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Sunflower Services

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Sunflower Services
Sunflower services.jpeg
Basic facts
Location:Washington D.C.
Type:Limited liability company
Affiliation:Nonpartisan
Top official:Allan Williams, CEO
Year founded:2025
Employees:241[1]
Website:Official website

Sunflower is a company based in Washington D.C. As of December 2025, it describes itself as a nonprofit-owned Public Benefit Corporation that provides administrative services like accounting, grants management, and compliance for nonprofit organizations.[2] Three nonprofits, New Venture Fund, Windward Fund, and Hopewell Fund, announced they had founded Sunflower on November 17, 2025.[3] That same day, Sunflower announced that it had purchased Arabella Advisors, a company that previously managed New Venture Fund, Windward Fund, Hopewell Fund, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund.

Background

As of December 2025, Sunflower said it was "dedicated to providing operational excellence to nonprofit and social impact organizations."[3]

Sunflower acquired Arabella Advisors on November 17, 2025. In a press release, the organization said it had purchased "the existing infrastructure and the operations team previously housed within Arabella Advisors."[3] In December 2025, Sunflower's website stated it supported the New Venture Fund, Windward Fund, Hopewell Fund, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, North Fun, Impetus Fund, and Telescope Fund: "Each organization contracts with Sunflower to receive operational and administrative support for the organization and its hosted projects. Sunflower itself is not a fiscal sponsor or intermediary."[3]

The New Venture Fund, Windward Fund, and Hopewell Fund owned Sunflower as of December 2025. Sunflower's website stated "these three charities allocated over $1.179 billion in resources to nearly 200 projects focused on social and environmental causes aimed at improving the lives and well-being of people and the planet" in 2024.[2]

Previously, Arabella Advisors managed New Venture Fund, [[Windward Fund], Hopewell Fund, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund. Eric Kessler, who served as the national field director for the League of Conservation Voters from 1993 to 1996 and as a special assistant within the U.S. Department of the Interior under President Bill Clinton (D), founded Arabella Advisors in 2005.[4] Arabella Advisors described its mission in the following way: "Our service offerings, philanthropy and nonprofit management expertise, and connections to funders and changemakers all position us to help our clients overcome the challenges standing in the way of needed change."[5]

Leadership

As of December 2025, the following individual held a leadership position at Sunflower:[2]

  • Allan Williams, CEO

Electoral activities and influence

See also: Arabella Advisors

The following information about the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund covers work those organizations did while managed by Arabella Advisors.

Sixteen Thirty Fund

See also: Sixteen Thirty Fund

2023 activity

In 2024, Politico reported that Sixteen Thirty Fund raised more than $181 million in 2023 and spent $141.3 million.[6] That included $8.2 million in donations to North Fund, giving $8.2 million to two groups supporting Ohio Issue 1, Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative, $5.6 million in contributions to oppose Ohio Issue 1, 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure, and $1.9 million in giving to support Nebraska Initiative 436, Paid Sick Leave Initiative.[6] The organization also gave $1 million in support of the Congressional Integrity Project, whose website said it is "focused on revealing how those in power are empowering special interests."[6][7]

2022 activity

In 2023, NBC News reported that the Sixteen Thirty Fund spent $196 million supporting ballot measures on abortion rights, as well as Democratic-aligned groups.[8] That includes $20.7 million in donations to America Votes, which calls itself a "coordination hub" for progressive organizations.[9] Sixteen Thirty Fund also gave $10.4 million in support of Michigan Proposal 2, Voting Policies in Constitution Amendment, $5.8 million to Michigan Proposal 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative and $1.4 million to oppose Kansas No State Constitutional Right to Abortion and Legislative Power to Regulate Abortion Amendment.[8]

2020 activity

Sixteen Thirty's 2020 election activity began in 2019, when the group gave roughly $65 million in grants to left-leaning nonprofit groups.[10] The grant spending included about $16.5 million to the following groups that opposed incumbent Republican senators in battleground states:[10]

  • Maine Momentum
  • Rocky Mountain Values
  • Advancing AZ
  • Iowa Forward
  • Piedmont Rising

The five groups spent a total of about $17.3 million on advertising between 2019 and 2020.[10]

Sixteen Thirty's spending also included the following contributions to other organizations:

Financial records from 2019 indicate Sixteen Thirty spent about $33.7 million directly and through its 38 affiliated subsidiary trade name groups.[10]

2018 activity

Sixteen Thirty's 2018 fundraising surpassed any amount raised by a left-leaning political nonprofit to that point. According to Politico, "Several of the biggest donors and organizations in Democratic politics also have public links to Sixteen Thirty Fund. Potential presidential candidate and megadonor Michael Bloomberg gave $250,000 to a super PAC linked to Sixteen Thirty Fund, Change Now, in 2018. And the Democratic donor group Democracy Alliance, which has dozens of members including billionaire George Soros, recommended last spring that donors invest several million dollars into Sixteen Thirty Fund."[11] The group also "distributed more than $91 million in grants to 95 other groups in 2018, according to the tax filing. These funds made Sixteen Thirty Fund a major source of money for political nonprofits pushing an array of changes to state and federal law."[12]

Politico's Scott Brand described the activities of the Sixteen Thirty Fund in a July 2018 article:

“ Added together, the Sixteen Thirty Fund groups have been among the most prolific political advertisers of 2018. They have aired 6,885 broadcast TV ads since Jan. 1, according to Advertising Analytics, a TV tracking firm — more than the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and almost as many as Americans for Prosperity, two of the five biggest nonprofit political advertisers focused on the House and Senate in the first half of this year.


The network, which has spent over $4.6 million on TV alone, has also been one of the top political advertisers in the country on Facebook, according to a POLITICO analysis of data from the social media company’s new political ad archive.[13][14]

”

Sixteen Thirty also planned to spend $5 million opposing the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.[15]

Ballot measure activity

From 2016 to 2024, Ballotpedia tracked $101.6 million[16] in contributions from the Sixteen Thirty Fund to 52 state ballot measure campaigns and one local ballot measure campaign in 19 states. The position that Sixteen Thirty Fund took on a ballot measure was successful for 41 of 53 (77.4%) ballot measures.

The following table provides information on campaign success rates. Won means the Sixteen Thirty Fund supported a measure that was approved or opposed a measure that was defeated. Lost means the Sixteen Thirty Fund supported a measure that was defeated or opposed a measure that was approved.

Ballot measure support and opposition for The Sixteen Thirty Fund
Outcome Number (%) Contributions (Total) Contributions (Average)
Won 41 (77.4%) $91.5 million $2.3 million
Lost 12 (22.6%) $10.1 million $844,324
Total 53 (100.0%) $101.6 million $1.9 million


