The news website OpIndia has published a detailed dossier that aims to disprove the ‘fact’ that Wikipedia operates as a free, editorially neutral encyclopaedia reliant on the voluntary efforts of unpaid contributors, as claimed by the Wikimedia Foundation. The dossier particularly focuses on Wikipedia’s content related to India, Indian laws, and the implications of treating Wikipedia as a publisher, which would make it directly liable for the content on its platform.
The dossier delves into the claims made by the Wikimedia Foundation regarding Wikipedia’s neutrality, reliance on reliable sources, and its nonprofit model, which is said to be sustained by donations. It scrutinizes the grants Wikimedia receives and the entities it funds, especially those operating in India, despite the Foundation’s lack of official presence in the country. This analysis assesses how the Wikimedia Foundation supports entities that align with its business goals in India without being registered there.
The dossier highlights research that uncovers a pronounced Left bias on Wikipedia. Three cited studies conclude that Wikipedia inherently leans left, contradicting its “Neutral Point of View” (NPOV) policy. While NPOV suggests that all views would be represented, the reality is that the platform restricts right-wing (non-left) sources from being used, labeling them as unreliable. Administrators and editors, who hold disproportionate power, ensure these sources are blacklisted, skewing the content towards left-leaning perspectives. Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger has also confirmed this bias, stating that it distorts the platform’s representation of reality.
Money Trail
The dossier also investigates the financial links between the Wikimedia Foundation and influential entities like the Open Society Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Tides Foundation, and Google. These organizations provide millions in funding, with projects like Abstract Wikipedia potentially expanding Wikimedia’s influence. Tides Foundation, linked to anti-India activities, funds groups such as Hindus for Human Rights and Equality Labs, which undermine India’s interests. The Wikimedia Foundation, though not registered in India, continues to collect donations and fund Indian NGOs, raising concerns about its operations.
Let us look at these in detail.
Google Foundation & Tides Foundation
In 2010, Google made a $2 million donation to the Wikimedia Foundation, widely reported as a generous grant. However, the donation was made not directly by Google but through the Google Inc. Charity Fund at the Tides Foundation. This detail, outlined in Wikimedia’s 2010 press release, adds an extra layer to the narrative, revealing Google’s use of intermediaries to distribute its charitable funds.
The Google Foundation, created in 2005, was Google’s charitable arm, focusing on education, economic opportunity, inclusion, and crisis response. It was a major donor to the Tides Foundation, a donor-advised fund known for supporting left-leaning organizations. From 2007 to 2016, the Google Foundation contributed $70 million to groups like Tides and other progressive causes. However, in 2018, Google dissolved its foundation and transferred its remaining $50 million in assets to the Tides Foundation. Despite dissolving the foundation, Google retained control over where the money went by “advising” Tides on grants.
This arrangement allowed Google to remain influential in funding leftist NGOs while avoiding direct association. The Tides Foundation, which often operates donor-directed funds with undisclosed recipients, has since been acting on Google’s behalf. Moreover, the relationship between Google, Tides Foundation, and Wikimedia Foundation deepened after 2010, as Google became a major benefactor of Wikimedia, continuing to provide grants even after 2022 through Google.org and the Google Matching Gifts Foundation. The partnership between Google and Wikimedia is reinforced by the near-total integration of Wikipedia content into Google’s platforms, highlighting the close and strategic nature of this connection.
Wikimedia Endowment Fund
The Wikimedia Endowment Fund was established in January 2016 as a permanent source of funding to ensure the long-term survival of Wikipedia. The goal was to raise $100 million by 2026, with the fund set up as a Collective Action Fund at the Tides Foundation. This fund would support Wikimedia’s projects, with an advisory board appointed by Tides after being nominated by Wikimedia. Either Tides or Wikimedia could choose to transfer the endowment to the Wikimedia Foundation or other selected charities.
The media portrayed the endowment as a critical effort to keep Wikipedia running, with Wikimedia and figures like Jimmy Wales and Lisa Gruwell emphasizing its necessity for long-term survival. The Guardian reported it as a measure to reduce reliance on annual donations, even though it started with less than $1 million. The rhetoric gave the impression that Wikipedia was dependent on small donations, operating frugally, and free from corporate influence.
In reality, Wikimedia reached its $100 million fundraising goal by 2021, five years ahead of schedule. The endowment had grown to $140 million by 2024. Major donors included Amazon, Google, Facebook, and George Soros, with notable contributions from figures like Peter Baldwin and Lisbet Rausing. The fund operated under the Tides Foundation until July 2023, when it became an independent charity. Despite surpassing its original financial goal, Wikimedia extended its donation drive to secure even more funds, announcing a new multi-year fundraising campaign.
By 2023, Wikimedia’s overall revenue exceeded $180 million, and research showed that the foundation had enough money to keep Wikipedia running for potentially a century, even if it stopped earning further revenue. Despite this, Wikimedia continued to aggressively solicit donations, particularly from Indian users, using messages that suggested the site’s survival was at risk.
