprofits/ |work=[[Investigative Reporting Workshop]] |publisher=[[American University School of Communication]] |date=July 1, 2013 |access-date=March 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223201545/http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/the_koch_club/story/Koch_millions_spread_influence_through_nonprofits/ |archive-date=February 23, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|date=|title=Project Veritas received $1.7 million last year from charity associated with the Koch brothers|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/project-veritas-received-17-million-last-year-from-koch-backed-charity/2017/12/01/143e13ca-d6d3-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|location=|access-date=|archive-date=August 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827153352/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/project-veritas-received-17-million-last-year-from-koch-backed-charity/2017/12/01/143e13ca-d6d3-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Koch brothers, Charles and [[David H. Koch|David Koch]], were the top contributors to Donors Trust in 2011, according to an analysis by the ''[[Columbia Journalism Review]]'' published by [[Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/the_koch_brothers_media_invest.php |title=The Koch brothers' media investment |journal=[[Columbia Journalism Review]] |date=April 22, 2013 |first=Sasha |last=Chavkin |access-date=March 5, 2015 |quote=In 2011, fully 95 percent of the Franklin Center's revenues came from a charity called Donors Trust, whose top contributors were the Koch brothers. |archive-date=February 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209090220/http://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/the_koch_brothers_media_invest.php |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, Donors Trust received a {{USD}}2 million grant from the Donors Capital Fund.<ref name=businessinsider/>
+The [[Koch family foundations#Charles G. Koch Foundation|Charles G. Koch Foundation]] contributed millions to DonorsTrust since the mid-2000s.<ref name=independent20130124>{{cite news|last1=Connor|first1=Steve|title=Exclusive: Billionaires secretly fund attacks on climate science|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-billionaires-secretly-fund-attacks-on-climate-science-8466312.html|access-date=February 7, 2015|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=January 24, 2013|archive-date=February 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219132559/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-billionaires-secretly-fund-attacks-on-climate-science-8466312.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Koch millions spread influence through nonprofits, colleges |first1=Charles |last1=Lewis |first2=Eric |last2=Holmberg |first3=Alexia |last3=Fernandez Campbell |first4=Lydia |last4=Beyoud |url=http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/the_koch_club/story/Koch_millions_spread_influence_through_nonprofits/ |work=[[Investigative Reporting Workshop]] |publisher=[[American University School of Communication]] |date=July 1, 2013 |access-date=March 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223201545/http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/the_koch_club/story/Koch_millions_spread_influence_through_nonprofits/ |archive-date=February 23, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|date=|title=Project Veritas received $1.7 million last year from charity associated with the Koch brothers|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/project-veritas-received-17-million-last-year-from-koch-backed-charity/2017/12/01/143e13ca-d6d3-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|location=|access-date=|archive-date=August 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827153352/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/project-veritas-received-17-million-last-year-from-koch-backed-charity/2017/12/01/143e13ca-d6d3-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Two Koch brothers, [[Charles G. Koch|Charles]] and [[David H. Koch|David Koch]], were the top contributors to DonorsTrust in 2011, according to an analysis by the ''[[Columbia Journalism Review]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/the_koch_brothers_media_invest.php |title=The Koch brothers' media investment |journal=[[Columbia Journalism Review]] |date=April 22, 2013 |first=Sasha |last=Chavkin |access-date=March 5, 2015 |quote=In 2011, fully 95 percent of the Franklin Center's revenues came from a charity called Donors Trust, whose top contributors were the Koch brothers. |archive-date=February 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209090220/http://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/the_koch_brothers_media_invest.php |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, DonorsTrust received a {{USD}}2 million grant from the Donors Capital Fund.<ref name=businessinsider/>
-Donors Trust account holders have included the [[John M. Olin Foundation]], the [[Castle Rock Foundation]], the [[Searle Freedom Trust]], and the [[Bradley Foundation]].<ref name=nbc/><ref name="searle">{{cite news |author-link=John J. Miller (journalist) |first=John J. |last=Miller |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/222772/daniel-c-searle-rip-john-j-miller |journal=[[National Review]] |date=November 8, 2007 |access-date=March 6, 2015 |title=Daniel C. Searle, R.I.P. |archive-date=August 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803072304/http://www.nationalreview.com/article/222772/daniel-c-searle-rip-john-j-miller |url-status=live }}</ref> The Bradley family contributed $650,000 between 2001 and 2010.<ref name=MotherJones20130205/> The DeVos family foundation contributed $1 million in 2009 and $1.5 million in 2010 to Donors Trust.<ref name=MotherJones20130205/>
