The revelation that the Obama Foundation routed $2 million through the Tides Foundation has exposed just how murky the world of progressive philanthropy can be. On paper, the money was earmarked for combating “surging summer violence” and expanding “safe spaces” for youth. In practice, it passed through a financial hub now under congressional scrutiny for helping bankroll organizations accused of glorifying or excusing Hamas and fueling campus encampments that veered into open antisemitism.

This distance-by-design structure is precisely what critics find so alarming. Tides can legally bundle and redirect money to dozens of projects, many with no direct public reporting, while shielding marquee donors from reputational blowback. Supporters say it empowers grassroots organizers lacking resources or IRS status. But as anti-Israel agitation and antisemitic incidents spike, the question is no longer just technical compliance. It is whether elite institutions, including a former president’s foundation, are morally responsible for the downstream impact of the networks they choose to fund.