The links between the Wikimedia Endowment Fund, Wikimedia Foundation, and Tides Foundation raise concerns about how funds are distributed. Reports indicate that the Tides Foundation and Wikimedia have exchanged grants, sometimes marked as “anonymous” donations, using donor-advised funds that don’t require full disclosure. This system allows Wikimedia to disperse grants, possibly to left-leaning organizations, while publicly emphasizing the need to support Wikipedia. Despite having enough funds to sustain Wikipedia, Wikimedia continues to collect money, which it may use to further its business and ideological interests under the guise of preserving free knowledge.
Wikimedia Foundation
The Wikimedia Foundation aggressively campaigns for donations from individuals and corporations, often asking for small contributions to “keep Wikipedia alive.” In September 2024, for instance, Wikimedia solicited Indians for donations as low as Rs 25, with claims that the platform would remain unsold. As a 501(c)(3) charity, Wikimedia is exempt from federal and state income taxes. Over the years, its assets have grown significantly, from an initial $57,000 in 2004 to $231 million by June 2021, with an additional $100 million in its endowment. By the end of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the foundation’s assets had risen to nearly $255 million.
A substantial part of Wikimedia’s revenue comes from individual donors. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the foundation received donations from over 7.5 million individuals, with the average donation being $11.38. In addition to individual donations, Wikimedia has consistently received grants from various foundations. Since 2008, notable contributions include a $40,000 grant from the Open Society Institute, a $500,000 grant from Vinod and Neeru Khosla, and a $3 million grant from the Sloan Foundation. These grants supported various initiatives, such as creating a printable version of Wikipedia and purchasing hardware.
In 2009, Wikimedia received additional grants totaling millions from foundations like the Stanton Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Omidyar Network. Google also contributed $2 million in 2010, while the Sloan Foundation authorized another $3 million in 2011. That same year, Wikimedia received $3.6 million from the Stanton Foundation, marking its largest grant at the time. The Brin Wojcicki Foundation also donated $500,000 in 2011.
Between 2012 and 2015, the foundation continued to receive significant funding, including $1.25 million from Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, a $5 million anonymous donation in 2014, and a $449,636 grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Additionally, Wikimedia received funding from the Monarch Fund, Arcadia Fund, and Stavros Niarchos Foundation to support initiatives like Wikipedia Zero. In 2015, it secured a grant from the Knight Foundation to develop the controversial “Knowledge Engine.” Google contributed $1.1 million in 2019, and the Sloan Foundation provided another $3 million in 2017. Apart from these grants, large corporations like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Adobe are also significant donors, alongside major foundations such as the Rockefeller Foundation.
These grants are separate from the funds Wikimedia receives for its endowment, further boosting its financial reserves.
Wikimedia Foundation and Tides Foundation
The Wikimedia Foundation has been dispersing grants to several organizations, including NGOs and foundations, many of which have agendas that extend beyond Wikipedia’s scope. A significant number of these grants, as noted, appear to align with left-leaning or even radical-left ideologies, raising questions about Wikipedia’s own ideological bias. These donations are intertwined with the Tides Foundation, a controversial entity due to its financial opacity, and its related arm, Tides Advocacy.
Wikimedia’s relationship with the Tides Foundation began with the establishment of the Wikimedia Endowment, hosted by Tides. The foundation’s financial records indicate regular transfers, beginning with $5 million annually starting in 2017, intended for the Endowment Fund. However, in addition to this, Wikimedia has also transferred larger sums to Tides, often without clear explanation. For instance, in 2019, Wikimedia sent $8.72 million to Tides Advocacy, a related but distinct organization. This occurred around the same time Amanda Keton, previously CEO of Tides Advocacy, became General Counsel for Wikimedia.
Despite the substantial transfers to Tides, there is limited transparency about these transactions. For example, in 2020, Wikimedia transferred over $5 million to Tides for its endowment but also sent $4.5 million to create a “Knowledge Equity Fund” aimed at addressing racial inequities in access to free knowledge. The full extent of fees paid to Tides for managing these funds remains undisclosed, sparking concerns about how the money is being used.
In 2021, IRS filings revealed that Wikimedia provided grants to Tides Foundation ($516,650) and Tides Advocacy ($300,000), but offered no specific details regarding their purpose. Wikimedia continues to send funds to Tides, as seen in 2022 when it transferred nearly $1.5 million, yet the exact breakdown of how these funds are utilized remains opaque. A critical issue is the lack of transparency regarding these financial interactions, as Tides, through its donor-advised funds, allows anonymous donors to direct their contributions, which in turn makes it difficult to trace how donations are allocated.
Furthermore, Tides has been a recipient of donations from major entities like Google, but the details of how these funds are used remain unclear. Despite repeated donations of $5 million from Wikimedia, these contributions are not consistently listed in Tides’ public reports, adding to the complexity of following the financial trail. The connection between Wikimedia and Tides also involves personnel crossovers, such as Amanda Keton’s move from Tides to Wikimedia, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and transparency.
