Ask Americans to name a charity and most will mention their church, a local food bank, the community theater, or, at Christmastime, the Salvation Army. Indeed, these organizations, devoted to providing spiritual and material sustenance, account for the vast majority of charitable groups operating in the U.S. Tax policies encouraging their work have reflected a consensus in favor of civic engagement and strengthening the bonds of civil society through voluntary private efforts rather than government programs.

Over the past 40 years, however, another segment of the nonprofit sector has emerged: organizations devoted to reshaping public policies and our political life. Behind such innocuous names as Arabella or Tides, networks engage in partisan politics, overt lobbying, and support for disruptive movements on college campuses and elsewhere. Tax-deductible contributions are almost always their key source of financial support.

One of these entities, the People’s Forum, received millions of dollars in anonymous money from Goldman Sachs Charities. The funds were used to advise and support disruptive, anti-Israel demonstrators at Columbia University, New York University, and elsewhere. In 2020, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative financially assisted election officials in locations essential for Democratic victories. Rockefeller Brothers Fund and other endowed institutions