SouthernWorldwide.com – The People’s Forum Inc., a pro-China nonprofit significantly funded by Shanghai-based Marxist mogul Neville Roy Singham, has acquired a dilapidated building in Manhattan for $5.15 million. The organization is now actively soliciting an additional $5 million from its supporters to renovate the property, intending to transform it into a “permanent home” for its extensive far-left organizing initiatives within the United States.
This ambitious fundraising campaign unfolds amidst ongoing investigations by lawmakers and federal authorities into Singham’s network. The network is being scrutinized for what has been described as a foreign-aligned influence operation aimed at promoting narratives aligned with the Chinese Communist Party within the U.S. The intensified focus on China’s influence operations has recently seen significant developments, including the guilty plea of a California mayor who admitted to acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.
The People’s Forum positions itself as a central organization within the Singham network, asserting that it serves as a crucial hub connecting over 200 distinct organizations. Since its inception in 2017, the group claims to have been instrumental in coordinating various left-wing protests across the United States.
In a recent communication to supporters on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, The People’s Forum announced an urgent goal to raise $2 million from individual donors by December 2026. This marks the organization’s first major fundraising target since launching a broader $5 million campaign in September.
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The current fundraising and expansion efforts coincide with a congressional inquiry into what lawmakers have characterized as a “foreign-aligned influence network” linked to Neville Roy Singham. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, a Republican from Missouri, has expressed significant concerns regarding the nonprofit’s funding structures, suggesting potential implications of “foreign influence or control.”
The People’s Forum, which prominently highlights its achievements in publishing “over 25 revolutionary texts” and organizing “over 6,000 events,” stated on its website that its initial operations, launched in 2017, were made possible by a “generous donor.” However, the organization now emphasizes the critical need for new financial infusions to sustain and expand its work.
“Our initial donation is running out,” the organization stated in a September appeal, underscoring that it is now entering a “critical new stage.” The group further elaborated that the newly acquired building is currently “just a shell” and will necessitate millions of dollars in renovations to become fully operational.
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The purchased storefront, formerly occupied by a business specializing in curtains and shades, has been painted black. Its signage has been removed, and the front windows are covered with a dark tarp. The entrance doors appear to be covered with brown paper, and a metal fire escape is visible along the exterior’s tan-colored facade. Property records indicate the building is situated on a lot of approximately 2,580 square feet, with dimensions roughly 25 feet wide by 96 feet deep.
“We need your help to make this urgent project come to reality,” the group urged supporters on Friday, coinciding with the renewed fundraising drive. Images shared by the organization depict the building’s interior in a state of disrepair, featuring exposed wiring and other visible structural damage.
The acquisition of the property and the subsequent fundraising push underscore the group’s strategic efforts to bolster its organizing infrastructure. This expansion raises pertinent questions regarding the scope and reach of its operations.
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Previously, the organization cited the need to relocate from its current leased space as a primary driver for purchasing the new building. They described the intention to establish a permanent base that “cannot be threatened by landlords or political attacks.”
The building was last sold for approximately $4.3 million in 2022. This means The People’s Forum paid $850,000 more for the property just over two years later.
City records also reveal that the building has active code violations, including issues related to its elevators and boiler system. Approximately $20,000 in civil penalties are currently outstanding, suggesting that the property requires substantial repair work.
“The condition of disrepair in this building will take millions of dollars to renovate,” the group stated in its Friday post. According to its website, the organization has so far raised around $570,000 specifically for the renovation costs.
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The People’s Forum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a designation that permits it to receive tax-deductible donations under U.S. federal law.
While the property is officially owned by The People’s Forum, city filings indicate that David Chung, the group’s organizing director, signed a property ownership certification pertaining to the building in October 2025.
Chung has been observed at protests where he has characterized the “brutality of this imperialist system” in the U.S. and led chants of “Free Palestine.” A video posted by the organization shows these events, with a caption describing the conflict in Gaza as a “genocide.”
The organization claims to have “trained over 40,000 people” through its political education programs, positioning the new space as a central hub for activist organizing.
In a video released as part of the current fundraising initiative, Manolo De Los Santos, the executive director of The People’s Forum, stated that the 200 organizations affiliated with the group are “united in the struggle” for racial, gender, climate, and economic justice. He emphasized that the new building is intended to play a pivotal role in the group’s future operations.
De Los Santos, who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in The Bronx, described The People’s Forum as a “hub for learning and for organizing,” a place where “we strategize… and build solidarity to fight back.”
“Your contribution isn’t just a donation, it’s an investment in our collective future of freedom,” he stated. “It’s a direct act of resistance. It’s how we protect spaces that allow us to organize and to win.”
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