In 2022, a left-leaning conglomerate, Tides, comprising various non-profit entities like the Tides Foundation, Tides Center, Tides Network, Tides Inc., and the Tides Two Rivers Fund, drastically increased its financial expenditure by $233.5 million compared to the previous year, reaching a total of $854.9 million in grants. This surge mainly contributed to bolstering pro-abortion activists, left-leaning voter turnout groups, and organizations aligned with Arabella Advisors’ liberal dark money network. Additionally, funds were directed towards facilitating pro-Hamas demonstrations after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and supporting bail funds in high-crime urban areas.
Parker Thayer, an investigative researcher at Capital Research Center, highlighted that the Tides Network, in conjunction with similar left-wing groups like Arabella Advisors, channeled substantial untraceable funds towards activism intending to influence election outcomes. Tides Foundation’s arrangement to hold donor funds and discreetly transfer them to advised groups has drawn criticism as a potential avenue for opaque financial dealings, commonly referred to as “dark money” operations.
This financial upsurge coincided with the contentious midterm elections and the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, instigating widespread pro-abortion protests nationwide. Tides provided millions to pro-abortion organizations like EMILY’s List, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, pivotal in endorsing and supporting pro-abortion candidates during the 2022 electoral cycle.
Beyond abortion activism, Tides allocated considerable funds—$7.7 million—to liberal-aligned voter turnout and engagement groups during the midterms. Some beneficiary groups, like the New Georgia Project and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, transported voters while promulgating left-leaning policies, influencing urban counties in favor of Democratic candidates.
Tides’ involvement in election-related activities extended further, mirroring Arabella Advisors’ mobilization efforts, directing funds to groups like America Votes. Beyond elections, Tides’ financial activities also involved supporting anti-Israel movements post the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and contributing to bail funds in cities with escalating crime rates, despite a clear correlation between prior arrests and future violent crimes, as highlighted by a 2023 study.