+DonorsTrust account holders have included the [[John M. Olin Foundation]], the [[Castle Rock Foundation]], the [[Searle Freedom Trust]], and the [[Bradley Foundation]].<ref name=nbc/><ref name="searle">{{cite news |author-link=John J. Miller (journalist) |first=John J. |last=Miller |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/222772/daniel-c-searle-rip-john-j-miller |journal=[[National Review]] |date=November 8, 2007 |access-date=March 6, 2015 |title=Daniel C. Searle, R.I.P. |archive-date=August 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803072304/http://www.nationalreview.com/article/222772/daniel-c-searle-rip-john-j-miller |url-status=live }}</ref> The Bradley family contributed $650,000 between 2001 and 2010.<ref name=MotherJones20130205/> The DeVos family foundation contributed $1 million in 2009 and $1.5 million in 2010 to Donors Trust.<ref name=MotherJones20130205/>
+[[Robert Mercer]] and [[Rebekah Mercer]] contributed nearly $20 million through DonorsTrust in 2020.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Brian |date=2021-09-15 |title=Mercer family played bigger role in 2020 election than thought, giving nearly $20 million to dark money GOP fund |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/robert-mercer-family-gave-nearly-20-million-to-dark-money-gop-fund-during-2020-election.html |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=[[CNBC]] |language=en |quote=In 2019, the Donors Trust, sent donations to groups such as Turning Point USA, which is led by vocal Trump supporter Charlie Kirk; and the VDARE Foundation, which the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled a hate group.}}</ref>
 ==Recipients==
-From its founding in 1999 through 2013, Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund distributed nearly $400 million, and through 2015 $740 million, to various nonprofit organizations, including numerous conservative and libertarian causes.<ref name=nbc/><ref name=dunbar>{{cite news |title=Donors Trust: Little-Known Group Helps Wealthy Backers Fund Right-Wing Agenda in Secret |url=http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/19/donors_trust_little_known_group_helps |first=Amy |last=Goodman |author-link=Amy Goodman |date=February 19, 2013 |access-date=March 15, 2015 |work=[[Democracy Now!]] |archive-date=March 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313041740/http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/19/donors_trust_little_known_group_helps |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Ball Was a Champion of Liberty Par Excellence |first=Adam |last=Meyerson |date=August 17, 2015 |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/422657/whitney-ball-was-champion-liberty-par-excellence-adam-meyerson |magazine=[[National Review]] |access-date=August 25, 2015 |archive-date=August 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820001746/http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/422657/whitney-ball-was-champion-liberty-par-excellence-adam-meyerson |url-status=live }}</ref> Donors Trust requires that recipients are registered with the US [[Internal Revenue Service]] as a [[501(c)(3)]] public charity. Whitney Ball, the former president of the Trust, told ''The Guardian'' in 2013 that it has about 1,600 grantees.<ref>{{cite news |title=How the 'Kochtopus' stifled green debate; Behind the climate 'countermovement' are two billionaire brothers |first=Steve |last=Connor |date=January 24, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2015 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/how-the-kochtopus-stifled-green-debate-8466316.html |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |archive-date=April 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421155752/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/how-the-kochtopus-stifled-green-debate-8466316.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, Ball said that 70 to 75 percent of grants go to public policy organizations, with the rest going to more conventional charities such as social service and educational organizations.<ref name=nr20140924>{{cite news |last1=Zeiser |first1=Bill |title=Dark Money: The Left's unprincipled campaign against philanthropic privacy |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/388705/dark-money-bill-zeiser |access-date=February 7, 2015 |journal=[[National Review]] |date=September 24, 2014 |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403080156/http://www.nationalreview.com/article/388705/dark-money-bill-zeiser |url-status=live }}</ref>
+From its founding in 1999 through 2013, DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund distributed nearly $400 million, and through 2015 $740 million, to various nonprofit organizations, including numerous conservative and libertarian causes.