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Sixteen Thirty Fund
The Sixteen Thirty Fund | |
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Basic facts | |
Location: | Washington D.C. |
Type: | 501(c)(4) |
Top official: | Amy Kurtz, President |
Year founded: | 2009 |
Website: | Official website |
The Sixteen Thirty Fund is a 501(c)(4) that provides organizational support and guidance to new nonprofits. The organization was founded in 2009.[1] According to its website, the group "believes in the power of new ideas, creative partnerships, and emerging leaders to achieve meaningful and lasting solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time. We help changemakers maximize their impact by providing operational support that allows them to focus on advancing their core missions."[2] As of September 2025, Arabella Advisors managed the fund.
Background
Eric Kessler, Brian Kathman, and Molly McUsic founded the organization in 2009 with grant money from Americans United for Change, Working America, ACORN, USAction, and the Sierra Club.[1] Kessler is the founder and executive director of Arabella Advisors and a former White House appointee under President Bill Clinton (D).[3]
Sixteen Thirty Fund president Amy Kurtz said, "As progressives, we have a responsibility to mobilize in the face of societal challenges and provide new investments and initiatives to advocate for what we believe in—from addressing climate change, to protecting voting rights and access to health care, to promoting equity and social justice. Our democracy depends on people making their voices heard, and we believe that advocacy is the backbone of our democracy."[4]
Leadership
As of 2023, the following individuals held leadership positions at the Sixteen Thirty Fund:[5]
- Amy Kurtz, president
- Ryan Johnson, project director
- Nilofar Ganjaie, project director
- Carl Walz, campaigns director
- Patricia Kupfer, campaigns director
- Amy Steinhoff, campaigns director
Work and activities
Services
According to its website, the Sixteen Thirty Fund provides "day-to-day administrative support to new public-interest projects, including providing fiscal sponsorship, helping develop and manage budgets, assisting with payroll and benefits, understanding and complying with national and state laws and regulations, and getting advice and support from a network of other experts in nonprofit management."[6]
Sixteen Thirty Fund described its support model as follows:[7]
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Ballot measure activity
2023 activity
In 2024, Politico reported that Sixteen Thirty Fund raised more than $181 million in 2023 and spent $141.3 million.[9] 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.[9] 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."[9][10]
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.[11] That includes $20.7 million in donations to America Votes, which calls itself a "coordination hub" for progressive organizations.[12] 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.[11]
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.[13] The grant spending included about $16.5 million to the following groups that opposed incumbent Republican senators in battleground states:[13]
- 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.[13]
Sixteen Thirty's spending also included the following contributions to other organizations:
- $9.3 million to North Fund
- $10 million to League of Conservation Voters affiliates
- $7 million to America Votes
Financial records from 2019 indicate Sixteen Thirty spent about $33.7 million directly and through its 38 affiliated subsidiary trade name groups.[13]
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."[14] 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."[15]
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.
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Sixteen Thirty also planned to spend $5 million opposing the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.[17]
Overview of ballot measure support and opposition
State ballot measures
From 2016 to 2024, Ballotpedia tracked $101.6 million[18] 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 | ||||
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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:
Local ballot measures
The following table details The Sixteen Thirty Fund's local ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
Ballot measure support and opposition for The Sixteen Thirty Fund | ||||
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Ballot measure | Year | Position | Contributions | Status |
Austin, Texas, Proposition A, Police Policies on Minimum Number of Officers, Training Requirements, and Demographic Representation Initiative | 2021 | Opposed[60] | $100,000 | ![]() |
Advertising campaigns
Politico's Scott Brand detailed 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.
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Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the Sixteen Thirty Fund's revenues and expenses from 2009 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica.
