A Delaware nonprofit created just seven months ago has already channeled nearly $3 million into a little-known political committee sitting at the center of a growing Democratic “dark money” operation, and even basic details about its leadership and structure are unlikely to be made public before the 2026 midterms.
Contours Inc., recognized by the IRS as a 501c(4) social welfare organization in October 2025, lists only one officer and has filed only a minimal IRS e-Postcard that reveals virtually nothing about its finances or operations. The nonprofit has no public presence beyond a spare webpage saying it "educates voters and advocates for changes that give greater voice and choice to voters from coast to coast." Like all 501c(4)s, it will never be required to disclose its donors.
The new group has been busy funneling money to Democrat-aligned political spending groups. Contours has sent at least $2.9 million to Government That Works PAC, a hybrid political action committee registered last August that has quietly been routing dark money into Democratic races this cycle. Government That Works has raised $7.6 million in total—mainly from nonprofits that do not publicly disclose their donors—and has spent $5.5 million across several competitive contests, with roughly $2 million still on hand heading into election season. Contours also gave at least $800,000 to Independent Candidates Action and $150,000 to the Working Class Heroes Fund, both groups supporting Nebraska independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn, who has been embraced by the Democratic Party.
Contours listed only one name in its IRS filing: principal officer Sarah Stremlau, a philanthropy consultant who previously led fiscal sponsorship operations at Arabella Advisors. For years, the firm—recently rebranded as Sunflower Services—has managed a sprawling network of left-leaning nonprofits, including the Sixteen Thirty Fund, that have moved hundreds of millions of dollars through Democratic groups while shielding their donors from public view. The Sixteen Thirty Fund itself contributed $4 million to Government That Works in January 2026, making Contours and Sixteen Thirty its two largest funders.
Because Contours is a new nonprofit, its first full Form 990 disclosure would be due May 15, but nonprofits routinely file for extensions, pushing that deadline to November 15, after the midterms are decided. That filing won't reveal the identities of Contours’ donors, but it would shed some light on the organization's board, leadership, any affiliated organizations, consultants, and a few more words on its stated purpose. Stremlau did not respond to a request for more information about Contours.