The following table details The Sixteen Thirty Fund's state ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for The Sixteen Thirty Fund
Ballot measure Year Position Contributions Status
Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Minimum Wage Increase and Paid Sick Leave Initiative (2024) 2024 Supported[17] $929,600 Approveda Approved
Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Repeal Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024) 2024 Opposed[18] $60,000 Defeatedd Defeated
Arizona Proposition 139, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024) 2024 Supported[19] $1,250,000 Approveda Approved
Missouri Amendment 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative (2024) 2024 Supported[20] $4,595,501 Approveda Approved
Missouri Proposition A, Minimum Wage and Earned Paid Sick Time Initiative (2024) 2024 Supported[20] $3,549,168 Approveda Approved
Montana CI-126, Top-Four Primary Initiative (2024) 2024 Supported[21] $130,250 Defeatedd Defeated
Montana CI-127, Majority Vote Required to Win Elections Initiative (2024) 2024 Supported[21] Defeatedd Defeated
Montana CI-128, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024) 2024 Supported[22] $3,008,837.50 Approveda Approved
Nebraska Initiative 436, Paid Sick Leave Initiative (2024) 2024 Supported[23] $1,916,252.10 Approveda Approved
Ohio Issue 1, Establish the Citizens Redistricting Commission Initiative (2024) 2024 Supported[24] $6,669,800.00 Defeatedd Defeated
Oregon Measure 116, Independent Public Service Compensation Commission Amendment (2024) 2024 Supported[25] $48,500 Defeatedd Defeated
Colorado Proposition HH, Property Tax Changes and Revenue Change Measure 2023 Supported[26] $600,000 Defeatedd Defeated
Ohio Issue 1, Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative 2023 Supported[27] $8,217,600.00 Approveda Approved
Ohio Issue 1, 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure 2023 Opposed[28] $5,140,750 Defeatedd Defeated
Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Constitutional Convention Question 2022 Opposed[29] $1,992,700 Defeatedd Defeated
Alaska State Recognition of American Indian Tribes Initiative 2022 Support[30] $600,000.00 Approved by the Legislature
Colorado Proposition GG, Include Income Tax Effects in Initiative Ballot Language Measure 2022 Supported[31] $500,000 Approveda Approved
Connecticut Question 1, Allow for Early Voting Amendment 2022 Supported[32] $21,625 Approveda Approved
Kansas No State Constitutional Right to Abortion and Legislative Power to Regulate Abortion Amendment 2022 Opposed[33] $1,585,000 Defeatedd Defeated
Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 2, No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment 2022 Opposed[34] $585,000 Defeatedd Defeated
Massachusetts Question 1, Tax on Income Above $1 Million for Education and Transportation Amendment 2022 Supported[35] $1,632,935 Approveda Approved
Michigan Proposal 2, Voting Policies in Constitution Amendment 2022 Supported[36] $11,261,370 Approveda Approved
Michigan Proposal 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative 2022 Supported[37] $6,009,565 Approveda Approved
Nebraska Initiative 433, Minimum Wage Increase Initiative 2022 Supported[38] $2,488,030 Approveda Approved
Oregon Measure 114, Changes to Firearm Ownership and Purchase Requirements Initiative 2022 Supported[39] $250,000 Approveda Approved
Vermont Proposal 5, Right to Personal Reproductive Autonomy Amendment 2022 Supported[40] $27,800 Approveda Approved
Colorado Proposition 116, Decrease Income Tax Rate from 4.63% to 4.55% Initiative 2020 Opposed[41] $200,000 Approveda Approved
Colorado Proposition 117, Require Voter Approval of Certain New Enterprises Exempt from TABOR Initiative 2020 Opposed[42] Approveda Approved
Colorado Proposition 118, Paid Medical and Family Leave Initiative 2020 Supported[43] $2,963,500 Approveda Approved
Missouri Amendment 2, Medicaid Expansion Initiative 2020 Supported[44] $24,050 Approveda Approved
Montana CI-118, Allow for a Legal Age for Marijuana Amendment 2020 Supported[44] $22,176 Approveda Approved
Montana I-190, Marijuana Legalization Initiative 2020 Supported[44] Approveda Approved
Nebraska Initiative 428, Payday Lender Interest Rate Cap Initiative 2020 Supported[45] $1,886,961 Approveda Approved
Oregon Measure 110, Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment Initiative 2020 Supported[46] $250,000 Approveda Approved
Arkansas Issue 5, Minimum Wage Increase Initiative 2018 Supported[47] $1,346,000 Approveda Approved
Colorado Amendment 74, Compensation to Owners for Decreased Property Value Due to State Regulation Initiative 2018 Opposed[48] $3,500,000 Defeatedd Defeated
Colorado Proposition 111, Limits on Payday Loan Charges Initiative 2018 Supported[48] $2,076,375 Approveda Approved
Florida Amendment 4, Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative 2018 Supported[49] $3,950,000 Approveda Approved
Maine Question 1, Payroll and Non-Wage Income Taxes for Home Care Program Initiative 2018 Supported[50] $150,000 Defeatedd Defeated
Michigan Proposal 2, Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative 2018 Supported[51] $6,017,250 Approveda Approved
Missouri Proposition B, $12 Minimum Wage Initiative 2018 Supported[20] $4,783,500 Approveda Approved
Nevada Question 5, Automatic Voter Registration via DMV Initiative 2018 Supported[52] $6,250,000 Approveda Approved
North Carolina Judicial Selection for Midterm Vacancies Amendment 2018 Opposed[53] $3,500,000[54] Defeatedd Defeated
North Carolina Legislative Appointments to Elections Board Amendment 2018 Opposed[53] Defeatedd Defeated
North Carolina Voter ID Amendment 2018 Opposed[53] Approveda Approved
North Carolina Marsy's Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment 2018 Opposed[53] Approveda Approved
North Carolina Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment 2018 Opposed[53] Approveda Approved
North Carolina Income Tax Cap Amendment 2018 Opposed[53] Approveda Approved
Oregon Measure 106, Ban Public Funds for Abortions Initiative 2018 Opposed[25] $685,000 Defeatedd Defeated
Maine Question 2, Medicaid Expansion Initiative 2017 Supported[55] $865,606 Approveda Approved
South Dakota Constitutional Amendment U, Limit on Statutory Interest Rates for Loans 2016 Opposed[56] $6,440 Defeatedd Defeated
South Dakota Initiated Measure 21, Payday Lending Initiative 2016 Supported[57] $9,800 Approveda Approved



