Donor
Sixteen Thirty Fund
Dark moneyDC
64 reported gifts; 22 recipient groups listed, as reported to the FEC by the groups that received them.
Sixteen Thirty Fund gave $47M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 73% were on the winning side ($23M won, $8.6M lost). $38K had no matched result and is excluded.
Gave to outside spenders
$47M
100% of it helped Democrats
Winning share of scored dollars
73%
$31M scored (67% of gifts)
Spent on the losing side
$8.6M
Not allocated or result unknown
$15M
$15M not allocated to tracked outside spending; $38K has no matched result. Neither is cash on hand.
Where the trail ends
What the IRS sees
Revenue, 2023
$181M
total reported revenue, including sources other than donations
Spent, 2023
$141M
Assets at year end, 2023
$140M
| Tax year | Revenue | Spent | Assets | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $181M | $141M | $140M | 990 PDF |
| 2022 | $192M | $196M | $87M | 990 PDF |
| 2021 | $191M | $174M | $98M | 990 PDF |
| 2020 | $390M | $410M | $86M | 990 PDF |
| 2019 | $138M | $99M | $92M | e-file |
| 2018 | $144M | $141M | $45M | 990 PDF |
| 2024 | filed, not yet digitized | 990 PDF | ||
The $47M it gave to super PACs in 2020 is 26% of what it took in during 2023, its latest year on file. The 990 lists what it spent on politics in a single line and leaves every donor blank.
Sixteen Thirty Fund also bought $871K of Google and YouTube ads under its own name this cycle. All ad buyers →
Where the checks went
| Group | Gave | How the group spent it | Won / lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future Forward (FF PAC) $2.1M not allocated to tracked outside spending | $8.9M | $6.1M / $736K | |
| Lcv Victory Fund $2.1M not allocated to tracked outside spending | $6.8M | $2.3M / $2.3M | |
| Change Now $335K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $6.1M | $3.4M / $2.3M | |
| Take Back 2020 $2.6M not allocated to tracked outside spending | $5.2M | $2.6M / $3K | |
| Priorities USA Action $45K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $4.5M | $3.8M / $671K | |
| Piedmont Rising $3.1M not allocated to tracked outside spending | $4.0M | $0 / $926K | |
| Nextgen Climate Action Committee $2.9M not allocated to tracked outside spending | $3.7M | $714K / $92K | |
| Pacronym $771K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $3.0M | $1.7M / $494K | |
| Black PAC $616K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $2.3M | $1.5M / $124K | |
| House Majority PAC $68K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500K | $79K / $351K | |
| Senate Majority PAC $192K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $500K | $128K / $180K | |
| Family Friendly Action PAC $48K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $300K | $94K / $158K | |
| The Lincoln Project $132K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $300K | $123K / $45K | |
| Moveon.Org Political Action $189K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $235K | $33K / $13K | |
| Millions of Michiganians $30K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $175K | $145K / $0 | |
| Women Vote! $22K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $100K | $15K / $57K | |
| People's Action Power $69K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $100K | $31K / $204 | |
| Unite the Country $23K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $100K | $75K / $2K | |
| Texas Organizing Project PAC $59K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $100K | $38K / $4K | |
| Defeat By Tweet $63K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $75K | $12K / $0 | |
| Montana Hunters and Anglers Leadership Fund $3K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $50K | $0 / $47K | |
| Wfp Ie Committee $29K not allocated to tracked outside spending | $50K | $18K / $2K |
The trail
What the money bought
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Their share | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | President | Attacking | $9.6M | ✓ Yes |
| Joe Biden | President | Supporting | $9.2M | ✓ Yes |
| Thom Tilllis | North Carolina Senate | Attacking | $1.7M | ✗ No |
| Martha McSally | Arizona Senate | Attacking | $1.6M | ✓ Yes |
| Joni Ernst | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $1.5M | ✗ No |
| Susan Margaret Collins | Maine Senate | Attacking | $1.1M | ✗ No |
| Raphael Warnock | Georgia Senate (special) | Supporting | $778K | ✓ Yes |
| Donald Trump | President (primary) | Attacking | $773K | ✗ No |
| Jon Ossoff | Georgia Senate | Supporting | $752K | ✓ Yes |
| Steve Daines | Montana Senate | Attacking | $514K | ✗ No |
| Cal Cunningham | North Carolina Senate | Supporting | $406K | ✗ No |
| John Cornyn | Texas Senate | Attacking | $345K | ✗ No |
Dark money as classified from the FEC entity type and public reporting.
Questions people ask
- How much did Sixteen Thirty Fund spend on the 2020 elections, and did it win?
- Sixteen Thirty Fund gave $47M to super PACs and other outside groups in the 2020 federal elections, and 100% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings with varying coverage dates; the most common larger-campaign cutoff is Dec 31, 2020). Among dollars with a matched election-stage result, 73% were on the winning side ($23M won, $8.6M lost). $38K had no matched result and is excluded.
- Which super PACs did Sixteen Thirty Fund fund in 2020?
- Future Forward (FF PAC) ($8.9M), Lcv Victory Fund ($6.8M), Change Now ($6.1M), Take Back 2020 ($5.2M), Priorities USA Action ($4.5M).
- Which candidates did Sixteen Thirty Fund's money end up backing or attacking in 2020?
- against Donald Trump (President, about $9.6M, won); for Joe Biden (President, about $9.2M, won); against Thom Tilllis (North Carolina Senate, about $1.7M, lost). Amounts are the donor's share of each group's spending.