Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest author.
In a recent article, Inkstick joined with MSI Reproductive Choices (MSI-RC) to criticize U.S. Christian groups for providing funds to pro-life organizations operating across Africa. They wanted to ring the alarm bells that some rich philanthropists were giving away their own money to support causes that align to their own personally held ideologies.
Can they not see the hypocrisy? Perhaps they should remember that those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Speaking to Inkstick, Sarah Shaw, Head of Advocacy at MSI-RC, expressed concerns that U.S.-linked groups might be lobbying national governments and rallying local support for pro-life policies in African countries, where her own organization does the very same to promote abortion; she seems worried that groups such as Family Watch International might try to roll back progress made by MSI-RC, et al.
On its website, MSI-RC has an ‘Advocacy’ page in which it says that it works to influence laws and shape policy and decisions. It claims that since 2016, this work has contributed to the reform of more than 92 policies that increase access to contraception and abortion. So, in Shaw’s mind, it is perfectly fine for her own organization to lobby and influence for abortion-supporting laws and policies, but those who hold pro-life positions should not be allowed to do the same.
Inkstick signposts an openDemocracy report that estimates between 2007 and 2018, more than 20 U.S. groups provided funds of $54 million for pro-life and pro-family projects across Africa. MSI-RC refers to the same report on its Advocacy webpage, noting “Opposition to reproductive rights is growing in funding, scale and sophistication. US Christian right-wing groups are pouring money (at least $280 million) into global anti-choice activity to reverse progress and spread misinformation.”
READ: SHOCK REPORT: Abortion groups received nearly $2 BILLION in taxpayer funding over 3 years
MSI-RC seems to think that calling out such funding will rally its supporters, ranting about how terrible it is that these Christian groups are able to give so much money to support their ‘horrible’ anti-abortion ideologies. MSI-RC and openDemocracy both seem to think that what’s even worse than giving so much, is that many individuals and foundations want to do so anonymously.
The above mentioned $280 million, £220 million at current exchange rates, is the total spent by 28 U.S. Christian groups for work outside of the U.S., over 12 years. MSI-RC receives funding from a small number of philanthropic foundations; in the six years from 2013 to 2018, it received £229 million from five foundations — four based in the U.S. and one in the UK. So, MSI-RC received as much as the total reported spend for the 28 U.S. Christian groups, but in just six years, not 12.
MSI-RC names the following donors: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. Another donor is listed as ‘Anonymous’ and in various documents and online publications it specifically names a ‘Large Anonymous Donor (LAD)’, e.g., on its Pakistan website. In the 10 years from 2013 to 2022, MSI-RC received anonymous donor funding of £264 million. It is worthy of note that MSI-RC has received more in anonymous funding than the full total of all the US Christian funding reported by openDemocracy.
Who is this Large Anonymous Donor? MSI-RC has been very careful to never name this donor, but there are many online reports that name the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (STBF) as a large donor to MSI-RC. On its form 990-PF, the tax return filed by nonprofit organizations in the U.S., STBF lists as a grant recipient MSI-US, the U.S.-based affiliate of MSI-RC.
It seems to me to be somewhat dishonest of Shaw and her colleagues at MSI-RC to criticise Christian groups and philanthropists for supporting work that aligns with closely held pro-life principles, when they themselves are in receipt of even larger Foundation donor funding for their abortion work.
