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Person

Cari Tuna

Nationality:

American
Spouse:

Dustin Moskovitz
Born:

October 4, 1985
Lives:

San Francisco, CA

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Cari Tuna is a left-of-center political donor and philanthropist. Tuna married Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz in 2013, and the couple have since co-founded four philanthropic organizations after signing the Giving Pledge to give away their entire fortune before their deaths. The couple founded the Good Ventures Foundation, Good Ventures LLC, Open Philanthropy Project, and the Open Philanthropy Project Fund, center-left grantmaking organizations that fund various philanthropic projects. 1

Tuna and Moskovitz have both made substantial donations to the Democratic Party and affiliated left-of-center organizations. In 2016, Tuna donated $7,880,9002  to political causes, while Moskovitz gave an additional $18,478,200 to political organizations. 3 Tuna gave her largest 2016 contributions to left-of-center organizations, including $2.5 million to the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), $2.5 million to the For Our Future Action Fund, and $1.25 million to MoveOn Political Action. Tuna also supported former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Early Life

Tuna graduated from Yale University with a degree in Political Science in 2008. Tuna worked at the Wall Street Journal from June of 2008 to April of 2011 as a corporate management, California economy, and technology reporter. In 2011, Tuna helped to create the Good Ventures Foundation, of which she remains president. In October of 2013, Tuna married Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. 4

Good Ventures

Good Ventures includes the Good Ventures Foundation and Good Ventures LLC, both of which were founded in 2011. The Good Ventures Foundation is a private charity, while Good Ventures LLC is a for-profit impact investment firm that donates its net earnings to the Foundation. Good Ventures does not have employees or staff of its own and relies on the Open Philanthropy Project, another organization for which Tuna is a majority donor, for research and grantmaking recommendations. 5

Open Philanthropy Project

The Open Philanthropy Project was founded in 2014 by the Good Ventures charity. Tuna and Moskovitz contribute most of the funds to the Open Philanthropy Project Fund, a donor-advised fund hosted by the controversial Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Its mission is to identify grantees, make grants, and evaluate the results of philanthropic projects. The Fund provides grants to the Open Philanthropy Project, Good Ventures, and the Open Philanthropy Action Fund, in addition to donating to organizations that are not primarily funded by Tuna and Moskovitz. The Open Philanthropy Project Board of Directors includes Moskovitz, Tuna, Divesh Makan, Elie Hassenfeld, Holden Karnofsky, and Alexander Berger. 6

Both Tuna and Moskovitz signed the “Giving Pledge,” a pledge started by Bill Gates for billionaires to give away their entire fortunes before their deaths. 7 This pledge prompted the couple to start the Good Ventures Foundation, Good Ventures LLC, the Open Philanthropy Project, and the Open Philanthropy Project Fund.

Political Contributions

Tuna is an influential Democratic donor. During the 2016 election cycle, Tuna gave $7,880,900 to Super PACs, state-level political parties, and national organizations affiliated with the Democratic Party, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Tuna gave $300,000 to state-level Democratic Party affiliates in battleground states during the 2016 election, while her husband gave an additional $384,000 to the same groups. 8 9

League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund

Tuna made her largest 2016 contribution of $2.5 million to the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, the advocacy arm of the League of Conservation Voters (LCV). 10 Moskovitz also provided  the organization with a $4.5 million contribution in 2016. 11  Environmentalist David Brower founded both LCV organizations in 1969 in Washington, D.C. The organizations have since expanded to include 34 state and local chapters. LCV and its action fund support politicians with left-leaning environmentalist views, progressive PACs, and organizations affiliated with the Democratic Party. LCV Action Fund’s policy objectives include increasing support for restrictive environmental regulations, implementing a subjective “National Environmental Scorecard” for elected officials, and creating more stringent environmental standards. 12

For Our Future Action Fund

Tuna also contributed $2,500,000 towards the For Our Future Action Fund, a new left-of-center advocacy group created in 2016 to support a left-of-center policy agenda. 13 In 2016, her husband gave a matching donation of $2,500,000. 14 The Fund supports measures to strengthen labor unions, implement left-of-center economic policies, allow illegal immigration, and implement environmentalist policies. The Fund’s activists aim to use social media and internet activism to create an “echo chamber,” giving the appearance of strength in numbers. For Our Future affiliated groups were active in electoral battleground states including Florida, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Michigan. 15

Support for Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign

Tuna supported Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign through two contributions, one to Hillary For America for $2,700 and a second to the Hillary Victory Fund for $832,200. 16 Her husband also contributed $416,100 to the Hillary Victory Fund. 17

People’s Action

Tuna gave $165,000 in 2016 to People’s Action, the lobbying arm of the People’s Action Institute. People’s Action Institute is a consortium of left-of-center community organizing groups formed from the merger of several left-of-center agitation groups in 2016. 18 It is one of the most aggressive far-left advocacy organizations in the United States, formed from the union of National People’s Action, Alliance for a Just Society, and USAction Education Fund. 19

MoveOn Political Action

Tuna gave $1.25 million to MoveOn Political Action in 2016, an umbrella organization which jointly operates MoveOn.org and its funding arm MoveOn Civic Action. 20 Tuna’s husband gave MoveOn an additional $1.25 million in 2016, followed by an additional $3 million in 2018. 21 MoveOn supports the far-left wing of the Democratic Party, most notably U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (D-VT), but after the 2016 Democratic primary, it endorsed Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House. 22

Not Who We Are PAC

In 2016, Tuna gave $125,00023 to the Not Who We Are PAC. 24 Not Who We Are PAC is a New York-based PAC that sent template letters and took out paid social media advertisements to express disdain for Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. The PAC targeted companies, religious groups, and civic organizations who had expressed support for then-candidate Trump. Zack Exley and several other staff members at the Not Who We Are PAC joined the organization after leaving Sen. Sanders’s group Our Revolution. The staff also includes a former press aide to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. 25

