Donors Capital Fund (DCF) & DonorsTrust
Background
Donors Capital Fund (DCF) [1]and its partner organization DonorsTrust allow donors to fund organizations anonymously. They appear to be a spinoff of the Philanthropy Roundtable [2], a group run by Whitney Ball [3], who also launched DonorsTrust. DonorsTrust [4] refers clients to Donors Capital Fund if they expect to open donor-advised funds of over $1,000,000.
According to DCF's website [5] (emphasis added), "Donors Capital Fund is an IRS-approved, 501(c)(3), 509(a)(3) supporting organization that is associated with DonorsTrust, a public charity and donor-advised fund formed to safeguard the charitable intent of donors who are dedicated to the ideals of limited government, personal responsibility, and free enterprise." [1]
DCF has given large donations to many organizations promoting climate change skepticism including the Heartland Institute [6], which has received a combined total of at least $11,951,544 from DCF (see p. 58 of the 2012 Mashey Report [PDF] [7] for more details). Other beneficiaries include the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy, [8]the Americans for Prosperity Foundation [9] and the Cascade Policy Institute [10]. [2]
Stance on Climate Change
While DCF does not list a stance on climate change, the group has distributed donations to many organizations skeptical of climate change including The Heartland Institute [6], Africa Fighting Malaria [11], Accuracy in Media [12], Beacon Hill Institute [13], Cato Institute [14], FreedomWorks [15], Grassroot Institute of Hawaii [16], Hudson Institute [17], John Locke Foundation [18], Mercatus Center [19], National Center for Policy Analysis [20], National Center for Public Policy Research, [21]Reason Foundation, [22]State Policy Network [23], The Heritage Foundation [24], Statistical Assessment Service [25], State Policy Network [23], Pacific Research Institute [26], and many others.
Funding
Computer Scientist John Mashey [27] released a report [28] that examined much of the funding that was funneled through DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund to organizations skeptical of climate change in February, 2012 (PDF) [7]. A major revision to the report in November 25, 2012 [29] takes a closer look at the $311 given through DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund from 2002-2010. According to Mashey, the "anonymous donor" that funds much of the Heartland Institute's [6] climate change activity is most likely Chicago businessman Barre Seid [30] as "The combination of IRS Form 990s, February documents, and other information proves his identity, as the numbers simply do not work otherwise."
Donors Capital Fund ensures that all donors remain anonymous. The following are some of the notable organizations that have received funds distributed by DCF according to Conservative Transparency [31]: [3]
- Young America's Foundation [32] — $719,000
- Yankee Institute for Public Policy [33]— $1,483,090
- Wyoming Liberty Group [34] — $470,000
- Washington Policy Center [35] — $493,275
- Washington Legal Foundation [36] — $41,000
- Virginia Institute for Public Policy [37]— $403,500
- Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy [38] — $214,450
- The Heritage Foundation [24] — $56,000
- The Claremont Institute [39] — $119,443
- Center for Individual Rights [40] — $395,500
- Texas Watchdog [41] — $275,000
- Texas Public Policy Foundation [42]— $2,337,508
- Tennessee Center for Policy Research [43] — $780,000
- Tax Foundation [44] — $150,000
- Sutherland Institute [45] — $506,000
- State Policy Network [23] — $7,413,397
- South Carolina Policy Council Education Foundation [46] — $418,700
- South Carolina Policy Council [46] — $2,010,000
- Show-Me Institute [47]— $567,941
- Rio Grande Foundation [48] — $624,500
- Reason Foundation [22]— $346,054
- Public Interest Institute [49] — $193,459
- Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research [50] — $349,500
- Philanthropy Roundtable [2] — $1,140,927
