Almost two years after Future Forward spent record levels of “dark money” in the 2024 election backing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we're finally getting a partial answer to where the money came from. The money trail leads to a network of little-known nonprofits, Democratic operatives, and politically connected organizations that helped to move hundreds of millions of dollars through the shadows.
New tax filings reviewed by Sludge show how $173 million flowed into Future Forward USA Action, the dark money nonprofit that powered the outside spending operation backing Biden and Harris in the 2024 election. The filings are from three nonprofits that also do not disclose their donors, revealing a previously unknown dark money layer behind one of the most expensive political operations in American history.
According to a Brennan Center for Justice analysis, dark money groups backing Democrats spent about $1.2 billion to influence the election, nearly double the $664 million spent by groups backing Republicans. Future Forward USA Action was the largest single player, spending more than $304 million on advertising and contributions to its affiliated super PAC. The group accounted for roughly $1 out of every $6 in undisclosed political spending during the 2024 cycle.
While nonprofits are not required to disclose their donors, they are required to report their grants, and recently filed Form 990s for the fiscal year ending June 2025 show three groups that sent large sums to Future Forward USA Action: $86 million from the Brick by Brick Foundation, $48.8 million from Our American Future Action, and $38.25 million from Evidence for Impact.