Also see Oxfam America Advocacy Fund (Non-profit)
Oxfam America is the American nonprofit arm of the worldwide group Oxfam International, which advocates for expanded international aid programs worldwide. [1] Oxfam America’s programs focus on humanitarian aid, international development, and climate change. [2]
Oxfam America advocates for a left-of-center agenda [3] that cites inequality as a catchall justification to support left-leaning domestic taxation, [4] climate policies, [5] immigration policies, [6] and labor policies [7] among other things. Moreover, the group promotes the concept of “global citizenship” [8] which serves as a basis for its advocacy regarding federal spending on foreign aid, [9] international institutions that can override national policy, [10] and social justice trade deals which would sacrifice market demands for the reduction of global poverty, turning global trade into an economic redistribution program. [11]
Oxfam America boasts that it does not take U.S. Government grants, but other Oxfam organizations in its international network have received nearly $100 million in U.S. government grants from USAID. [12]
Oxfam America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit associated with the 501(c)(4) social welfare organization Oxfam America Advocacy Fund.
Organizational Overview
In 1942, a group of Quaker intellectuals, social activists, and Oxford academics formed the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief in response to the plight of refugees in Greece. [13] As the situation in Europe improved, Oxfam’s attention shifted to address the needs of people in developing countries. [14]
Funded by loans from Oxfam Great Britain, a group of volunteers founded Oxfam America in 1970. [15] Originally located in Washington, D.C., Oxfam America relocated to Boston in 1973. [16]
Today Oxfam America has eight offices, with its headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, its policy and campaigns office in Washington, D.C., and six foreign offices. [17]
Advocacy Agenda
Oxfam America’s social justice campaigns program is the group’s main U.S. advocacy operation through which it lobbies Congress and the executive branch; creates “action-oriented research”; organizes briefings, conferences, and speaker tours; issues reports; and conducts outreach to advocate for its policy preferences. [18]
Oxfam America’s current “values” statement emphasizes three liberal policy areas: “inequality,” “climate change,” and “threats to minorities, refugees, and immigrants.” [19]
In each of these issue areas, the group has advocated for extremely liberal policy prescriptions, leading one critic to write that Oxfam America is “a left-wing hack organization” and “should end the pretense of being a charity.” [20]
Heroes for Hope
In 1985, Marvel Comics published the comic book Heroes for Hope to raise money for East African famine relief, and initially intended to give the proceeds to Oxfam America. However, Oxfam America demanded to review the book before accepting the donation and eventually rejected the publication, saying the book “was unbelievably offensive” and that the people of Marvel Comics “were racist, sexist, and reprehensible,” according to former Marvel Comics senior editor Jim Shooter. [21]
A representative of Oxfam America visited Marvel Comics to urge the company not to publish the comic. While there, the representative bragged about how Oxfam American and other charitable groups were raising awareness about the famine in Africa. “This Oxfam America fellow, let’s call him Midas, just plain gushed about how good for business the East African famine was, how donations were rolling in at record levels. He talked about the millions dying as if it were a great marketing opportunity,” Shooter wrote. Marvel Comics eventually donated more than $500,000 to the Quaker-affiliated American Friends Service Committee from the proceeds of the comic book instead. [22]
Environmentalism
Oxfam America has taken left-wing environmentalist positions. Oxfam researchers has opposed the Keystone Pipeline, [23] coal [24] and oil-based energy generation, [25] and proclaimed that President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement demonstrated “an unconscionable abstention of moral leadership.” [26]
Immigration Policy
Oxfam believes at least 75,000 refugees should be allowed into the United States per year [27] and called on the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down President Trump’s executive action limiting nationals of certain countries from entering the United States. [28] Similarly, Oxfam America called President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which granted legal status to certain classes of illegal immigrants by executive fiat, “morally obtuse.” [29] Oxfam also claimed that the U.S. was “deporting Central Americans back to their deaths,” advocating instead for an increase to the $750 billion Central America aid spending package in 2016. [30]
Economic Policy
Oxfam America argued that President Trump’s 2017 budget proposal, which included tax cuts, “abandon[ed] the poor for the sake of the wealthy.” [31] The group has also called for the implementation of a multi-billion dollar financial transaction tax worldwide [32] and the creation of a “global tax body” that would have the power to undercut national sovereignty over tax policy. [33] Oxfam has also advocated for progressive corporate tax rates “that contribute to the collective good.” [34]
Oxfam America argued that it is no longer true that hard work is enough to support a family, and has called for an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, paid sick leave, expanding employer overtime compensation mandates, and an expansion of socialized worker handouts. [35] Oxfam has voiced criticisms of President Trump’s labor-related budget proposals [36] and opposed Andrew Puzder’s unsuccessful nomination for Secretary of Labor. [37]
In 2020, Oxfam America and the treasurer’s offices of Vermont and Rhode Island called for Amazon to put an hourly worker on its board to achieve greater representation. Sarah Zoen, senior policy adviser for Oxfam’s private-sector engagement department, said, “Amazon has developed a reputation for running workers ragged, leaving hourly associates –disproportionately people of color – overworked and underpaid.” [38]
Other Controversies
Credibility Issues
Oxfam America has often faced claims that their research and advocacy efforts are tenuous and unrepresentative of the truth.
