Clinton Foundation Donations Plummet, Down 75% Since 2016
Donations decline as Clintons lose poltical relevance
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The Clinton Foundation saw its lowest amount of donations in at least a decade, scraping in just $16.3 million last year.
The donations were down 75 percent from its 2016 peak of $62.9 million.
The Clinton Foundation received $16.3 million in grants and contributions in 2020.
The largest donors included:
- The Norwegian government
- Haim and Cheryl Saban
- The Walton family
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The donations are drastic from its 2019 numbers when the foundation took $29.6 million.
The foundation took $24.2 million in 2018.
In 2017, the foundation received $26.6 million in donations.
“While 2020 brought urgent needs to address from the pandemic and a deepened focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion; it also was a difficult year for philanthropy,” Clinton Foundation CEO Kevin Thurm said.
“Across the sector, resources were stretched thinly and fundraising activities were impacted.”
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Donald Trump called for the Clinton Foundation to be investigated, putting it under more scrutiny.
Seventy-five percent of nonprofit organizations claimed they were negatively impacted by the pandemic, noting a drop in revenues and fundraising, according to tax and accounting firm BDO.
As Clintons' political relevance declines, so do donations to their foundation.
Indiana University professor Leslie Lenkowsky who studies philanthropy, said:
“I think it largely reflects the fact that the Clintons are less prominent these days, and their ability to raise funds has been affected by that.”
He branded the Clinton Foundation as a “celebrity foundation,” where donations rely on the fame of its founders.
The Clinton Foundation operates the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Bill Clinton will appear this week to celebrate the center’s 20th anniversary.
