Tides (organization)

Tides (organization) is a philanthropic network and fiscal sponsorship nonprofit originating in the United States that provides administrative services, grantmaking, and donor-advised funds for progressive causes. Founded in the 1970s, it operates a range of programs linking donors, nonprofit projects, community groups, and issue-based initiatives across environmental, social justice, and public policy arenas. Tides' activities intersect with prominent foundations, advocacy organizations, and major philanthropic initiatives.

History

Tides began in 1976 amid interactions with figures from the philanthropic community such as Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Rockefeller Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and activists associated with Earth Day and National Environmental Policy Act movements. Its founder, Drummond Pike, drew on networks that included leaders connected to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, and Friends of the Earth. During the 1980s and 1990s Tides coordinated projects aligned with litigation and policy campaigns that brought it into contact with organizations like American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Campaign, ACLU Foundation, Center for Community Change, and Environmental Defense Fund. In the 2000s Tides expanded its fiscal sponsorship services amid collaborations involving Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation grants, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation partnerships, California Endowment, and networks connected to Climate Change advocacy groups and Clean Air Act proponents. The 2010s saw Tides linked with digital organizing efforts alongside MoveOn.org Political Action, Media Matters for America, Sunlight Foundation, and labor coalitions connected to Service Employees International Union.

Structure and Governance

Tides operates as a network of affiliated entities including a fiscal sponsorship arm, philanthropic services, and donor-advised funds, interacting structurally with institutions such as 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and grantmaking vehicles recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Its governance models have featured boards drawing members with experience at Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Morrison & Foerster, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and nonprofit executives formerly of American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity International, and United Way Worldwide. Leadership transitions have paralleled shifts seen at foundations like Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Atlantic Philanthropies, and board meetings have engaged consultants from McKinsey & Company and legal advisers with prior roles at Department of Justice (United States). Tides maintains compliance processes in relation to statutes such as the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and reporting standards paralleling practices at National Philanthropic Trust and Council on Foundations.

Programs and Activities

Tides provides fiscal sponsorship, grant management, and capacity-building services used by projects in collaboration with organizations like Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, Equality Now, and Human Rights Watch. Its programmatic work has supported initiatives in partnership with Center for American Progress, Asia Society, Global Fund for Women, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and local community groups such as Community Development Financial Institutions Fund grantees. Tides-sponsored projects have included advocacy, research, litigation funding, and public education efforts allied with Clean Water Act litigants, campaigns involving Sustainable Development Goals, and media projects connected to Mother Jones, ProPublica, and The Intercept. Training and capacity services have been delivered in coordination with Independent Sector and professional networks like Exponential Organizations.

Funding and Financials

Tides' financial model incorporates grantmaking from major donors and foundations including Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and family foundations such as Rockefeller Family Fund and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. It also receives contributions through donor-advised funds and corporate philanthropy linked to Google.org, Salesforce.org, Wells Fargo Foundation, and philanthropic arms of Apple Inc. and Microsoft. Financial reporting aligns with practices used by Independent Sector and audits carried out by major accounting firms like Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and KPMG. Tides has managed pass-through grants, endowments, and multi-year commitments supporting projects tied to Medicaid advocacy, climate litigation, and public health partnerships associated with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiatives.

Criticism and Controversies

Tides has faced scrutiny and criticism from think tanks and commentators connected to Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, American Legislative Exchange Council, and watchdogs such as Center for Public Integrity regarding its fiscal sponsorship practices, donor anonymity, and funding flows. Investigations and reporting by outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Fox News, National Review, and The New York Times have highlighted tensions around transparency, donor-advised fund usage, and political advocacy intersections with Internal Revenue Service rules. Opponents have alleged coordination with advocacy coalitions linked to Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters during ballot measure campaigns; defenders have cited compliance and oversight consistent with Council on Foundations standards and legal opinions from firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Impact and Influence

Tides has influenced philanthropic practice by popularizing fiscal sponsorship models used by organizations such as Social Venture Partners and New Profit, Inc., and by enabling projects that partnered with Natural Resources Defense Council, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Human Rights Watch, and AARP affiliates. Its network has affected policy campaigns related to Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, and public health funding debates, and supported research disseminated through platforms like ProPublica and Harvard Kennedy School publications. Through collaborations with major funders—Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation—Tides contributed to capacity-building for grassroots organizations that later engaged with institutions such as United Nations processes, World Bank programs, and regional initiatives coordinated by Environmental Protection Agency and state-level agencies. Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States