InfluenceWatch Friday

InfluenceWatch, a project of Capital Research Center, is a comprehensive and ever-evolving compilation of our research into the numerous advocacy groups, foundations, and donors working to influence the public policy process. The website offers transparency into these influencers’ funding, motives, and connections while providing insight often neglected by other watchdog groups.

The information compiled in InfluenceWatch gives news outlets and other interested parties research to use in reporting on significant topics that are often overlooked by the American public.

CRC is pleased to present some of the most significant additions to InfluenceWatch in the past week:

• Institute for Sustainable Communities is a grantmaking organization that provides funding to organizations that advocate for left-of-center environmental and social policies. In 2022, the group made grants to organizations including the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, GreenRoots, the Social Good Fund, and La Mujer Obrera. In February 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced that $12.4 million worth of “environmental justice” grants awarded to the organization through the Biden Administration’s Justice40 initiative had been cancelled.
• The Paul E. Singer Foundation is a private grantmaking organization founded and controlled by hedge fund manager Paul Singer. In 2021, the foundation made grants to several organizations including the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, the Birthright Israel Foundation, and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Paul E. Singer, the president and treasurer of the organization, is also the president of the Singer Family Charitable Foundation and the chair of the Manhattan Institute.
• Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) is a climate advocacy group that promotes left-of-center environmental policies related to housing and infrastructure. In December 2023, it was announced that GHHI would be awarded $50 million in grants from the Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund “environmental justice projects.” In February 2025, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced that $7.2 million worth of that grant money had been cancelled. As of 2025, GHHI’s partner organizations include the Urban Institute, the Open Society Foundations, the Clinton Global Initiative, and Green For All.
• Friends of the River Foundation is a California-based environmental organization that promotes water management policies within the state. It is a partner of the Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA), which supports conservation policies to protect wild fish populations and habitats within the state’s waterways. According to its 2019 annual report, Friends of the River Foundation’s funders have included the Getty Foundation, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Patagonia, the Rose Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
• The Alliance to End Hunger is a coalition of over 100 organizations working to end world hunger through education and policy advocacy. As of 2025, its members include Amazon, Walmart, UnidosUS, Islamic Relief USA, and the National Farmers Union. In addition to funding from member organizations, the coalition has also received donations from other groups including the United Nations Foundation, the National Philanthropic Trust, and the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund.