Charities and colonialism

This data reflects aggregate figures from the last ten years of Internal Revenu Service filings of nonprofit entities whose institutions advance zionism, as such, supports the existence of the Israeli state as a settler colonial project — a project which is explicitly contingent on the erasure of the indigenous erasure.

Understanding the historical context is crucial. Capitalism has historically exploited charitable institutions to advance colonial agendas. Churches, for instance, played a significant role in colonization globally, from Africa to Latin America. European missionaries, funded by churchgoers' donations, established missions that served as colonial outposts. These missions not only spread Christianity but also facilitated European control over indigenous lands and resources. The London Missionary Society's efforts in South Africa, for example, paved the way for British colonization. Similarly, Catholic missions in the Congo were integral to Belgium's brutal colonial regime.

In the present day, 501(c)(3) nonprofit structures in the United States have become tools for the wealthy to shape policy, launder money, and finance right wing groups. These tax-exempt organizations provide a means for the affluent to direct substantial funds into causes that uphold their interests. By exploiting these tax exemptions, wealthy donors can advocate for policies that perpetuate systemic inequalities and support ideologies aligned with their agenda, all while reaping tax benefits.

In response to these injustices, Palestinian communities have taken a stand with the Campaign to Defund Racism. This initiative is a call to action, targeting the policies that sustain unjust structures. It has brought together Palestinian individuals, villages, and organizations from the South Hebron Hills, the Jordan Valley, East Jerusalem, the Galilee, and the Naqab, uniting them in a common cause.

Organizations like Ateret Cohanim, Elad, Israel Land Fund, and Regavim, founded in Israel and part of the settler movement, are fiscally sponsored by charities registered in New York. Friends of Ateret Cohanim, Friends of Ir David, the One Israel Fund, the Central Fund of Israel, and the Israel Independence Fund leverage their 501(c)(3) status to fund settler colonialism in Palestine. Their use of charitable status and/or fiscal sponsorship enables them to receive tax-deductible donations from the U.S. and funnel them abroad despite their actions violating IRS guidelines. These organizations have a history of displacing Palestinian communities to develop Israeli settlements, generally targeting the most vulnerable populations.

The campaign's primary goal is to create a legal precedent, defining financial support for oppression, displacement, and colonization of Palestinian lands as incompatible with charitable regulations. Although past complaints against organizations like the Central Fund of Israel have been dealt with behind closed doors by the IRS, the current campaign focuses on elected officials who can change how these charities operate. For example, the New York State Attorney General oversees registered charities and is being called upon to dissolve these organizations — or at the very least, the possibility of sending them tax-deductible donations through fiscal sponsorship. This approach leverages the accountability of elected officials to their constituents, who prioritize justice and reject colonization.

Cutting off financial support to organizations like Ateret Cohanim, Elad, Israel Land Fund, Regavim, and others is crucial for creating structural changes that benefit oppressed people locally and globally. The campaign aims to make tangible wins for justice movements by redefining charitable works.

The data aggregation for this campaign is built on ProPublica's API, which curates data from IRS returns based on 990 forms. This ensures the validity of the data used for visualizations and advocacy efforts, making it a reliable resource for combating the lies of imperialism.

The total combined revenue over the last 10 years is $23,174,478,245.

[ Note: This list isn't fully comphrehnsive, but rather, represents a small portion of money that regulated by the US nonprofit system. For a better understanding of zionism and anti-zionism, please read this criticl piece. ]