Clay Aiken’s charity isn’t that charitable

[bluestateguy]

I wonder if the "Scamdy" website will redircet their attention to this instead now.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8587284/

Looks like Clay Aiken’s charity isn’t terribly charitable.

Aiken co-founded the Bubel/Aiken foundation to benefit children with disabilities, but a document filed with the Internal Revenue Service revealed that of the more than $1 million the group raised last year, less than a third was handed out in grants.

More than $150,000 went for travel expenses, $173,000 for “professional services,” and nearly $150,000 for salaries. One of the reasons for the high expenses was high-profile galas held in places like Los Angeles and Hawaii.

Aiken’s rep didn’t return The Scoop’s call for comment, but his partner, co-founder Diane Bubel, told WRAL-TV in Raleigh that critics are misrepresenting the situation. “We’re volunteering and doing something good, and all we hear is complaining,” Bubel said.

[laureloak]

1. Where did the funds come from for this charity?

[KamaAina]

2. Well, some of them came from the "high-profile galas"

One of the reasons for the high expenses was high-profile galas held in places like Los Angeles and Hawaii.

The Hawai'i gala was held this past February. From what I hear, the hotel ballroom, seating nearly a thousand, was jam full at $175 a pop. Some of Clay's fans even rushed the stage, a la Sinatra in the bobby-soxer era. :eyes:

Disclaimer: After the gala, Clay stayed to address the Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities. Guess who introduced him??? (me) He was actually pretty good, though he had a tendency to rush the speech a little bit and trip over words.

[laureloak]

3. So the funds came about as a result of Clay's work? n/t