- Pelican Institute [51] — $514,600
- Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy [26] — $980,001
- Pacific Legal Foundation [52] — $23,000
- Nevada Policy Research Institute [53] — $1,167,432
- National Legal and Policy Center [54] — $161,500
- National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Legal Foundation [55] — $38,500
- National Center for Public Policy Research [21]— $6,000
- National Center for Policy Analysis [20] — $490,000
- Mountain States Legal Foundation [56] — $23,500
- Montana Policy Institute [57] — $851,933
- Middle East Forum [58] — $4,030,000
- Mercatus Center [19] — $658,000
- Media Research Center [59] — $401,520
- Maryland Public Policy Institute [60] — $531,000
- Manhattan Institute for Policy Research [61]— $666,770
- Maine Heritage Policy Center [62]— $1,808,981
- Mackinac Center for Public Policy [63] — $2,256,000
- Liberty Institute [64]— $125,000
- Leadership Institute [65] — $325,500
- Landmark Legal Foundation [66] — $5,000
- Kansas Policy Institute [67] — $379,500
- Judicial Watch [68] — $25,000
- John Locke Foundation [18] — $640,600
- James Madison Institute [69] — $761,500
- Investigative Project on Terrorism [70]— $400,000
- International Policy Network [71] — $436,350
- Intercollegiate Studies Institute [72] — $2,000
- Institute on Religion and Democracy [73] — $1,300,000
- Institute for Justice [74] — $802,000
- Institute for Humane Studies [75] — $2,188,838
- Illinois Policy Institute [76] — $1,249,500
- Hudson Institute [17] — $3,005,000
- Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace [77]— $2,000
- Heartland Institute [6] — $11,951,544
- Grassroot Institute of Hawaii [16] — $777,500
- Goldwater Institute [78] — $1,817,462
- Georgia Public Policy Foundation [79] — $466,500
- George Mason University [80]— $500,000
- FreedomWorks [15] Foundation — $12,000
- Freedom Foundation of Minnesota [81] — $557,000
- Free Enterprise Education Institute [82] — $180,000
- Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity [83] — $2,255,500
- Foundation for Individual Rights in Education [84] — $2,161,000
- Foundation for Economic Education [85] — $300,000
- Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies [86] — $5,738,263
- Evergreen Freedom Foundation [87] — $1,181,984
- Ethics and Public Policy Center [88] — $285,000
- Ethan Allen Institute [89] — $163,500
- DonorsTrust — $4,305,000
- David Horowitz Freedom Center [90]— $16,000
- Competitive Enterprise Institute [91] — $407,279
- Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives [92] — $1,082,800
- Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow [93]— $325,000
- Clarion Fund [94] — $18,053,600
- Civitas Institute [95]— $9,120
- Citizens Against Government Waste [96] — $2,000,000
- Center of the American Experiment [97] — $180,000
- Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change [98] — $283,800
- Center for Security Policy [99] — $455,000
- Center for Competitive Politics [100] — $2,472,000
- Cato Institute [14] — $1,033,534
- Cascade Policy Institute [101] — $1,053,600
- Capital Research Center [102] — $22,500
- Bill of Rights Institute [103] — $10,500
- Beacon Hill Institute [13] — $140,000
- Ayn Rand Institute [104] — $50,000
- Atlas Economic Research Foundation [105]— $169,000
- Americans for Prosperity [106] Foundation — $1,278,000
- Americans For Limited Government [107] Foundation — $6,590,000
- American Majority [108]— $2,350,000
- American Legislative Exchange Council [109] — $8,000
- American Enterprise Institute [110] — $15,209,764
- American Council on Science and Health [111] — $61,000
- America's Future Foundation [112]— $218,000
- Alaska Policy Forum [113] — $192,000
- Alabama Policy Institute [114]— $645,000
- Africa Fighting Malaria [11] — $75,000
- Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty [115]— $1,861,608
- Accuracy in Media [12]— $4,000
The following are some notable recipients of funds distributed by DonorsTrust: [4]
- Young America's Foundation [32] — $136,286
