Nonprofit funded by GOP megadonor Thiel apparently donated $3 million to left-leaning group

A nonprofit radical funded by Republican megadonor Peter Thiel appears to person donated $3 cardinal to a radical that has financed immoderate left-leaning organizations and aligned with progressive elements of the Democratic Party, according to taxation documents archetypal reviewed by CNBC.

The Thiel Foundation, a 501(c)(3) which the tech capitalist founded and funds wholly himself, gave the sum to the New Venture Fund successful 2021, according to 990 taxation forms.

The New Venture Fund is simply a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) radical that for years has acted arsenic a large funder for immoderate groups aligned with the Democratic Party. It's besides known arsenic a alleged "dark money" enactment since it does not publically disclose the names of its donors. The New Venture Fund raised implicit $950 cardinal successful 2021, according to the group's records.

The listed donation to the New Venture Fund coincided with Thiel helping Republican candidates during the 2022 midterms. He gave much than $35 cardinal toward GOP causes passim the two-year predetermination cycle, according to information from the nonpartisan OpenSecrets. Thiel has since said helium does not program to financially enactment idiosyncratic Republican candidates moving for bureau during the 2024 elections.

Thiel's listed donation to the New Venture Fund could person been earmarked for a little partisan enactment that the money helps finance, according Anna Massoglia of OpenSecrets, who reviewed the documents.

Massoglia suggested different scenario: that accountants for the Thiel Foundation whitethorn person filled retired the forms incorrectly.

"While immoderate of New Venture Fund's grantees are left-leaning, others bash not person a salient ideological leaning," Massoglia, an editorial and investigations manager at OpenSecrets, said successful an email. "Some nonprofits besides usage New Venture Fund arsenic a passthrough to money different groups truthful it is not extracurricular of the realm of anticipation that Thiel's instauration was backing a circumstantial radical done it."

"I would besides permission unfastened the anticipation that the accountant oregon lawyer who filled retired the taxation signifier mightiness person looked up the incorrect enactment arsenic well," Massoglia said.

The New York Times reported successful 2022 that Thiel was among a radical of donors moving to combat the vantage Democrats person had wrong the "dark money" battle. Thiel has an estimated nett worthy of implicit $9 billion.

OpenSecrets reported that specified organizations spent and donated implicit $295 cardinal during the 2022 midterm elections. One Nation, a 501(c)(4) radical aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., poured much than $120 cardinal into the 2022 midterms.

The Thiel Foundation's $3 cardinal listed donation to the New Venture Fund represents the second-largest publication it made successful 2021. The biggest donation, implicit $4 million, went to the Donors Trust, a 501(c)(3) donor advisory money that let givers to nonstop wealth to the nonprofit and past that publication is funneled to a radical of their choice. The Donors Trust often acts arsenic a large funder for blimpish leaning nonprofit groups. It raised implicit $1 cardinal successful 2021, according to taxation documents.

"You typically don't spot grants to Donors Trust and the New Venture Fund connected the aforesaid 990," Brendan Fischer, a lawman enforcement manager astatine the watchdog Documented, told CNBC aft reviewing the taxation form. "And based connected the address, the recipient of the $3 cardinal Thiel Foundation assistance does look to beryllium the aforesaid New Venture Fund that supports progressive causes."

The code for the New Venture Fund donation connected the Thiel's instauration forms is listed arsenic 21828 L Street NW Suite 300-­A Washington D.C., 20036. The New Venture Fund's 2021 taxation signifier lists a akin code of 1828 L Street NW Suite 300-A Washington D.C., 20036. A hunt connected Google Maps provided nary results for 21828 L Street NW successful Washington D.C.

Tax records since 2013 amusement the Thiel Foundation hadn't donated to the New Venture Fund earlier 2021. The records bash not accidental what the donation to the New Venture Fund was meant for. A spokesperson for Thiel and the instauration did not instrumentality a petition for comment. The accountant listed connected the Thiel Foundation's forms did not instrumentality a petition for comment.

A typical for the New Venture Fund did not instrumentality a petition for comment.

During the aforesaid twelvemonth arsenic the Thiel donation, the New Venture Fund donated implicit $7 cardinal to America Votes, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit voting rights radical focused connected educating radical connected however to ballot by mail, according to different taxation records. A nonprofit financed by billionaire and Democratic megadonor George Soros gave implicit $16 cardinal to America Votes implicit that aforesaid clip period.

The New Venture Fund is portion of a web of left-leaning nonprofits guided by philanthropic advisory steadfast Arabella Advisors. The steadfast was paid conscionable nether $30 cardinal successful 2021 by the New Venture Fund for administration, operations and absorption services, according to the nonprofit's taxation forms.

The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4) enactment with an astir identical code arsenic the New Venture Fund, paid Arabella Advisors $5 cardinal for their services successful 2021, according to different taxation records. The Sixteen Thirty Fund received a assistance of conscionable implicit $27 cardinal from the New Venture Fund that year, records show. The radical raised implicit $180 cardinal successful 2021, according to the records.

Just similar the New Venture Fund and the Donors Trust, the Sixteen Thirty Fund does not publically disclose its donors.