In early 2017, Columnist Centre for Social Justice advisory board member Fraser Nelson wrote that Oxfam America uses statistical tricks to pitch a “punchy wealth inequality” narrative that suits their fundraising needs without mentioning the fact that “global inequality is narrowing, fast” due to capitalism. [39]
Similarly, Adam Smith Institute Fellow Tim Worstall argued that Oxfam America’s published reports about corporate tax dodging failed to account for the different tax statuses of corporations, skewing the data. [40]
Israel-Palestine Controversy
In 2014, Oxfam’s overseas organization came under fire when Jewish American actress Scarlett Johansson quit her role as an ambassador for the organization after it criticized her for endorsing SodaStream, a soda company located in Israel’s West Bank. [41]
The national committee of the pro-Palestine movement Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) had urged Oxfam to end its relationship with Johansson [42] and Oxfam claimed that it was illegal for the business to operate in the Israeli settlement. [43]
After leaving Oxfam, Johansson alleged that the organization supported and funded a group tied to BDS, which the charity denies. She said:
“I think for a non-governmental organisation to be supporting something that’s a political cause… something feels not right about that to me. There’s plenty of evidence that Oxfam does support and has funded a BDS movement in the past. It’s something that can’t really be denied.” [44]
In December 2016, only after losing thousands of donors, Oxfam admitted that it had made a mistake in the dispute with Johansson. [45]
Attacks on President Trump
Oxfam America president Abby Maxman made her thoughts clear on President Trump, saying, “Mr. Trump continues on a path that will cost America its global influence and leadership.” [46] Oxfam began to oppose Trump’s actions the moment he assumed office. Oxfam submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court to fight Trump’s refugee travel ban [47] and as a related publicity stunt it rented out President Trump’s childhood home to house refugees in it as a form of protest. [48]
Additionally, the organization opposed Trump’s federal budget proposals that would cut federal funding. [49]
Globalist Agenda
Oxfam America opposes the “America First” message associated with the Trump movement and claims that any message of American prioritization is tantamount to “moral poverty” because it presents a “false choice” between being American or being “human.” [50] Oxfam America instead calls for “global citizenship” and works to “advance the cause of justice-driven internationalism” through its variety of programs. [51]
Under their banner of “global citizenship” Oxfam America supports an ardently globalist foreign policy agenda that in effect puts America’s priorities last. For instance, Oxfam America believes the U.S. government should pursue a philanthropic trade philosophy: it is only in support of free trade so long as the trade deals benefit countries at the lower end of the development ladder, arguing that “broad-based development [for other nations] should be a core objective of US trade policy.” [52] Consequently, the organization opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) merely because the provisions in the deal would be too much of a boon for the American economy and did not include enough measures for the development of other countries. [53]
In order to bolster its argument that trade deals beneficial to the United States are bad and should thus be opposed, Oxfam America called attention to a previous trade deal with Colombia that resulted in a 300% windfall for America. [54]
Oxfam America supports international agreements that exert dominion over U.S. domestic law. In 2015, Oxfam America’s climate change policy manager penned an op-ed for Al Jazeera America expressing support for an international climate deal that “hopefully” would increase climate-related payments to poor countries and would mandate deep reduction in emissions. [55] Further, Oxfam America condemned President Trump for placing American energy production at a higher priority than combating climate change. [56] Similarly, in 2013, Oxfam America ran ads in support of an arms trade treaty, which the NRA adamantly opposed. [57]
Oxfam America fought against proposed cuts to U.S. aid spending [58] and have instead lobbied to increase federal aid for all foreign causes. [59] In 2017, Oxfam America advocated for industrialized nations, including America, to fully fund the United Nations’ request for an additional $6.3 billion in humanitarian funds for African nations. [60]
Lobbying