Year | Revenue | Expenses |
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2009 | $4.8 million | $4.4 million |
2010 | $0 | $0.5 million |
2011 | $0.1 million | $0.1 million |
2012 | $0.8 million | $0.4 million |
2013 | $5.3 million | $2.7 million |
2014 | $16.5 million | $10.9 million |
2015 | $5.6 million | $8.7 million |
2016 | $21.3 million | $19.7 million |
2017 | $79.6 million | $46.9 million |
2018 | $143.8 million | $141.4 million |
2019 | $138.4 million | $98.6 million |
2020 | $389.7 million | $410.0 million |
2021 | $190.7 million | $173.6 million |
2022 | $191.5 million | $195.9 million |
2023 | $181.4 million | $141.3 million |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Influence Watch, "Articles of Incorporation - Sixteen Thirty Fund," February 19, 2009
- ↑ Sixteen Thirty Fund, "Home page," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ Friends of the Global Fight, "Eric Kessler," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ Sixteen Thirty Fund, "About us," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ ProPublica, "Nonprofit Explorer - Sixteen Thirty Fund," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ Sixteen Thirty Fund, "Our Approach," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Politico , "Sixteen Thirty Fund saw spending, fundraising dip ahead of 2024," November 14, 2024
- ↑ Congressional Integrity Project , "About," accessed August 6, 2025
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 NBC News , "Left-leaning nonprofit poured $196 million of secret money into political world in 2022," November 15, 2023
- ↑ America Votes , "About," accessed August 6, 2025
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Politico, "Liberal dark-money behemoth raised nearly $140M last year," accessed November 24, 2020
- ↑ Politico, Arabella Advisors, accessed March 9,2020
- ↑ Politico, Arabella Advisors, accessed March 9,2020
- ↑ Politico, "Liberal secret-money network hammers House GOP," July 29, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Liberal group launches $5 million push against Trump’s SCOTUS pick," accessed March 13, 2020
- ↑ $101,656,942
- ↑ APOC Online Reports, "Campaign Disclosure," accessed January 16, 2024
- ↑ APOC Online Reports, "Campaign Disclosure," accessed January 16, 2024
- ↑ See the Money AZ, "Ballot Measures," accessed April 12, 2024
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Missouri Ethics Commission, "Committee Search," accessed May 19, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
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tag; name "finance" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 23.0 23.1 Montana Campaign Electronic Reporting System, "Montanans for Election Reform," accessed July 1, 2024
- ↑ Montana Campaign Electronic Reporting System, "Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights," accessed July 1, 2024
- ↑ Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, "Search," accessed September 9, 2024
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Citizens Not Politicians Committee Information," accessed July 26, 2024
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Oregon Secretary of State, "Committee Search," accessed May 23, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
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tag; name "financeor" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Colorado TRACER, "Property Tax Relief Now," accessed August 2, 2023
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Search," accessed December 21, 2023
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Committee Information," accessed December 21, 2023
- ↑ State of Alaska, "APOC Online Reports," accessed February 13, 2022
- ↑ " accessed February 13, 2022
- ↑ Colorado TRACER, "Coloradans for Ballot Transparency," accessed September 6, 2022
- ↑ CRIS Search, "SEEC Campaign Reporting Information System (eCRIS)," accessed November 2, 2022
- ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Information Search," accessed July 18, 2022
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Organization Search," July 22, 2022
- ↑ Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, "Search," accessed September 12, 2022
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Michigan Committee Statement Contributions," accessed October 18, 2022
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Michigan Committee Statement Contributions," accessed October 18, 2022
- ↑ Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed October 18, 2022
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Statement of Organization Search by Measure / Petition," accessed August 4, 2022
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Information Search," accessed February 15, 2022
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Tracer: Committee Search," accessed January 16, 2021
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Tracer: Committee Search," accessed January 16, 2021
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Tracer: Committee Search," accessed January 16, 2021
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Big money begins flowing to campaign to expand Medicaid in Missouri," September 6, 2019 Cite error: Invalid
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tag; name "slpd1" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Omaha World-Herald, "Nebraska petition drive on payday lending gets nearly $500,000 boost from national group," accessed January 2, 2020
- ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Statement of Organization for Petition Committee," accessed December 15, 2020
- ↑ 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]
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "Tracer Committee Search," accessed October 30, 2018
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Campaign Finance Database," accessed December 11, 2018
- ↑ Maine Commission on Government Ethics & Election Practice, "Ballot Question Committee (BQC) List," accessed January 9, 2018
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2018 Ballot Proposals," accessed December 13, 2017
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "Nevada Election Administration Committee Campaign Finance," accessed July 17, 2017
- ↑ 55.0 55.1 55.2 55.3 55.4 55.5 North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement, "Campaign Finance Report Search," accessed July 25, 2018
- ↑ This contribution was to a committee opposing the six constitutional amendments in North Carolina in 2018 that are listed in this table.
- ↑ Maine Commission of Governmental Ethics & Election Practices, “ Mainers for Health Care! Committee Reports," accessed January 16, 2018
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Disclosure Statement South Dakotans for Fair Lending Pre-General," October 28, 2016
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Statement," accessed November 4, 2016
- ↑ Austin.gov, "Campaign finance search," accessed October 25, 2021
- ↑ Politico, "Liberal secret-money network hammers House GOP," July 29, 2018
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