<ref name=nbc/><ref name=dunbar>{{cite news |title=Donors Trust: Little-Known Group Helps Wealthy Backers Fund Right-Wing Agenda in Secret |url=http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/19/donors_trust_little_known_group_helps |first=Amy |last=Goodman |author-link=Amy Goodman |date=February 19, 2013 |access-date=March 15, 2015 |work=[[Democracy Now!]] |archive-date=March 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313041740/http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/19/donors_trust_little_known_group_helps |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Whitney Ball Was a Champion of Liberty Par Excellence |first=Adam |last=Meyerson |date=August 17, 2015 |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/422657/whitney-ball-was-champion-liberty-par-excellence-adam-meyerson |magazine=[[National Review]] |access-date=August 25, 2015 |archive-date=August 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820001746/http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/422657/whitney-ball-was-champion-liberty-par-excellence-adam-meyerson |url-status=live }}</ref> DonorsTrust requires that recipients are registered with the US [[Internal Revenue Service]] as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Whitney Ball, the former president of the Trust, told ''The Guardian'' in 2013 that it has about 1,600 grantees.<ref>{{cite news |title=How the 'Kochtopus' stifled green debate; Behind the climate 'countermovement' are two billionaire brothers |first=Steve |last=Connor |date=January 24, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2015 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/how-the-kochtopus-stifled-green-debate-8466316.html |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |archive-date=April 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421155752/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/how-the-kochtopus-stifled-green-debate-8466316.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, Ball said that 70 to 75 percent of grants go to public policy organizations, with the rest going to more conventional charities such as social service and educational organizations.<ref name=nr20140924>{{cite news |last1=Zeiser |first1=Bill |title=Dark Money: The Left's unprincipled campaign against philanthropic privacy |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/388705/dark-money-bill-zeiser |access-date=February 7, 2015 |journal=[[National Review]] |date=September 24, 2014 |archive-date=April 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403080156/http://www.nationalreview.com/article/388705/dark-money-bill-zeiser |url-status=live }}</ref>
+In 2010, the [[Americans for Prosperity|Americans for Prosperity Foundation]]<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-17/koch-group-wins-order-blocking-california-donor-data-demand|title=Koch Group Gets to Keep Donors Secret in California Lawsuit|journal=[[Bloomberg Business]]|date=February 17, 2015|first=Edvard|last=Pettersson|access-date=March 6, 2017|archive-date=February 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225174226/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-17/koch-group-wins-order-blocking-california-donor-data-demand|url-status=live}}</ref> received a DonorsTrust grant of $7 million, nearly half of the Foundation's revenue that year.<ref name=nbc/> Other DonorsTrust recipients have included [[The Heritage Foundation]], [[Americans for Tax Reform]], the [[National Rifle Association]] Freedom Action Foundation, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the [[Cato Institute]], the [[Federalist Society]], the [[FreedomWorks|FreedomWorks Foundation]], the [[National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation]], and the [[Center for Class Action Fairness]].<ref name=MotherJones20130205/><ref name=MotherJones20130211>{{cite news |title=Exclusive: Donors Trust, The Right's Dark-Money ATM, Paid Out $30 Million in 2011 |url=http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/02/donors-trust-2011-dark-money-heritage-cato-unions |first=Andy |last=Kroll |date=February 11, 2013 |access-date=March 5, 2015 |journal=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226021220/http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/02/donors-trust-2011-dark-money-heritage-cato-unions |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ABA">{{cite news |title=Unsettling Advocate |date=April 1, 2010 |first=Rachel |last=Zahorsky |url=http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/unsettling_advocate/ |journal=[[ABA Journal]] |publisher=[[American Bar Association]] |access-date=March 6, 2015 |archive-date=March 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150301053049/http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/unsettling_advocate/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+DonorsTrust paid the legal fees of the Project on Fair Representation, a Washington, D.C.–based legal defense fund that assembled the plaintiff's legal team in ''[[Fisher v. University of Texas (2013)|Fisher v. University of Texas]]'', a 2013 United States Supreme Court case concerning [[Affirmative action in the United States|affirmative action]] [[College admissions in the United States#Race and ethnicity|college admissions policies]].<ref>{{cite news |title=One Man Standing Against Race-Based Laws |last=Smith |first=Morgan |date=February 23, 2012 |access-date=April 30, 2015 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/us/edward-blum-and-the-project-on-fair-representation-head-to-the-supreme-court-to-fight-race-based-laws.html |archive-date=April 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423201421/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/us/edward-blum-and-the-project-on-fair-representation-head-to-the-supreme-court-to-fight-race-based-laws.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2011, the [[Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity]], an online conservative news organization, received $6.3 million in DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund grants, 95 percent of the center's revenue that year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-02-14 |title=Koch-funded charity passes money to free-market think tanks in states |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/koch-funded-charity-passes-money-free-market-think-tanks-states-flna1c8370335 |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=[[Center for Public Integrity]] |language=en |via=[[NBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldenberg |first=Suzanne |last2=Bengtsson |first2=Helena |date=2015-06-09 |title=Secretive donors gave US climate denial groups $125m over three years |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/09/secretive-donors-gave-us-climate-denial-groups-125m-over-three-years |access-date=2024-12-16 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