National-level Democratic Party Contributions

Tuna contributed $33,400 to all three national-level Democratic bodies, The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and The Democratic National Committee for a total of $100,200 in 2016. 26

Color of Change

In 2017, Tuna donated $200,000 to the left-of-center Color of Change PAC, which is closely associated with the advocacy group Color of Change, website ColorOfChange.org and the Color of Change Education Fund. 27 Her husband contributed an additional $1.653 million to the PAC in 2016. 28  The Oakland-based organization founded by Anthony “Van” Jones and James Rucker in 2006 is a left-of-center lobbying group for African-American interests. The organization funds far-left policies regarding policing, supports decreasing the power of the criminal justice system, and works to maximize the number and influence of African-American voters. The Color of Change Education Fund has also led and funded media boycotts against right-leaning figures, such as Glenn Beck, Pat Robertson, and Lou Dobbs, in addition to organizing demonstrations against businesses that have supported the right-of-center American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). 29

Real Justice PAC

Tuna has donated over $2.25 million to Real Justice PAC. 30 Real Justice PAC was founded by Shaun King, Becky Bond, Zack Malitz, and Michael Kieschnick in 2017 to push far-left criminal justice policies. The Real Justice PAC’s mission is to support the election of county prosecutors or district attorneys who support eliminating cash bail, restricting policing practices, and decriminalizing drug crimes, property offenses, assault, and resisting arrest. 31

Associated People

Dustin Moskovitz is an American Internet entrepreneur who co-founded Facebook. In 2008, Moskovitz left Facebook to co-found workplace management software company Asana with Justin Rosenstein. Moskovitz’s fortune as of 2019 is approximately $11 billion. He married Tuna in 2013, and used his wealth to help establish both the Good Ventures Foundation32 and the Open Philanthropy Project, where he is a director. 33

Moskovitz contributed $6 million to Priorities USA in 2016. 34 Priorities USA is a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization affiliated with the liberal Super PAC Priorities USA Action. Senior Obama administration staffers Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney created the organization in 2011 to advocate for progressive issues in conjunction with its affiliated Super PAC’s efforts to help elect Democratic representatives, re-elect former President Barack Obama, and support Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential run. 35

References

  1. “Dustin Moskovitz.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Accessed October 5, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/profile/dustin-moskovitz/#4247dc7c1dd3.
  2. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  3. Dustin Moskovitz’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dustin+Moskovitz&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020
  4. Gose, Ben. “Young Technology Couple Is Studying How to Give.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The Chronicle of Philanthropy, November 3, 2013. https://www.philanthropy.com/article/Young-Technology-Couple-Is/154099.
  5. Good Ventures. “Our Portfolio.” Good Ventures. Accessed October 1, 2019. http://www.goodventures.org/our-portfolio.
  6. “Who We Are.” Open Philanthropy Project, January 7, 2019. https://www.openphilanthropy.org/about/who-we-are.
  7. “Dustin Moskovitz and Cari Tuna.” Giving Pledge. Accessed October 4, 2019. https://givingpledge.org/Pledger.aspx?id=252.
  8. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  9. Dustin Moskovitz’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dustin+Moskovitz&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020
  10. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  11. Dustin Moskovitz’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dustin+Moskovitz&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020
  12. [1] “State Affiliates – League of Conservation Voters”. League of Conservation Voters. Accessed February 10, 2017. https://www.lcv.org/state-affiliates/.
  13. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  14. Dustin Moskovitz’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dustin+Moskovitz&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020
  15. For Our Future Action Fund. Accessed October 4, 2019. http://forourfuturefund.org/.
  16. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  17. Dustin Moskovitz’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dustin+Moskovitz&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020
  18. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  19. “Our History.” People’s Action. July 28, 2016. Accessed March 13, 2017. https://peoplesaction.org/about/history/  
  20. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  21. Dustin Moskovitz’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dustin+Moskovitz&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020
  22. “What Is MoveOn.org?: MoveOn.Org: Democracy In Action.” MoveOn.Org. Accessed October 4, 2019. https://front.moveon.org/about/.
  23. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  24. Dustin Moskovitz’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dustin+Moskovitz&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020
  25. Dovere, Edward-Isaac. “’Open Letter’ Anti-Trump Super PAC Launching.” POLITICO, September 6, 2016. https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/anti-donald-trump-super-pac-227740.
  26. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  27. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  28. Dustin Moskovitz’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dustin+Moskovitz&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020
  29. “Color of Change Helps You Do Something Real about Injustice.” ColorOfChange.com. Accessed October 4, 2019. https://colorofchange.org/about/.
  30. Cari Tuna’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. FEC “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed October 3, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=cari+tuna&min_date=01/01/2000&max_date=12/31/2020.
  31. “Homepage.” Real Justice PAC. Accessed October 4, 2019. https://realjusticepac.org/.
  32. “900: The Good Venture Foundation, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Part VII,

    Compensation of Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, Highest Compensated Employees, and Independent Contractors, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/452757586/201812989349301576/IRS990.

  33. “900: Open Philanthropy Action Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Part VII, Compensation of Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, Highest Compensated Employees, and Independent Contractors, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/452757586/201812989349301576/IRS990.
  34. Dustin Moskovitz’s contributions from the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) website. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Dustin+Moskovitz&min_date=01%2F01%2F2000&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020
  35. Maguire, Robert. “Obama’s Shadow Money Allies File First Report.” Center for Responsive Politics. Opensecrets.org. January 8, 2013. Accessed January 31, 2018. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/01/obamas-shadow-money-allie/
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