Foundation for the Carolinas (FFTC)

One of FFTC’s largest known account holders is North Carolina billionaire Fred Stanback. ⁴ Stanback was characterized in an April 2018 Knoxville News report as a “known proponent of anti-humanist environmentalism [. . .] the belief that protecting the environment hinges on population control.” ⁵ Thirty-nine percent of FFTC’s donations from 1999-2017 ($825 million) were given to organizations favoring the Stanback policy agenda: left-leaning environmentalism, abortion, population control, or immigration restrictionism. ³ Stanback’s total commitment to his FFTC account is not known, but the Los Angeles Times reported a single $397 million donation from Stanback to FFTC that took place in 2014. ⁴

Stanback has been publicly-identified as a donor and/or leader with many large recipients of FFTC donations that Conform with his ideological concerns. ³ Examples include the Southern Environmental Law Center,⁶ Earthjustice,⁷ the Natural Resources Defense Council,⁵ the Sierra Club,⁵ the Conservation Fund,⁸ Population Connection (formerly Zero Population Growth),⁹ the Union of Concerned Scientists,¹⁰ NumbersUSA,⁴ Planned Parenthood,¹¹ the Center for Biological Diversity,¹² Progressives for Immigration Reform,¹³ and Appalachian Voices. ¹⁴

Background

The Foundation for the Carolinas (FFTC) manages donor-advised funds for 2,700 separate charitable individuals, families and organizations, and is the nation’s fifth-largest community foundation, measured by “grantmaking and contributions to funds.” ^{1 2} For calendar year 2017, it reported more than $397.6 million in total grants to outside recipients. ¹⁵

The charitable foundation recordkeeping service FoundationSearch reports more than $2.1 billion in donations given by FFTC during donation years 1999 through 2017. ³ Thirty-nine percent of this ($825 million) was given to organizations favoring left-leaning environmentalism, abortion rights, population control, or immigration restrictionism. ³

Fred Stanback

The four major policy agenda items align with North Carolina billionaire Fred Stanback, the holder of an FFTC donor-advised fund. Stanback was characterized in an April 2018 Knoxville News report as a “known proponent of anti-humanist environmentalism [. . .] the belief that protecting the environment hinges on population control.” ⁵

FFTC is not required to provide information regarding how much it receives from holders of its funds, nor how those donors direct the money to be given away. But Stanback has received public acknowledgements from many organizations affiliated with his agenda. The president of NumbersUSA said in 2017 Stanback was “very supportive” of the anti-immigration organization’s work. ⁴ The annual report of Planned Parenthood cited a $1.3 million contribution from Stanback in 2013,¹¹ that of Center for Biological Diversity noted a $100,000+ donation from Stanback for 2014,¹² and that of Population Connection (formerly Zero Population Growth) listed Stanback as a regular donor in 2018. ⁹

While total donations from Stanback to FFTC, and in turn from FFTC to Stanback’s preferred causes, is not clear, an indication of the magnitude of his giving through FFTC was revealed by a 2017 Los Angeles Times report of a single $397 million stock donation from Stanback to FFTC that took place in 2014. ⁴ This contribution alone was equal to 19 percent of all donations FoundationSearch has recorded for FFTC donation years 1999-2017. ³

Stanback is associated with many of the largest recipients of total FFTC donations during grant years 1999-2017. ³ He sits on the President’s Council for the Southern Environmental Law Center,⁶ is a member of the Earthjustice Council,⁷ has donated to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club,⁵ has served on the board of Catawba College and boards related to Duke University,¹⁶ and is a member of the Population Connection President’s Circle of recognized donors. ⁹

FoundationSource records show the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) as the largest single recipient of FFTC donations during the 1999-2017 grant years. The $175 million given to SELC during the period exceeds the $153.7 million that all 2700 FFTC account holders gave to churches, other houses of worship and charities within the “religion” category. ³ Stanback, his wife Alice, and his son Brad are three of the eleven members of the SELC “President’s Council.” ⁶

The editors of the Atlanta Daily World, an African-American community newspaper, criticized FFTC’s donations to the anti-immigration and population-control organizations favored by Stanback. In response, a spokesperson for the FFTC stated the foundation was “politically neutral” and does not “pass judgment or take a political stance on our donors’ grantmaking.” ¹⁷

Grantmaking

Between 2000 and 2017, the Foundation for the Carolinas dispensed over $948 million in grants to a number of left- and right-leaning organizations covering a range of issue areas.

Left-leaning Environmental Groups

These organizations promote a left-of-center environmental policy agenda. According to FoundationSearch records, they have received a combined total of $698,517,365 from FFTC during grant years 1999-2017. This list does not include conservation organizations (such as The Nature Conservancy) whose primary agenda is the acquisition and maintenance of nature and wildlife habitats. ¹⁸

Population Control Groups

These organizations promote population control and restricting birthrates. According to FoundationSearch records, they received a combined total of $59,387,650 from FFTC during grant years 1999-2017. ³

Pro-abortion Groups

These organizations promote access to abortion. According to FoundationSearch records, they received a combined total of $46,434,735 from FFTC during grant years 1999-2017. ³

Immigration Groups

These organizations advocate lower legal immigration to the United States and stronger policies to prevent illegal immigration. According to FoundationSearch records, they received a combined total of $21,285,000 from FFTC during grant years 1999-2017. ³

In August 2019, Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, sent a letter to the Foundation for the Carolinas criticizing them for funding anti-immigration groups like NumbersUSA. ¹⁹ Foundation president Michael Marsicano responded to Politico by explaining that the Foundation services over 3,000 donors and is required to send money based on donor request. He explained that the Foundation does not discriminate based on ideology and that it does send some discretionary funds to pro-immigration groups. According to Politico, the Foundation for the Carolinas sent over $11 million to organizations that aim to restrict immigration. ²⁰

Left-Leaning Policy Groups

These organizations promote a left-of-center policy agenda. According to FoundationSearch records, they have received a combined total of $4,838,810 from FFTC during grant years 1999-2017. ³

Right-Leaning Policy Groups

These organizations promote a right-of-center policy agenda. According to FoundationSearch records, they have received a combined total of $366,405 from FFTC during grant years 1999-2017. ³