-In 2010, the [[Americans for Prosperity|Americans for Prosperity Foundation]]<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-17/koch-group-wins-order-blocking-california-donor-data-demand|title=Koch Group Gets to Keep Donors Secret in California Lawsuit|journal=[[Bloomberg Business]]|date=February 17, 2015|first=Edvard|last=Pettersson|access-date=March 6, 2017|archive-date=February 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225174226/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-17/koch-group-wins-order-blocking-california-donor-data-demand|url-status=live}}</ref> received a Donors Trust grant of $7 million, nearly half of the Foundation's revenue that year.<ref name=nbc/> Other Donors Trust recipients have included [[The Heritage Foundation]], [[Americans for Tax Reform]], the [[National Rifle Association]] Freedom Action Foundation, the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]], the [[Cato Institute]],  the [[Federalist Society]], the [[FreedomWorks|FreedomWorks Foundation]],  the [[National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation]], and the [[Center for Class Action Fairness]].<ref name=MotherJones20130205/><ref name=MotherJones20130211>{{cite news |title=Exclusive: Donors Trust, The Right's Dark-Money ATM, Paid Out $30 Million in 2011 |url=http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/02/donors-trust-2011-dark-money-heritage-cato-unions |first=Andy |last=Kroll |date=February 11, 2013 |access-date=March 5, 2015 |journal=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226021220/http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/02/donors-trust-2011-dark-money-heritage-cato-unions |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ABA">{{cite news |title=Unsettling Advocate |date=April 1, 2010 |first=Rachel |last=Zahorsky |url=http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/unsettling_advocate/ |journal=[[ABA Journal]] |publisher=[[American Bar Association]] |access-date=March 6, 2015 |archive-date=March 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150301053049/http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/unsettling_advocate/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+Other DonorsTrust recipients have included the [[Foundation for Jewish Camp]], [[Families Against Mandatory Minimums]], the [[James Randi Educational Foundation]], the [[Marijuana Policy Project]],<ref name="nr20140924" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Marijuana Policy Project|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cmte=C90008061&cycle=2004|publisher=[[OpenSecrets]]|access-date=March 8, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164423/https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cmte=C90008061&cycle=2004|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Morse Wooster|first1=Martin|title=Remembering Whitney Ball's lasting but rarely noticed work|url=http://www.philanthropydaily.com/whitney-balls-lasting-contributions-through-unnoticed-work/|access-date=September 1, 2015|publisher=Philanthropy Daily|date=August 26, 2015|archive-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910130603/http://www.philanthropydaily.com/whitney-balls-lasting-contributions-through-unnoticed-work/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[PragerU]].<ref name="Sludge">{{cite web |url=https://readsludge.com/2018/12/27/who-funds-pragerus-anti-muslim-content/ |title=Who Funds PragerU's Anti-Muslim Content? |author=Kotch, Alex |work=Sludge |date=December 27, 2018 |access-date=December 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229031208/https://readsludge.com/2018/12/27/who-funds-pragerus-anti-muslim-content/ |archive-date=December 29, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-Donors Trust paid the legal fees of the Project on Fair Representation, a [[Washington, D.C.]]-based legal defense fund that assembled the plaintiff's legal team in ''[[Fisher v. University of Texas (2013)|Fisher v. University of Texas]]'', a 2013 [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]] case concerning [[Affirmative action in the United States|affirmative action]] [[College admissions in the United States#Race and ethnicity|college admissions policies]].<ref>{{cite news |title=One Man Standing Against Race-Based Laws |last=Smith |first=Morgan |date=February 23, 2012 |access-date=April 30, 2015 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/us/edward-blum-and-the-project-on-fair-representation-head-to-the-supreme-court-to-fight-race-based-laws.html |archive-date=April 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423201421/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/us/edward-blum-and-the-project-on-fair-representation-head-to-the-supreme-court-to-fight-race-based-laws.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2011, the [[Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity]], an online news organization, received $6.3 million in Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund grants, 95 percent of the center's revenue that year.
