Donations to Black Lives Matter drop by EIGHTY-EIGHT percent in a year
Donations to the national organization for Black Lives Matter saw a shocking drop-off of nearly 90 percent from 2021 to 2022, as the group's use of funds continued to cause controversy.www.dailymail.co.uk
Donations to the national organization for Black Lives Matter saw a shocking drop-off of nearly 90 percent from 2021 to 2022, as the group's use of fundscontinued to cause controversy.
The fundraising arm of the organization, BLM Global Network, reported contributions of just $9.3million for the fiscal year ending in June of 2022 in state filings.
That's down a stunning 88 percent from the $77million the non-profit reported in donations for the fiscal year ending 12 months earlier, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
BLM Global Network has handled its own fundraising since splitting from its management group Thousand Currents in mid-2020. It did so after being inundated with donations following the June 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Since then, however, the group has often faced backlash for what some have seen as a misuse of funds on various lavish purchases and 'consulting' fees - although it is unclear what caused BLM's donations to crater.
Leaders have attempted to justify vast sums spent on security by saying the foundation's protection could not be entrusted to former police professionals.
They typically run security firms - with BLM famous for its opposition to vehemently protesting law enforcement organizations.
A consulting firm run by Shalomyah Bowers, who is BLM's board secretary and has previously served as deputy executive director, was paid more than $2.1 million for providing the organization with operational support, including staffing, fundraising and other key services.
In May 2022, it was revealed Black Lives Matter spent more than $12 million on luxury properties in Los Angeles and in Toronto - including a $6.3 million 10,000-square-foot property in Canada that was purchased as part of a $8M 'out of country grant.'
The Toronto property was bought with grant money that was meant for 'activities to educate and support black communities, and to purchase and renovate property for charitable use.'
The group had said it was planning to use the property as main headquarters in Canada, and it has now been named the Wilseed Center for Arts and Activism. In January, it was revealed that BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors transferred millions from the organization to a charity run by her wife, Janaya Khan, to purchase the property.
Cullors, who resigned in May 2021 after it was revealed she amassed a $3.2 million property portfolio, has used the property twice for personal reasons - once for a Biden inauguration party, and another time for her son's birthday. She paid $390 for its use, according to tax filings.
Tax filings released last year revealed that BLM paid a company owned by Damon Turner, the father of Cullors' child, nearly $970,000 to help 'produce live events' and provide other 'creative services.'
The co-founder's brother, Paul Cullors, received more than $840,000 for providing security services to the foundation.
There is no suggestion of financial impropriety on the part of Black Lives Matter, but the way in which its bosses have spent money has generated continued controversy.
Source:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-EIGHTY-EIGHT-percent-year-77M-just-9-3M.html
