Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Faces Allegations of Federal Grant Mismanagement

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), a major donor-advised fund and fiscal sponsor for progressive causes, received more than $50 million in federal grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department between 2021 and 2024, even as a former executive alleged the organization failed to meet key compliance and financial standards.

The allegations raise questions about oversight of federal funds distributed to politically active nonprofits and the transparency of donor-advised funding networks.

RPA, which reported $706 million in revenue in 2024 and sponsors over 100 projects, operates as a conduit for hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Unlike traditional foundations, it allows donors to direct funds without disclosing their identities, and has exchanged millions with other left-leaning organizations, including the Tides network, Open Society Foundations, and groups previously linked to Arabella Advisors. RPA's grants have supported Planned Parenthood, United We Dream, the American Civil Liberties Union, and climate activist groups, according to IRS filings.

Federal Grants and Sponsored Projects

The House Judiciary Committee reported that RPA received more than $50 million in federal grants from USAID and the State Department between 2021 and 2024. One of RPA's largest sponsored projects, the International Fund for Public Interest Media, was awarded a $20 million USAID grant to support media organizations in developing countries. Multiple State Department grants through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program were also directed to RPA and its subgrantees to assist refugees in the U.S.

RPA's scale places it among the largest nonprofit intermediaries on the left, yet it has largely avoided the scrutiny faced by similar organizations. The group also received $27 million in 2024 from the Open Society Foundations, with major grants supporting international media and women's leadership initiatives.

Allegations of Compliance Failures

In February 2025, RPA lost nearly a third of its staff and faced a $40 million deficit, according to Inside Philanthropy. Hilary Castillo, a former executive vice president, sued RPA for racial discrimination and retaliation, ultimately settling out of court. In her complaint, Castillo alleged she identified "significant and legitimate concerns" about "gaps in financial management and accounting policies," "cybersecurity risks," and "failures relating to violations of government regulations."

Castillo claimed she discovered a "notice of a failed monitoring visit" from a State Department office and that consultants flagged RPA's use of "unvetted vendors" in India and Russia. She also alleged that after the departure of the chief financial officer, "no one at RPA had credentials for RPA's bank account." The lawsuit named Valerie Rockefeller, chairman of RPA's board, as a defendant. Castillo's complaint stated her reporting of these issues contributed to her administrative leave and termination. The allegations have not been tested in court.

"As a donor advised fund, RPA takes in funding from sources it need not name and then either sends the money out as grants to left-leaning NGOs or creates fiscally sponsored projects to do some of the same work in-house."

— Ken Braun, director of content at the Capital Research Center

Funding Network and Public Criticism

IRS filings show RPA directed more than $3.8 million to Planned Parenthood and its affiliates between 2022 and 2024, $1.7 million to United We Dream in 2023, and over $3.6 million to the ACLU and its affiliates in the same period. Environmental groups also received millions, including $1.3 million to the Natural Resources Defense Council and $1.5 million to the Environmental Defense Fund in 2023. RPA exchanged millions with the Tides Center, Tides Foundation, and nonprofits formerly in the Arabella network, such as New Venture Fund and Hopewell Fund.

Caitlyn Sutherland, executive director of Americans for Public Trust, criticized the organization's direction: "It is deeply ironic that the Rockefeller network, one of the most well known names in philanthropy, has descended into funding radical climate activism. The Rockefeller fortune was made in oil, and is now being spent undermining American energy dominance."

Lack of Response and Broader Network

RPA did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Castillo also declined to comment. The broader Rockefeller philanthropic network includes the Rockefeller Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Rockefeller Family Fund, but these entities are largely separate from RPA.

The organization's recent financial and staffing turmoil, combined with allegations of regulatory lapses, has drawn new attention to its role as a major funding hub for left-leaning causes and its receipt of substantial federal grants.