The Clinton Foundation has recently experienced a significant deficit in donations. In 2020, donations to the foundation totaled only $16.3M, which is the lowest amount that the Clintons have received in at least ten years. In addition, these donations have also fallen nearly 75 percent from their peak of $62.9M in 2016.
Recently released IRS filings show that the foundation received $16.3M in grants and other contributions, with some of the largest donors including the Walton family, the Norwegian government, and Haim and Cheryl Saban.
However, the 2020 donations represent a significant decline from 2019 numbers, when the Clinton Foundation accrued nearly $30M in donations. In 2018, the foundation received approximately $24.2 million, and in 2017, it received $26.6M.
According to Clinton Foundation CEO Kevin Thurm, the deficit in donations can be explained by the fact that 2020 “was a difficult year for philanthropy,” in spite of the fact that the same year “brought urgent needs to address from the pandemic [along with] a deepened focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
“Resources were stretched thinly and fundraising activities were impacted,” Thurm continued.
Approximately three-quarters of nonprofit organizations have been negatively affected by the pandemic, according to insight released by BDO, a tax and accounting firm.
The highest donations ever reported by the Clinton Foundation occurred in 2016, when Hillary Clinton was serving as secretary of state, as well as the top frontrunner for the Democrats in the presidential election.
However, as the Clintons have gradually lost their relevance in politics, donations have dried up accordingly.
According to Leslie Lenkowsky, a professor at Indiana University, the drop in donations “largely reflects the fact that the Clintons are less prominent these days and their ability to raise funds has been affected by that.”
Former president Donald J. Trump has long called for an investigation of the Clinton Foundation, which further enhances scrutiny of the organization.