+===Climate change contrarian funding===
-Other Donors Trust recipients have included the [[Foundation for Jewish Camp]], [[Families Against Mandatory Minimums]], the [[James Randi Educational Foundation]], the [[Marijuana Policy Project]],<ref name=nr20140924/><ref>{{cite web|title=Marijuana Policy Project|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cmte=C90008061&cycle=2004|publisher=[[OpenSecrets]]|access-date=March 8, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164423/https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cmte=C90008061&cycle=2004|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Morse Wooster|first1=Martin|title=Remembering Whitney Ball's lasting but rarely noticed work|url=http://www.philanthropydaily.com/whitney-balls-lasting-contributions-through-unnoticed-work/|access-date=September 1, 2015|publisher=Philanthropy Daily|date=August 26, 2015|archive-date=September 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910130603/http://www.philanthropydaily.com/whitney-balls-lasting-contributions-through-unnoticed-work/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[PragerU]].<ref name="Sludge">{{cite web |url=https://readsludge.com/2018/12/27/who-funds-pragerus-anti-muslim-content/ |title=Who Funds PragerU's Anti-Muslim Content? |author=Kotch, Alex |work=Sludge |date=December 27, 2018 |access-date=December 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229031208/https://readsludge.com/2018/12/27/who-funds-pragerus-anti-muslim-content/ |archive-date=December 29, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund have been major sources of funding for conservative groups with [[Climate change contrarianism|contrarian]] stances on [[climate change]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Coan |first=Travis G. |last2=Boussalis |first2=Constantine |last3=Cook |first3=John |last4=Nanko |first4=Mirjam O. |date=2021-11-16 |title=Computer-assisted classification of contrarian claims about climate change |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01714-4 |journal=[[Scientific Reports]] |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |doi=10.1038/s41598-021-01714-4 |issn=2045-2322 |pmc=8595491 |pmid=34785707 |quote=Notably, prominent contrarian CTTs such as the Heartland Institute are heavily dependent upon these key donors and, in particular the “donor-advised” funding flows from Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund, which ensure anonymous funding to conservative causes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Brulle |first=Robert J. |last2=Hall |first2=Galen |last3=Loy |first3=Loredana |last4=Schell-Smith |first4=Kennedy |date=May 2021 |title=Obstructing action: foundation funding and US climate change counter-movement organizations |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10584-021-03117-w |journal=[[Climatic Change]] |language=en |volume=166 |issue=1-2 |doi=10.1007/s10584-021-03117-w |issn=0165-0009 |quote=Donors Trust and DCF alone account for 13.7% of grants.}}</ref><ref name="secret" /><ref name="MotherJones20130205" />
+''The Guardian'' reported DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund distributed nearly $120 million to 102 think tanks and action groups "which have a record of denying the existence of a human factor in climate change, or opposing environmental regulations" between 2002 and 2010.<ref name="secret">{{cite news |last1=Goldenberg |first1=Suzanne |author-link=Suzanne Goldenberg |title=Secret funding helped build vast network of climate denial thinktanks |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/funding-climate-change-denial-thinktanks-network |access-date=February 7, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 14, 2013 |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525121334/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/funding-climate-change-denial-thinktanks-network |url-status=live }}</ref> According to an analysis by [[Drexel University]] [[environmental sociology|environmental sociologist]] [[Robert Brulle]], between 2003 and 2010, DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund combined were the largest funders of organizations opposed to restrictions on carbon emissions.<ref name="MotherJones20130205" /><ref name="brulle2">{{cite journal |last1=Brulle |first1=Robert J. |s2cid=27538787 |author-link=Robert Brulle |title=Institutionalizing delay: foundation funding and the creation of U.S. climate change counter-movement organizations |journal=[[Climatic Change (journal)|Climatic Change]] |date=December 21, 2013 |volume=122 |issue=4 |pages=681–94 |doi=10.1007/s10584-013-1018-7}}</ref> By 2009, approximately one-quarter of the funding of what Brulle calls the "climate change counter-movement" came from grants via DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund.<ref name="brulle" />
-===Climate change related funding===
-Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund distributed nearly $120 million to 102 think tanks and action groups skeptical of the science behind [[climate change]] between 2002 and 2010.<ref name=secret>{{cite news |last1=Goldenberg |first1=Suzanne |author-link=Suzanne Goldenberg |title=Secret funding helped build vast network of climate denial thinktanks |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/funding-climate-change-denial-thinktanks-network |access-date=February 7, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 14, 2013 |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525121334/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/funding-climate-change-denial-thinktanks-network |url-status=live }}</ref> According to a 2013 analysis by [[Drexel University]] [[environmental sociology|environmental sociologist]] [[Robert Brulle]], between 2003 and 2013 Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund combined were the largest funders of organizations opposed to restrictions on carbon emissions, which Brulle calls the "climate change counter-movement."<ref name=MotherJones20130205/><ref name=brulle2>{{cite journal |last1=Brulle |first1=Robert J. |s2cid=27538787 |author-link=Robert Brulle |title=Institutionalizing delay: foundation funding and the creation of U.S. climate change counter-movement organizations |journal=[[Climatic Change (journal)|Climatic Change]] |date=December 21, 2013 |volume=122 |issue=4 |pages=681–94 |doi=10.1007/s10584-013-1018-7}}</ref> According to Brulle, by 2009, approximately one-quarter of the funding of the "climate counter-movement" was from the Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund.<ref name=brulle/>
-As of 2010, Donors Trust grants to conservative and libertarian organizations active in climate change issues included more than $17 million to the [[American Enterprise Institute]], a think tank; $13.5 million to the [[Heartland Institute]], a public policy think tank; and $11 million to [[Americans for Prosperity]], a political advocacy group.<ref name=Guardian021413>{{cite news |title=How Donors Trust distributed millions to anti-climate groups |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/donors-trust-funding-climate-denial-networks |access-date=March 5, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 14, 2013 |author-link=Suzanne Goldenberg |first=Suzanne |last=Goldenberg |archive-date=April 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409165028/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/donors-trust-funding-climate-denial-networks |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2011, the [[Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow]] (CFACT), a conservative [[Washington, D.C.]]-based [[non-profit organization]], received $1.2 million from Donors Trust, 40 percent of CFACT's revenue in that year.<ref name=businessinsider/> Climate change writer [[Willie Soon|Wei-Hock "Willie" Soon]]  received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Donors Trust.<ref name="doubtful">{{cite news |first1=Justin |last1=Gillis |first2=John |last2=Schwartz |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/us/ties-to-corporate-cash-for-climate-change-researcher-Wei-Hock-Soon.html |title=Deeper Ties to Corporate Cash for Doubtful Climate Researcher |date=February 21, 2015 |access-date=March 3, 2015 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |archive-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108123302/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/us/ties-to-corporate-cash-for-climate-change-researcher-Wei-Hock-Soon.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Basken 2015">{{cite web |last=Basken |first=Paul |title=A Climate Crusader Melts, Exposing a Profitable Link to Harvard's Name |work=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]] |date=February 25, 2015 |url=http://m.chronicle.com/article/A-Climate-Crusader-Melts/190349/ |access-date=March 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303134706/http://m.chronicle.com/article/A-Climate-Crusader-Melts/190349 |archive-date=March 3, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2015, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported that Donors Trust gave $4.3 million to the [[Competitive Enterprise Institute]] over three years.<ref name="Guardian 2015">{{cite news|last1=Goldenberg|first1=Suzanne|last2=Bengtsson|first2=Helena|title=Secretive donors gave US climate denial groups $125m over three years|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/09/secretive-donors-gave-us-climate-denial-groups-125m-over-three-years|access-date=November 30, 2016|work=The Guardian|date=June 9, 2015|archive-date=November 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130234026/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/09/secretive-donors-gave-us-climate-denial-groups-125m-over-three-years|url-status=live}}</ref>