Wikimedia’s extensive financial relationship with Tides, an organization known for its lack of transparency, seems at odds with Wikimedia’s stated commitment to openness. The fact that both organizations donate money to each other without clear explanations has led to suspicions about the true purposes of these financial dealings, especially given the foundation’s claims about needing funds to keep Wikipedia running despite its substantial financial reserves.
Tides Foundation Funds Anti-Hindu Narratives
The Tides Foundation is a major pass-through organization that channels funds from anonymous donors to left-leaning nonprofits. Founded in 1976, it has distributed over $2.6 billion in grants, with significant backing from donors such as George Soros and major foundations like Ford and Rockefeller. The Foundation uses donor-advised funds (DAFs), which obscure the original donor’s identity. Tides has been criticized for its lack of transparency, particularly in its financial relationships with organizations like Wikimedia Foundation.
Tides also funds various controversial causes, including anti-Israel and pro-Hamas groups. Recent reports highlight its support for organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace and Palestine Legal, which have been involved in protests against Israel. Tides Foundation’s funding also extends to groups involved in anti-India narratives, such as Hindus for Human Rights, which received a $266,000 donation in 2020. This opaque funding mechanism and the controversial causes it supports have sparked significant criticism and scrutiny.
What & Who They Fund
The Tides Foundation, alongside the Tides Center, has been involved in several controversies related to its funding activities. Most recently, they have been linked to funding protests in U.S. college campuses that are anti-Israel and pro-Hamas. This has raised concerns due to the involvement of organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, both of which receive backing from the Tides Foundation. Notably, George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) also fund these groups.
Reports suggest that funding for these protests also comes from high-profile donors like David Rockefeller Jr., who is associated with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The Tides Foundation has received significant financial support from this fund and has contributed around USD 500,000 to Jewish Voice for Peace over the past five years. This organization is noted for its anti-Zionist stance.
Additionally, the Tides Foundation supports other groups like Adalah Justice Project and Palestine Legal. These organizations have been involved in providing legal support to protesters and mobilizing against what they describe as genocide. Tides Foundation’s support for these groups dates back to 2013 and 2016, respectively.
There are also allegations that Soros has funneled substantial sums to pro-Hamas groups through OSF, with reports indicating over $15 million since 2016. This includes financial support to groups justifying Hamas’s actions against Israel. Instances of anti-Semitic slogans and other controversial activities have been linked to these funded protests.
Another area of concern is the Tides Foundation’s donation to Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), which has been criticized for its anti-India and anti-Hindu stances. Islamist advocacy groups founded HfHR and has been involved in anti-India activities. The Tides Foundation contributed $266,000 to HfHR in 2020, which is significant considering the organization’s controversial positions.
The Tides Foundation’s financial contributions extend to various other entities in India as well, such as the Association for India’s Development (AID) and the Aman Public Charitable Trust. AID has supported Binayak Sen, a figure convicted of sedition, while Aman has connections to organizations like NewsClick, which faces accusations of accepting Chinese funding to disrupt Indian sovereignty.
The Tides Foundation, along with its partner organizations like the Tides Center, has been implicated in several controversies, particularly regarding its funding activities. Notably, the Foundation has been linked to pro-Hamas protests at U.S. universities through its support for organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, both of which receive backing from the Tides Foundation. George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) also funds these groups, highlighting a connection between prominent donors and controversial causes.
In addition to its U.S. activities, the Tides Foundation’s funding has raised concerns in India. It has been associated with groups and individuals that have been involved in contentious activities against the Indian government. For instance, the Tides Foundation has funded organizations like Adalah Justice Project and Palestine Legal, which are known for their legal support to anti-Israel protesters. Additionally, the Foundation’s financial support for Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) and groups with anti-India and anti-Hindu positions has been criticized.
The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) also received significant funds from the People’s Republic of China and subsequently launched studies favoring Chinese interests. The Ford Foundation, which has links with Tides, also contributed to organizations like Sabrang Communication and Publishing, managed by Teesta Setalvad, who has been involved in controversies related to communalism and anti-India activities.
Alliance India, which has worked with Tides, is chaired by Dr. SY Quraishi, known for controversial views against the Indian government and certain aspects of Indian culture. The Foundation’s connection with Alliance India underscores its ties with organizations that have been critical of India.
Further controversies involve the Stop Adani campaign, backed by the Bob Brown Foundation, which has received support from Tides. This campaign, along with others like 350.org, funded by Soros and Tides, has been involved in spreading misinformation about Indian industrialists and the Indian government. The Bob Brown Foundation’s activities, including support for anti-Adani and anti-India narratives, reflect a broader pattern of geopolitical influence and criticism against India.
The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), also funded by Soros and Ford Foundation, has been implicated in attacks against Indian industrialists like Gautam Adani. The OCCRP’s funding and activities further indicate a network of organizations involved in critical narratives against India.
(With inputs from OpIndia)
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