- Wyoming Liberty Group [34] — $6,000
- Wisconsin Policy Research Institute [116] — $25,000
- Washington Policy Center [117] — $1,500
- Washington Legal Foundation [118] — $7,500
- Virginia Institute for Public Policy [37]— $10,000
- Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy [119] — $5,000
- The Independent Institute [120] — $6,500
- The Heritage Foundation [24]— $253,665
- Civitas Institute [95] — $9,915
- Center for Individual Rights [40] — $300
- Texas Public Policy Foundation [121] — $78,750
- Tennessee Center for Policy Research [43] — $6,000
- Tax Foundation [44] — $19,500
- Statistical Assessment Service [25] — $86,000
- State Policy Network [23]— $560,250
- Southeastern Legal Foundation [122] — $15,000
- Sam Adams Alliance [123] — $1,150,104
- Reason Foundation [22] — $113,550
- Public Interest Institute [49] — $7,500
- Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research [50] — $109,000
- Philanthropy Roundtable [2] — $100,300
- Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy [26] — $142,000
- Pacific Legal Foundation [124] — $6,600
- NumbersUSA [125] — $1,997,750
- New Atlantic Initiative [126] — $494,000
- Nature Conservancy [127] - Connecticut Chapter — $25,000
- National Taxpayers Union [128]Foundation — $524,450
- National Taxpayers Union [128] — $1,000
- National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation [129]— $96,650
- National Legal and Policy Center [54]— $37,350
- National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship [130]— $11,000
- National Federation of Independent Business [55]— $1,150,000
- National Center for Public Policy Research [21] — $19,700
- National Center for Policy Analysis [20] — $52,150
- National Association of Scholars [131] — $1500
- Mountain States Legal Foundation [56] — $22,450
- Mont Pelerin Society [132] — $3,000
- Middle East Forum [58] — $28,000
- Mercatus Center [19] — $2,403,950
- Media Research Center [59] — $349,250
- Manhattan Institute for Policy Research [61] — $313,750
- Maine Heritage Policy Center [62] — $7,500
- MacIver Institute [133]— $5,000
- Mackinac Center for Public Policy [63] — $7,600
- Ludwig von Mises Institute [134] — $18,600
- Leadership Institute [65] — $511,398
- Landmark Legal Foundation [66] — $48,350
- Kansas Policy Institute [67]— $30,000
- Judicial Watch [68] — $21,400
- James Madison Institute [135] — $8,500
- International Policy Network [71] — $217,820
- International Freedom Foundation [136] — $99,000
- Intercollegiate Studies Institute [72]— $11,200
- Institute for Justice [74] — $144,150
- Institute for Humane Studies [75] — $115,200
- Institute for Energy Research [137] — $715,000
- Independent Women's Forum [138] — $3,074,850
- Independent Institute [139] — $1,000
- Illinois Policy Institute [76] — $156,500
- Hudson Institute [17] — $82,000
- Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace [77] —$ 22,000
- Heartland Institute [6] — $531,250
- Grassroot Institute of Hawaii [16] — $155,049
- Goldwater Institute [78] — $3,650
- George Mason University [140]— $415,000
- Future of Freedom Foundation [141] — $1,000
- Fund for American Studies [142] — $66,250
- Frontiers of Freedom Institute [143] — $7,500
- FreedomWorks [15] Foundation — $64,000
- Free Enterprise Education Institute [82] — $50,000
- Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment [144] — $39,100
- Foundation for Rational Economics and Education [145] — $5,650
- Foundation for Individual Rights in Education [84] — $200
- Foundation for Economic Education [85] — $70,350
- Foundation for the Defense of Democracies [146]— $10,000
- Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies [86] — $730,500
- Evergreen Freedom Foundation [87] — $30,250
- Donors Capital Fund — $2,260,272
- Discovery Institute [147]— $299,500
- David Horowitz Freedom Center [90] — $9,500
- Competitive Enterprise Institute [91]— $210,550
- Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow [93] — $2,650,447
- Claremont Institute [39] — $11,550
