A private foundation associated with Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the prominent activist group CodePink, has emerged as a significant financial supporter of a wide array of left-leaning organizations over more than two decades. This extensive financial backing, totaling nearly $24.6 million across almost 1,500 grants, has primarily targeted groups involved in anti-war activism, progressive policy advocacy, and legal challenges.
The foundation, now known as Arc of Justice and previously operating as The Benjamin Fund, holds assets valued at $54.6 million. Its grantmaking history reveals substantial contributions to various entities, including CodePink itself, along with organizations focused on issues such as immigration enforcement, U.S. foreign policy towards China and Cuba, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Extensive financial network and key beneficiaries
The Arc of Justice foundation has distributed grants since 2009, with its predecessor, The Benjamin Fund, also contributing to a broad network of activist organizations. CodePink received nearly $3.2 million from the foundation, making it the largest activist beneficiary. This amount significantly exceeds the approximately $1.33 million CodePink reportedly received from a separate funding network linked to Shanghai-based tech figure Neville Roy Singham, a network previously scrutinized for directing substantial funds towards pro-China messaging.
Beyond CodePink, the foundation’s financial support extended to several other influential groups. Among its major recipients were:
- Global Exchange: An anti-war and social justice advocacy group co-founded by Benjamin, which received about $2.05 million.
- Grassroots International: An organization dedicated to funding grassroots social movements globally, receiving approximately $2.24 million.
- Social Good Fund: Providing nonprofit infrastructure and fundraising support for charitable projects, with grants totaling $1.61 million.
- Center for Constitutional Rights: A legal advocacy organization that secured about $1.29 million in funding.
- Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ): An activist nonprofit receiving around $114,000, which faced scrutiny due to its past fiscal sponsorship of Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian group later sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury.
Benjamin stated that the foundation’s final grant to AFGJ was $10,000 in 2022, and that Arc was unaware of any specific groups fiscally sponsored by AFGJ at the time of its grants. The foundation, through its attorney David Levitt, affirmed its reliance on the IRS-recognized tax-exempt status of both CodePink and AFGJ when making these contributions.
Operational changes and regulatory scrutiny
The Arc of Justice foundation has recently undergone significant internal transformations amid external pressures. California regulators revoked its charitable registration following several years of financial compliance failures, prompting the foundation to work towards reinstating its standing. In response to these challenges, substantial changes have been implemented within the organization.
Medea Benjamin, a prominent public figure and frequent leader of protests and disruptions at congressional hearings, has stepped down from the foundation’s board. New leadership has assumed control, and the organization has publicly declared its intention to pursue a different direction for its future charitable endeavors. Benjamin, who co-founded CodePink with Jodie Evans (Singham’s wife), continues to be a highly visible advocate for the group, regularly engaging in public demonstrations and vocalizing dissent during official proceedings, including a recent escort from a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing.
Broader influence and policy advocacy
The foundation’s grantmaking reach extends across an even broader spectrum of activist organizations. Since 2009, IRS filings indicate contributions to groups such as World Beyond War (approximately $492,000), the Institute for Policy Studies (roughly $255,000), and Jewish Voice for Peace (about $124,000). Other recipients include Grassroots Global Justice ($110,000), the Center for Popular Democracy (about $90,000), and Democracy Now! (approximately $65,500), where Benjamin has frequently appeared as a guest.
CodePink, established in 2002 to oppose the Iraq War, has evolved into one of the nation’s most recognizable anti-war protest groups. Its activities include consistently disrupting congressional hearings and protests involving high-ranking U.S. officials, such as former Secretaries of State John Kerry and Mike Pompeo. The group has also been active in nationwide “No Kings” protests, opposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions, organized anti-Israel rallies, and campaigned against U.S. policies concerning China, Cuba, and Iran. Earlier this year, CodePink led a delegation to Cuba that included notable political streamer Hasan Piker.
Matthew Johnson, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, highlighted the far-reaching impact of sustained financial support for activist groups. He noted that even modest funding amounts can significantly influence the broader media ecosystem and, from a political organization perspective, exert an outsized impact on the information accessible to the public. Johnson, who testified before Congress on how foreign adversaries might leverage nonprofits to shape U.S. public opinion and policy, specifically mentioned CodePink’s “China Is Not Our Enemy” campaign. This initiative, launched in 2020 following meetings in Beijing, advocates for cooperation with China rather than confrontation, underscoring the strategic influence of such financial backing on public discourse.