+As of 2010, DonorsTrust grants to conservative and libertarian organizations active in climate change issues included more than $17 million to the [[American Enterprise Institute]], a think tank; $13.5 million to the [[Heartland Institute]], a public policy think tank; and $11 million to [[Americans for Prosperity]], a political advocacy group.<ref name=Guardian021413>{{cite news |title=How Donors Trust distributed millions to anti-climate groups |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/donors-trust-funding-climate-denial-networks |access-date=March 5, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 14, 2013 |author-link=Suzanne Goldenberg |first=Suzanne |last=Goldenberg |archive-date=April 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409165028/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/donors-trust-funding-climate-denial-networks |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2011, the [[Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow]] (CFACT), a conservative Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit organization, received $1.2 million from Donors Trust, 40 percent of CFACT's revenue in that year.<ref name=businessinsider/> Climate change writer [[Willie Soon|Wei-Hock "Willie" Soon]]  received hundreds of thousands of dollars from DonorsTrust.<ref name="doubtful">{{cite news |first1=Justin |last1=Gillis |first2=John |last2=Schwartz |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/us/ties-to-corporate-cash-for-climate-change-researcher-Wei-Hock-Soon.html |title=Deeper Ties to Corporate Cash for Doubtful Climate Researcher |date=February 21, 2015 |access-date=March 3, 2015 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |archive-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108123302/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/us/ties-to-corporate-cash-for-climate-change-researcher-Wei-Hock-Soon.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Basken 2015">{{cite web |last=Basken |first=Paul |title=A Climate Crusader Melts, Exposing a Profitable Link to Harvard's Name |work=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]] |date=February 25, 2015 |url=http://m.chronicle.com/article/A-Climate-Crusader-Melts/190349/ |access-date=March 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303134706/http://m.chronicle.com/article/A-Climate-Crusader-Melts/190349 |archive-date=March 3, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2015, ''The Guardian'' reported that Donors Trust gave $4.3 million to the Competitive Enterprise Institute over three years.<ref name="Guardian 2015">{{cite news |last1=Goldenberg |first1=Suzanne |last2=Bengtsson |first2=Helena |date=June 9, 2015 |title=Secretive donors gave US climate denial groups $125m over three years |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/09/secretive-donors-gave-us-climate-denial-groups-125m-over-three-years |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130234026/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/09/secretive-donors-gave-us-climate-denial-groups-125m-over-three-years |archive-date=November 30, 2016 |access-date=November 30, 2016 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
 ===State-based policy funding===
-Between 2008 and 2013, Donors Trust granted $10 million to the [[State Policy Network]] (SPN), a national network of conservative and libertarian think tanks focused on [[state policy (United States)|state-level policy]]. SPN used the grants to incubate new think tanks in Arkansas, Rhode Island and Florida. Donors Trust also issued grants to SPN's affiliates at the state level during the same period. The [[American Legislative Exchange Council]], a nonprofit organization of conservative [[state legislature (United States)|state legislators]] and [[private sector]] representatives that drafts and shares model state-level legislation, is a Donors Trust recipient.<ref name=nbc>{{cite news |title=Koch-funded charity passes money to free-market think tanks in states |first=Paul |last=Abowd |url=http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/14/16939114-koch-funded-charity-passes-money-to-free-market-think-tanks-in-states |access-date=March 10, 2015 |date=February 14, 2013 |work=[[NBC News]] |agency=[[Center for Public Integrity]] |archive-date=March 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313170452/http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/14/16939114-koch-funded-charity-passes-money-to-free-market-think-tanks-in-states |url-status=live }}</ref>
