Fair Representation in Redistricting (FRR) is a coalition of left-of-center donors and foundations that aims to influence how states draw legislative and congressional maps in order to favor likely Democratic voters. It is a project of the New Venture Fund, a nonprofit in Arabella Advisors’ multi-billion-dollar network. ¹

FRR’s target states include Wisconsin, Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi, Michigan, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and Alabama. ²

Coalition Members

According to an internal presentation, FRR members include the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bauman Foundation, Bernard & Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust, California Community Foundation, Pierre Omidyar’s Democracy Fund, the Ford Foundation, Grove Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Joyce Foundation, JPB Foundation, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, New York Community Trust, George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, Resilient Democracy Fund, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, NEO Philanthropy’s State Infrastructure Fund, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, and Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. ³

Leadership

The project is co-chaired by Sanjiv Rao of the Ford Foundation and Gary Bass of the Bauman Foundation. ⁴

Funding

As a New Venture Fund project, FRR does not publicly disclose its finances or donors.

In 2021, the Ford Foundation granted $500,000 to FRR (via New Venture Fund) “to support education and training for grassroots organizations to increase engagement, transparency and accountability in state redistricting”; and another $2 million “to support education and training for grassroots organizations to increase engagement, transparency and accountability in redistricting in the American South.” ⁵

1. Project status identified in Ford Foundation’s 2021 Form 990 filing.

   Return of Foundation Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Ford Foundation. 2021. Schedule I. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2023/01/ford-foundation-2021-form-990.pdf

2. “Redistricting Advisory Committee.” Pulled from Fair Representation in Redistricting coalition presentation (undated). Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2023/01/fair-representation-in-redistricting-powerpoint-new-venture-fund.pdf
3. “Redistricting Advisory Committee.” Pulled from Fair Representation in Redistricting coalition presentation (undated). Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2023/01/fair-representation-in-redistricting-powerpoint-new-venture-fund.pdf
4. “Redistricting Advisory Committee.” Pulled from Fair Representation in Redistricting coalition presentation (undated). Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2023/01/fair-representation-in-redistricting-powerpoint-new-venture-fund.pdf
5. Return of Foundation Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Ford Foundation. 2021. Schedule I. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2023/01/ford-foundation-2021-form-990.pdf