Gates Foundation Ends $450M Grants to Arabella Amid Political Scrutiny

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has decided to cut ties with Arabella Advisors, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm known for managing nonprofit funds linked to Democratic and progressive causes. This move, confirmed in an internal June announcement, reflects the foundation's strategic shift toward working more directly with programmatic partners embedded in the communities they serve, aiming to reduce reliance on intermediaries like Arabella. Although the foundation framed the decision as a business strategy focused on deepening relationships with grant recipients, it comes amid increased political scrutiny of Arabella for its role in channeling 'dark money' to liberal causes and threats from President Donald Trump to review tax-exempt statuses of such organizations. Over the past 16 years, the Gates Foundation has granted approximately $450 million through Arabella-managed nonprofits. Arabella executives downplayed the impact, noting Gates funding represents a small portion of their overall budget, but some nonprofits are distancing themselves from Arabella to maintain good standing with the foundation. The Gates Foundation plans to spend down its $77 billion endowment by 2045, emphasizing more direct philanthropy and legacy building.