+Between 2008 and 2013, DonorsTrust granted $10 million to the [[State Policy Network]] (SPN), a national network of conservative and libertarian think tanks focused on [[state policy (United States)|state-level policy]]. SPN used the grants to incubate new think tanks in Arkansas, Rhode Island and Florida. DonorsTrust also issued grants to SPN's affiliates at the state level during the same period. The [[American Legislative Exchange Council]], a nonprofit organization of conservative [[state legislature (United States)|state legislators]] and [[private sector]] representatives that drafts and shares model state-level legislation, is a DonorsTrust recipient.<ref name=nbc>{{cite news |title=Koch-funded charity passes money to free-market think tanks in states |first=Paul |last=Abowd |url=http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/14/16939114-koch-funded-charity-passes-money-to-free-market-think-tanks-in-states |access-date=March 10, 2015 |date=February 14, 2013 |work=[[NBC News]] |agency=[[Center for Public Integrity]] |archive-date=March 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313170452/http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/14/16939114-koch-funded-charity-passes-money-to-free-market-think-tanks-in-states |url-status=live }}</ref>
 === Project Veritas ===
 {{Main|Project Veritas}}
-The organization donated $1.7 million to Project Veritas, a watchdog group run by conservative activist [[James O'Keefe]], which uses undercover videos to demonstrate the bias in mainstream media organizations and liberal groups.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/project-veritas-received-17-million-last-year-from-koch-backed-charity/2017/12/01/143e13ca-d6d3-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html|title=Project Veritas received $1.7 million last year from charity associated with the Koch brothers|last=O'Harrow|first=Robert Jr.|date=2017-12-02|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2017-12-02|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=August 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827153352/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/project-veritas-received-17-million-last-year-from-koch-backed-charity/2017/12/01/143e13ca-d6d3-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Donors Trust's relationship with Project Veritas came under scrutiny in 2017 after Project Veritas had one of its operatives contact ''[[The Washington Post]]'', falsely claiming to have been impregnated by [[Roy Moore]] while she was a teenager.<ref name=":0" />
+The organization donated $1.7 million to Project Veritas, a watchdog group run by conservative activist [[James O'Keefe]], which uses undercover videos to demonstrate the bias in mainstream media organizations and liberal groups.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/project-veritas-received-17-million-last-year-from-koch-backed-charity/2017/12/01/143e13ca-d6d3-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html|title=Project Veritas received $1.7 million last year from charity associated with the Koch brothers|last=O'Harrow|first=Robert Jr.|date=2017-12-02|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2017-12-02|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=August 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827153352/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/project-veritas-received-17-million-last-year-from-koch-backed-charity/2017/12/01/143e13ca-d6d3-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> DonorsTrust's relationship with Project Veritas came under scrutiny in 2017 after Project Veritas had one of its operatives contact ''[[The Washington Post]]'', falsely claiming to have been impregnated by [[Roy Moore]] while she was a teenager.<ref name=":0" />
 === Elections and the judiciary ===
@@ Line 125: / Line 131: @@
 == Board of directors ==
-The board of directors of Donors Trust includes:<ref name=board/>
+The board of directors of DonorsTrust includes:<ref name=board/>
-* Kimberly Dennis, chairman – president of the [[Daniel C. Searle|Searle Freedom Trust]]
+* Kimberly Dennis, chairman – president of the Searle Freedom Trust
-* Lawson Bader, president and CEO – Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund
+* Lawson Bader, president and CEO – DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund
 * [[James Piereson]], vice chairman – conservative scholar and president of the [[William E. Simon|William E. Simon Foundation]]
 * Thomas E. Beach
@@ Line 135: / Line 141: @@
 * [[Citizens for Self-Governance]]
 * [[Convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution#Convention of States Project|Convention of States Project]]
-* [[Leonard Leo]]
 * [[Open the States|Open the States & Convention of States Action]]
@@ Line 144: / Line 149: @@
 * {{official website}}
 * [https://web.archive.org/web/20150212053235/http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/522166327/popup/1 Organizational Profile] – [[National Center for Charitable Statistics]] ([[Urban Institute]])
+* {{ProPublicaNonprofitExplorer|522166327}}
-* [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522166327 Nonprofit Explorer – Donors Trust Inc], archive of [[IRS tax forms#990|federal disclosures]] maintained by [[ProPublica]]
 {{authority control}}