New Venture Fund

See also: New Venture Fund

2022 activity

In 2022, New Venture Fund awarded over $734 million in grants, according to filings with the Internal Revenue Service.[58] That included over $60 million in giving to Co Impact, who calls itself a "global philanthropic collaborative."Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag The organization also gave $34 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund and $21 million in grants to America Votes.[58]

2021 activity

In 2021, the New Venture Fund awarded over $954 million in grants, according to filings with the Internal Revenue Service.[59] That includes over $16 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, $12.8 million to North Fund, and $4 million to the Federation of American Scientists.[59]

2020 activity

In 2020, the New Venture Fund established the Trusted Elections Fund (TEF). The TEF said it would dedicate $8 million to $10 million to prepare for and respond to:[60]

“
  • A foreign hack of voting machines, voter registration databases, or other critical election infrastructure
  • Disputes regarding election results
  • Election Day or post-Election Day violence
  • A major emergency (such as a natural disaster, attack on the power grid, or health emergency) that affects polling

places[14]

”

Ballot measure activity

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable ballot measure endorsements by New Venture Fund
MeasurePositionOutcome
Nebraska Initiative 434, Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment (2024)  source OpposeApproved
Nebraska Initiative 437, Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2024)  source SupportApproved
Nebraska Initiative 438, Medical Marijuana Regulation Initiative (2024)  source SupportApproved
Nebraska Initiative 439, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)  source SupportDefeated

The following table details New Venture Fund's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia from 2015 to 2022.

Ballot measure support and opposition for New Venture Fund
Ballot measure Year Position Status
Montana LR-131, Medical Care Requirements for Born-Alive Infants Measure 2022 Opposed Defeatedd Defeated
Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Salmon Habitat Protections and Permits Initiative 2018 Supported Defeatedd Defeated
Ohio Issue 1, Drug and Criminal Justice Policies Initiative 2018 Supported Defeatedd Defeated
Washington, D.C., Initiative 77, Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Workers Initiative 2018 Supported Approveda Approved
Maine Question 2, Medicaid Expansion Initiative 2017 Supported Approveda Approved
Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Voter Registration via the Permanent Fund Dividend Application Initiative 2016 Supported Approveda Approved
Colorado Amendment 70, $12 Minimum Wage Initiative 2016 Supported Approveda Approved
Mississippi Initiative 42, Public School Support Amendment 2015 Supported Defeatedd Defeated

