Georgia Nonprofit Took $23M in Federal Child Welfare Funds—Then Donated to Senators Who Oversee It
CEO gave thousands to lawmakers investigating system where 400+ kids were sex trafficked
Atlanta-based nonprofit Chris 180 received $22.98 million in federal child welfare funding while its executives donated $17,696 to Georgia’s U.S. senators—the same lawmakers tasked with investigating failures in the state’s foster care system.
This pattern repeats across Georgia, Florida, and Texas. Project Milk Carton’s investigation uncovered $129,972 in political contributions flowing from child welfare nonprofit executives to oversight legislators, even as those organizations collected $98.78 million in federal contracts.
The Chris 180 Connection
Chris 180 CEO Kathy Colbenson made $23,373 in political contributions between recent election cycles—including $1,366 to Sen. Jon Ossoff and $12,696 to Sen. Raphael Warnock. Both senators sit on committees overseeing child welfare policy.
The timing raises accountability questions. Sen. Ossoff’s 2024 investigation found that 400+ children in Georgia state custody were likely sex trafficked. Another 2,000 children went missing from the system. Yet Chris 180 continues receiving millions in federal subawards from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), now rebranded as Global Refuge.
Georgia’s Department of Family and Children Services faces an $85 million funding gap for core services. Federal money flows through contractors like Chris 180 instead.
The Money Map
Three states with documented child welfare failures show the pattern:
Georgia:28 nonprofits received $40.52 million. Executives made $47,695 in political contributions. 14 individual donors identified.
Florida:Child welfare contractors pulled in $23.62 million. Staff and executives contributed $34,998 across 34 donations.
Texas:Organizations collected federal funds while physician Stella Fitzgibbons at Catholic Charities donated $14,250. ESL teacher Wendy Robinson at Catholic Charities Florida gave $10,111.
The investigation tracked contributions to specific oversight legislators:
- Sen. Raphael Warnock received donations from multiple child welfare nonprofit executives
- Sen. Jon Ossoff received contributions while chairing the subcommittee investigating Georgia DFCS failures
- Rep. Nikema Williams received $5,000 from Chris 180 staff
Federal Funding Pipeline
LIRS/Global Refuge—whose CEO is a former Obama and Clinton administration staffer—channeled $22.98 million specifically to Chris 180. The organization rebranded in 2024 amid scrutiny of refugee resettlement contractor practices.
This follows the standard federal funding structure: Department of Health and Human Services awards grants to prime contractors, who then subaward to local nonprofits. The local organizations receiving the money employ executives who donate to the legislators controlling appropriations and oversight.
Atlanta-based nonprofit Chris 180 received $22.98 million in federal child welfare funding while its executives donated $17,696 to Georgia’s U.S. senators—the same lawmakers tasked with investigating failures in the state’s foster care system.
This pattern repeats across Georgia, Florida, and Texas. Project Milk Carton’s investigation uncovered $129,972 in political contributions flowing from child welfare nonprofit executives to oversight legislators, even as those organizations collected $98.78 million in federal contracts.
The Chris 180 Connection
Chris 180 CEO Kathy Colbenson made $23,373 in political contributions between recent election cycles—including $1,366 to Sen. Jon Ossoff and $12,696 to Sen. Raphael Warnock. Both senators sit on committees overseeing child welfare policy.
The timing raises accountability questions. Sen. Ossoff’s 2024 investigation found that 400+ children in Georgia state custody were likely sex trafficked. Another 2,000 children went missing from the system. Yet Chris 180 continues receiving millions in federal subawards from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), now rebranded as Global Refuge.
Georgia’s Department of Family and Children Services faces an $85 million funding gap for core services. Federal money flows through contractors like Chris 180 instead.
The Money Map
Three states with documented child welfare failures show the pattern:
Georgia: 28 nonprofits received $40.52 million. Executives made $47,695 in political contributions. 14 individual donors identified.
Florida: Child welfare contractors pulled in $23.62 million. Staff and executives contributed $34,998 across 34 donations.
Texas: Organizations collected federal funds while physician Stella Fitzgibbons at Catholic Charities donated $14,250. ESL teacher Wendy Robinson at Catholic Charities Florida gave $10,111.
The investigation tracked contributions to specific oversight legislators:
- Sen. Raphael Warnock received donations from multiple child welfare nonprofit executives
- Sen. Jon Ossoff received contributions while chairing the subcommittee investigating Georgia DFCS failures
- Rep. Nikema Williams received $5,000 from Chris 180 staff
Federal Funding Pipeline
LIRS/Global Refuge—whose CEO is a former Obama and Clinton administration staffer—channeled $22.98 million specifically to Chris 180. The organization rebranded in 2024 amid scrutiny of refugee resettlement contractor practices.
This follows the standard federal funding structure: Department of Health and Human Services awards grants to prime contractors, who then subaward to local nonprofits. The local organizations receiving the money employ executives who donate to the legislators controlling appropriations and oversight.
What the Data Shows
Project Milk Carton analyzed:
- Form 990 filings for the top 20 child welfare nonprofits by federal funding
- Executive compensation records (Form 990 Part VII)
- FEC individual contribution database (213+ million records)
- HHS TAGGS grant data
- USASpending.gov federal awards
The investigation identified specific dollar amounts, donation dates, and recipient campaigns. OSINT tools verified employment relationships between donors and child welfare organizations.
Accountability Gap
No mechanism prevents child welfare contractors from making political contributions to their oversight committees. Federal ethics rules prohibit direct corporate donations but not individual contributions from nonprofit executives.
Sen. Ossoff’s own 2024 report documented systemic failures: hundreds of children sex trafficked, thousands missing, chronic underfunding of protective services. His investigation found Georgia DFCS “failed to protect children in state custody.”
The nonprofits receiving federal contracts to provide those protective services continue operating without disclosed consequences. Their executives continue donating to campaigns.
What Happens Next
The investigation recommends:
1. Deep dive on Chris 180’s eight new board members announced in 2025
2. Full accounting of LIRS/Global Refuge’s post-rebrand operations and $100+ million in subawards
3. Cross-reference the 400+ trafficked children against contractor case files
4. Map contributions to Georgia state legislature Health and Human Services Committee members
5. Congressional referral for formal oversight
Georgia, Texas, and Florida children remain in systems where those paid to protect them donate to those paid to oversee them.
Sources: This investigation analyzed records from Project Milk Carton’s $148 billion federal grants database, Federal Election Commission campaign finance filings, IRS Form 990 nonprofit tax returns, HHS TAGGS awards data, and USASpending.gov contracts. Additional verification used open-source intelligence tools for employment and organizational relationships. Full source documentation and specific database queries are available in the original investigation report at projectmilkcarton.org.
This is amazing work! Thank You!
We should talk. Same thing in NH