National Philanthropic Trust
Independent DAF sponsor. Billions in assets under management. Used for anonymous giving to political nonprofits. Growing share of dark money flows through independent DAF sponsors.
Tracked direct giving
$0
Tracked donations to candidate
$0
Connections
12
Dark Money Spending
Election spending by organizations that do not disclose their donors. Dark money flows through 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, 501(c)(6) trade associations, and similar entities that are not required to reveal their funders. Figures below are never combined with disclosed-donor totals.
IRS 990 Schedule I Grant Chain
Grants between nonprofits reported on IRS Form 990 Schedule I. These inter-organizational transfers are a key pathway in dark money flows — a nonprofit may receive a grant from one entity and then spend that money on election ads.
IRS 990 Schedule I grants received
$454,760,651
| Grantor | Amount | Tax Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN GIFT FUND | $946,854 | 2024 | OPERATIONS |
| AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION | $1,303,661 | 2024 | HUMAN SERVICE |
| Bny Mellon Charitable Gift Fund | $1,402,176 | 2024 | TO FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| DonorsTrust | $649,385 | 2024 | for a donor-advised fund |
| DonorsTrust | $649,385 | 2024 | for a donor-advised fund |
| AYCO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | $25,000 | 2023 | COMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICES |
| Hoover Institution | $1,529,332 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMALGAMATED CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | $51,647 | 2023 | Project support |
| CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION AMERICA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| Schwab Charitable | $249,117,686 | 2023 | PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT |
| University of Notre Dame | $4,100,000 | 2022 | See Part IV |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | $194,975,525 | 2022 | For grant recipient's exempt purposes |
Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule I (Grants and Other Assistance to Organizations) via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and IRS 990 XML e-files. Grant amounts represent the most recent filing year available.
IRS 990 data lags a year or more behind filing. Grants shown are for the stated tax year and do not establish current-cycle funding.
Methodology Disclosure
Dark money figures are derived from FEC Form 5 (independent expenditures by non-committee organizations) and Form 9 (electioneering communications). These filings capture spending on ads and election communications but do not reveal the identity of the organization's donors. QPQ totals may differ from benchmarks like the Brennan Center's estimates because QPQ includes all Form 5 filers, while some benchmarks count only a subset of non-disclosing nonprofits. Grant chain data is from IRS Form 990 Schedule I and may not include all years or all grantee organizations.
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Relationships
| Type | Connected To | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Received money from | AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $1,303,661 (tax year 2024). Purpose: HUMAN SERVICE | Source |
| Received money from | Hoover Institution | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $1,529,332 (tax year 2023). Purpose: GENERAL SUPPORT | Source |
| Received money from | University of Notre Dame | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $4,100,000 (tax year 2022). Purpose: See Part IV | Source |
| Received money from | Bny Mellon Charitable Gift Fund | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $1,402,176 (tax year 2024). Purpose: TO FURTHER THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | Source |
| Received money from | AMALGAMATED CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $51,647 (tax year 2023). Purpose: Project support | Source |
| Received money from | AMERICAN GIFT FUND | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $946,854 (tax year 2024). Purpose: OPERATIONS | Source |
| Received money from | AYCO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $25,000 (tax year 2023). Purpose: COMMUNITY & HUMAN SERVICES | Source |
| Received money from | CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION AMERICA | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2023). Purpose: CHARITABLE DONATION | Source |
| Received money from | Schwab Charitable | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $249,117,686 (tax year 2023). Purpose: PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT | Source |
| Received money from | DonorsTrust | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $649,385 (tax year 2024). Purpose: for a donor-advised fund | Source |
| Received money from | DonorsTrust | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $649,385 (tax year 2024). Purpose: for a donor-advised fund | Source |
| Received money from | Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $194,975,525 (tax year 2022). Purpose: For grant recipient's exempt purposes | Source |