- Citizens Against Government Waste [96] — $400
- Center for Union Facts [148] — $4,500
- Center for Security Policy [99] — $9,000
- Center for Immigration Studies [149] — $350,000
- Center for Freedom and Prosperity [150] — $11,000
- Center for Competitive Politics [100] — $103,500
- Cato Institute [151] — $267,190
- Capital Research Center [152] — $55,650
- Bill of Rights Institute [103] — $105,100
- Atlas Economic Research Foundation [105]— $300,300
- Atlantic Legal Foundation [153] — $100
- Americans for Tax Reform [154] Foundation — $10,186,861
- Americans for Limited Government [107] — $1,000
- Americans for Limited Government [107] Foundation — $1,100
- American Majority [108] — $116,050
- American Legislative Exchange Council [109] — $25,000
- American Friends of the Institute of Economic Affairs [155] — $274,900
- American Enterprise Institute [110] — $167,500
- American Council on Science and Health [111] — $435,567
- American Conservative Union Foundation [156] — $19,750
- American Civil Rights Institute [157] — $3,450
- Alliance Defense Fund [158] — $1,350
- Africa Fighting Malaria [11] — $108,500
- Acton Institute [115]— $150,700
- Accuracy in Media [12] — $200
Key People
The following is according to the Donors Capital Fund website [5] as of October, 2012: [5]
Board of Directors
- Adam Meyerson [159] — Chairman. President, The Philanthropy Roundtable [2].
- Kimberly O. Dennis [160]— Vice Chairman. President, Searle Freedom Trust.
- Whitney L. Ball [161]— President & CEO, DonorsTrust,
- Arthur C. Brooks [162]— President, American Enterprise Institute [110].
- Steven Hayward [163]— F.K. Weyerhaeuser Fellow, American Enterprise Institute [110].
- Kris Alan Mauren — Executive Director, The Acton Institute [115].
- William H. Mellor [164] — President, Institute for Justice [74].
- John Von Kannon — Vice President, The Heritage Foundation [24].
Officers
- Whitney L. Ball [161] — President & CEO, DonorsTrust.
- Kimberly O. Dennis [160] — Secretary. President, Searle Freedom Trust.
- Steven Hayward [163] — Treasurer. F.K. Weyerhaeuser Fellow, American Enterprise Institute [110].
- Jeffrey C. Zysik — Assistant Treasurer. CFO & CIO, DonorsTrust.
Actions
Ongoing
DCF has provided funding to a number of organizations that contribute to anti-Muslim sentiment in America. Over 20,768,600 in donations [165]were funneled through DCF to go to the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), the Middle East Forum (MEF), the Clarion Fund, and the David Horowitz Freedom Center. [6], [7]
They have also been a major funder of organization skeptical of climate change including the Heartland Institute [6]which between donations from DCF and DonorsTrust received over $12 million in recent years.
Related Organizations
- Philanthropy Roundtable [2]
- Searle Freedom Trust
- American Enterprise Institute [110]
- The Acton Institute [115]
- Institute for Justice [74]
- Heritage Foundation [24]
Resources
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"What is Donors Capital Fund [166]," Donorstrust.org. Accessed October 21, 2012.
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John R. Mashey. "Fake Science, fakesperts, funny finances, free of tax: SEPP, Heartland, CSCDGC, allies & DONORS" (PDF) [7], February 14, 2012.
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"Funder: Donors Capital Fund [31]," Conservative Transparency. Accessed October 21, 2012.
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"Funder: DonorsTrust [167]," Conservative Transparency. Accessed October 21, 2012.
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"Board of Directors," Donorstrust.org [168]. Accessed October 24, 2012.
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Faiz Shakir. "REPORT: $42 Million From Seven Foundations Helped Fuel The Rise Of Islamophobia In America [165]," Thinkprogress, August 26, 2011.
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"Why is the Donors Capital Fund funding Islamophobia? [169]", Daily KoS, August 26, 2011.