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Bill Gates Quietly Pulls Funding from Democrat-Linked Dark Money Advisors

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has ended its financial relationship with Arabella Advisors, the Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that manages a network of nonprofits linked to progressive causes and Democratic campaigns.

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According to an internal announcement obtained by the New York Times, the $77 billion foundation decided in late June to stop issuing grants to nonprofits managed by Arabella.

Foundation executives said they would make no new investments with “Arabella-related entities,” would not extend existing grants, and would seek “early exits” from some long-term investments.

The announcement, dated June 24, cited a shift toward direct engagement with grantees as the official reason for the change.

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“Teams are increasingly working directly with programmatic partners – organizations that are deeply embedded in the communities we serve and [are] closely aligned with our mission,” the statement said.

“As we look ahead, this is a chance to build deeper, more durable relationships with those partners – and to reinforce the kind of legacy we want to leave behind.”

A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation told the Times the decision was “a business decision that reflects our regular strategic assessments and partnerships.”

The move comes as Arabella Advisors faces heightened criticism from conservatives over its role in managing large-scale “dark money” funds that direct donations to progressive causes, Democratic super PACs, and political groups.

The foundation has long been one of Arabella’s most significant backers, committing roughly $450 million to Arabella-managed nonprofit funds over the past 16 years.

Arabella oversees several nonprofit funds, including the New Venture Fund, Sixteen Thirty Fund, and Windward Fund.

These funds provide back-office and operational support to nonprofits and have also directed large sums to left-leaning political groups.

According to records, the Sixteen Thirty Fund has donated $97 million to Democratic super PACs since 2016.

Community Change and Community Change Action, two organizations that have received Arabella-related funding, have supported activism campaigns such as Free DC, which protested President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.

Criticism of Arabella’s political activities has grown in recent years.

Elon Musk has called for an investigation into the firm’s role, and White House officials have reportedly been briefed on its operations.

Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, said in an interview with the New York Post, “It is ironic that a protest to ostensibly ‘Free DC’ was hosted by Community Change, a group funded by massive amounts of outside dark-money to push a pro-crime agenda. DC is facing shootings, carjackings and assaults and yet progressive groups like The Pritzker Foundation, George Soros and the Arabella Network all spend millions of dollars to manufacture protests that weaken our communities.”

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Arabella has denied engaging in political activity. Megan Cartier, the firm’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, stated that Arabella “provides operational support to hundreds of philanthropic clients pursuing social change. We do not have donors, make grants or engage in political activity.”

Lee Bodner, president of the New Venture Fund, added that its “grants are restricted for only nonpartisan purposes” and said money from the Gates Foundation represented just two percent of its total funding last year.

“Gates has been an important partner since the beginning of [the] New Venture Fund and we continue working with them today,” Bodner told the Times.

The Gates Foundation awarded its most recent grant to the New Venture Fund in November 2023, totaling $41 million over five years for women’s health initiatives worldwide.

However, with the foundation now seeking to pull back from Arabella, several nonprofits that have relied on the firm are moving to find new fiscal sponsors.

Some organizations had already begun distancing themselves, concerned that President Trump could order investigations into Arabella-related entities or restrict their assets.

The decision by the Gates Foundation has reportedly accelerated those conversations.

In recent months, other groups have announced plans to leave New Venture Fund and similar entities managed by Arabella.

By cutting ties, the Gates Foundation has joined a growing list of organizations reevaluating relationships with Arabella Advisors as scrutiny over its political involvement continues.



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