You’re still not getting it about Global Citizen, which puts on a new concert in Central Park on Saturday. Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lauryn Hill are headliners. ABC is broadcasting the show, which always has poor ratings. A newly divorced Hugh Jackman is their pitchman.
They haven’t put a dent in global poverty. But they have 10 executives who earn over $200,000 a year. Two of those make well over $400,000 a year.
Get it?
So let’s start there. On their Form 990 tax return for 2021, salaries were nearly $13 million, and they finished the year with revenue minus expenses at NEGATIVE $6 million.
Here is what they spent on producing their rock concerts to save the world. Imagine if this money had gone to feeding the poor or building them homes or supplying healthcare:
But let’s be fair. In 2021, Global Citizen did give away over $6 million. Internationally, the largest donation — almost $3 million — went to countries in Europe. They specify Ireland and Greenland, where we don’t often see reports of glaring poverty. Asia and South America received the lower payments because, as we all know, they are thriving. (This is sarcasm.)
In the US and North America, the biggest donation was $1 million — not to feed or clothe or educate the desperately poor people in the South, where floods and hurricanes cause devastation every year. No, that $1 million went to a New York City based group called Headcount, a group that uses music to get people to register to vote. They do their work at rock concerts this weekend, which is fine, but seems a waste of Global Citizen’s money — and maybe a surprise to people at the concerts to find out where the money is going.
Global Citizen doesn’t actually care what any of their recipients does with their money. Right there on the Form 990 they say in ALL CAP, that they DO NOT REQUIRE GRANT REPORTING FROM ITS GRANTEES.
In other words, have fun! We certainly are!