Oxfam America’s sister organization Oxfam America Advocacy Fund, a 501(c)(4), works together with Oxfam America, but has “fewer limitations on spending” [61] namely lobbying for legislative action related to Oxfam America’s goals. [62]
But Oxfam America’s 501(c)(3) arm does its fair share of lobbying: according to federal lobbing disclosures, it had spent over $7 million lobbying the federal government between 2005 and 2020. [63]
Some of the issues that it has lobbied for include:
- In 2017, Oxfam America lobbied on multiple amendments to the FY 2018 federal budget, HR 3354. Included among the provisions Oxfam supported was more than $20 million in additional funding for foreign aid programs, and funding for Islamist organizations[64] that have been banned in some countries for providing funds to Hamas and other organizations with ties to terrorist activity. [65]
- In 2008, Oxfam pushed for a passage of S. 3389,[66] which it claimed would help poor people to “fight the ‘curse’” of natural resources and reap cash from companies mining those resources across the world, which could then be spent on health care and other government social policies. [67]
- In 2008, Oxfam America lobbied for S.2191, which sought to increase funding for international adaptation responses to global climate change. [68]
Finances
In 2016, Oxfam America spent over $86 million, and the organization’s end of year net assets stood at a massive $65 million. [69]
In 2005, Oxfam America admitted that up to 23 percent of its funding was used for non-program administrative costs including fundraising, which they admitted was a higher proportion than their peers. [70] In 2017, they spent 23% of their funds on non-program costs. [71]
Funding
Oxfam America claims to “rely almost entirely on funding from individual donors, foundations, and corporations.” [72]
Oxfam America has received grants from several wealthy liberal private foundations.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given over 40 grants to Oxfam America worth at least $10.6 million in total, including over $500,000 in 2017 alone. [73] [74] [75] [76]
The Rockefeller Foundation provided Oxfam America with a $500,000 grant for climate issues. [77] [78] Additionally, the Hewlett Foundation provided Oxfam America with over a million dollars, [79] the MacArthur Foundation gave Oxfam America $3,176,000 between 1978 and 2017, [80] and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation has provided five separate grants since 2015 for a total of $890,000. [81]
George Soros donated $273,585 to Oxfam America in 2013 to support the group’s climate agenda. [82]
Federal Funding
Oxfam America proclaims that it does not accept U.S. government grant money. [83] [84] However, a review of government spending records revealed that since 2008, Oxfam organizations have taken nearly $100 million in U.S. federal grants. [85] For example, in 2016, Oxfam GB received $7.7 million in U.S. federal grants, and in 2017 Oxfam received over $14 million in grants from U.S. Agency for International Development. [86] In 2019 Oxfam Intermon, a Spanish affiliate, received $2.4 million from USAID for work in the Central African Republic.[87]
Further, on Oxfam America’s 2016 annual report the organization indicates that it received 6.9 percent of its $79.4 million in revenue from “other Oxfam Affiliates,”[88]; similarly, according to the organization’s 2017 annual report, the group received 3.8 percent of it $83 million in revenues from other Oxfam organizations, [89] indicating that it is in fact possible for some of the U.S. grant money to have made its way back to Oxfam America from its foreign organizations.
In any case, it is of no surprise that, given the nearly $100 million in grants the Oxfam system has received from USAID, the organization responded sharply to President Trump’s push to significantly cut U.S. foreign aid. [90]
People
Abby Maxman is currently the president of Oxfam America and has been with Oxfam America since the start of 2017. [91] Prior to her work at Oxfam America, she served as deputy secretary general of CARE International in Geneva and has also worked with the U.S. Peace Corps, the U.S. EPA, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. [92]
The board of directors consists of 20 members, four officers and 16 directors that oversee the direction of the organization and “work closely with staff in all areas of the agency.” [93] The board chair is Joe Loughrey, the former President and COO of Cummins Incorporated. The three other officers listed include the vice chair Smita Singh, Abby Maxman (president of Oxfam America), and treasurer and secretary Joe H. Hamilton.