Notable endorsements

This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ LinkedIn, "Sunflower Services PBC," accessed December 23, 2025
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sunflower Services, "About Us," accessed December 23, 2025
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 GlobeNewswire, "New Entity Sunflower Services Purchasing Fiscal Sponsorship Services Business from Arabella Advisors," November 17, 2025
  4. ↑ LinkedIn, "Eric Kessler work experience," accessed December 23, 2025
  5. ↑ Arabella Advisors, "Company," accessed December 23, 2025
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Politico , "Sixteen Thirty Fund saw spending, fundraising dip ahead of 2024," November 14, 2024
  7. ↑ Congressional Integrity Project , "About," accessed August 6, 2025
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 NBC News , "Left-leaning nonprofit poured $196 million of secret money into political world in 2022," November 15, 2023
  9. ↑ America Votes , "About," accessed August 6, 2025
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Politico, "Liberal dark-money behemoth raised nearly $140M last year," accessed November 24, 2020
  11. ↑ Politico, Arabella Advisors, accessed March 9,2020
  12. ↑ Politico, Arabella Advisors, accessed March 9,2020
  13. ↑ Politico, "Liberal secret-money network hammers House GOP," July 29, 2018
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  15. ↑ Politico, "Liberal group launches $5 million push against Trump’s SCOTUS pick," accessed March 13, 2020
  16. ↑ $101,656,942
  17. ↑ APOC Online Reports, "Campaign Disclosure," accessed January 16, 2024
  18. ↑ APOC Online Reports, "Campaign Disclosure," accessed January 16, 2024
  19. ↑ See the Money AZ, "Ballot Measures," accessed April 12, 2024
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Missouri Ethics Commission, "Committee Search," accessed May 19, 2024 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "finance" defined multiple times with different content
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Montana Campaign Electronic Reporting System, "Montanans for Election Reform," accessed July 1, 2024
  22. ↑ Montana Campaign Electronic Reporting System, "Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights," accessed July 1, 2024
  23. ↑ Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, "Search," accessed September 9, 2024
  24. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Citizens Not Politicians Committee Information," accessed July 26, 2024
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Oregon Secretary of State, "Committee Search," accessed May 23, 2024 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "financeor" defined multiple times with different content
  26. ↑ Colorado TRACER, "Property Tax Relief Now," accessed August 2, 2023
  27. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Search," accessed December 21, 2023
  28. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Committee Information," accessed December 21, 2023
  29. ↑ State of Alaska, "APOC Online Reports," accessed February 13, 2022
  30. ↑ " accessed February 13, 2022
  31. ↑ Colorado TRACER, "Coloradans for Ballot Transparency," accessed September 6, 2022
  32. ↑ CRIS Search, "SEEC Campaign Reporting Information System (eCRIS)," accessed November 2, 2022
  33. ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Information Search," accessed July 18, 2022
  34. ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Organization Search," July 22, 2022
  35. ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Search," accessed September 12, 2022
  36. ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Michigan Committee Statement Contributions," accessed October 18, 2022
  37. ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Michigan Committee Statement Contributions," accessed October 18, 2022
  38. ↑ Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed October 18, 2022
  39. ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Statement of Organization Search by Measure / Petition," accessed August 4, 2022
  40. ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Information Search," accessed February 15, 2022
  41. ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Tracer: Committee Search," accessed January 16, 2021
  42. ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Tracer: Committee Search," accessed January 16, 2021
  43. ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Tracer: Committee Search," accessed January 16, 2021
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Big money begins flowing to campaign to expand Medicaid in Missouri," September 6, 2019 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "slpd1" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "slpd1" defined multiple times with different content
  45. ↑ Omaha World-Herald, "Nebraska petition drive on payday lending gets nearly $500,000 boost from national group," accessed January 2, 2020
  46. ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Statement of Organization for Petition Committee," accessed December 15, 2020
  47. ↑ https://www.minimumwage.com/2018/10/99-of-arkansans-for-a-fair-wage-funding-from-outside-arkansas/ Minimum Wage, "99% of “Arkansans for a Fair Wage” funding from outside Arkansas," accessed January 1, 2020]
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "Tracer Committee Search," accessed October 30, 2018
  49. ↑ Florida Department of State, "Campaign Finance Database," accessed December 11, 2018
  50. ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics & Election Practice, "Ballot Question Committee (BQC) List," accessed January 9, 2018
  51. ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2018 Ballot Proposals," accessed December 13, 2017
  52. ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "Nevada Election Administration Committee Campaign Finance," accessed July 17, 2017
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 53.3 53.4 53.5 North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement, "Campaign Finance Report Search," accessed July 25, 2018
  54. ↑ This contribution was to a committee opposing the six constitutional amendments in North Carolina in 2018 that are listed in this table.
  55. ↑ Maine Commission of Governmental Ethics & Election Practices, “ Mainers for Health Care! Committee Reports," accessed January 16, 2018
  56. ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Disclosure Statement South Dakotans for Fair Lending Pre-General," October 28, 2016
  57. ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Statement," accessed November 4, 2016
  58. ↑ 58.0 58.1 <Internal Revenue Service , "New Venture Fund 990 (2022)," accessed August 6, 2025
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 <Internal Revenue Service , "New Venture Fund 990 (2021)," accessed August 6, 2025
  60. ↑ Influence Watch, "Trusted Election Fund Two-Pager," accessed October 7, 2020
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