Candace Owens’ Blexit Foundation, which aims to convert more Black Americans to conservatives, appears to be struggling to get funds. According to The Daily Beast, the foundation’s 2021 tax filings show that it only earned a third of the amount it generated the previous year. Owens, however, had earned more than $250,000 in salary from the organization, according to the report.
The Blexit Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018, earned more than $7 million in donations during the social justice protests in 2020.
The foundation’s 2021 tax filings, however, indicate that the organization is now struggling to increase its funds while the executives are still getting paid handsomely.
Owens issued a brief statement to The Daily Beast to address the report.
“In short, yes we raised money and proudly dispersed money for and to Black businesses and continue to do so. Our filings are public, timely, and entirely comprehensive,” she wrote in an email.
The Blexit Foundation earned $904,575 in donations in 2019, which was its first year as a nonprofit. At the time, Owens and the other top executives didn’t work full-time with the organization and didn’t earn a salary from the foundation.
The organization’s funds skyrocketed to more than $7 million in 2020, at a time when social justice advocates across the globe protested police brutality following the death of George Floyd.
Owens pulled in $230,000 in pay from Blexit at the time, while the nonprofit’s events director also took home a salary of $105,000.
The foundation also spent more than $1 million on travel in 2020. According to the organization’s filings from that year, “Blexit allows pre-approved charter travel in certain circumstances.” The circumstances include “urgent business relative to raising funds for the organization as part of the normal course of business.”
Blexit added that its costly travel expense was necessary because of “heightened travel restrictions caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on commercial travel and flight availability.”
After spending more than $1.8 million on fundraising in 2020 and bringing in more than $2.4 million, the organization ended up with a net gain of over $600,000.
In 2021, the foundation received $2,342,820 in contributions and spent almost $1 million more than it earned. Owens earned $250,000 plus benefits that year, while the foundation spent another $612,000 on fundraising. Blexit also spent $205,708 on travel in 2021, with some of the money covering first-class and charter flights.
Owens has gloated about raising money for businesses that were destroyed during the George Floyd protests in 2020.
“This month, #BLEXIT raised $200k for black businesses which were destroyed in the #BLM riots,” she tweeted in June 2020. “We also sent all of our minority state directors to local police departments to spread love & form productive relationships. I’m so proud of the work our organization is doing.”
This month, #BLEXIT raised $200k for black businesses which were destroyed in the #BLM riots. We also sent all of our minority state directors to local police departments to spread love & form productive relationships.
I’m so proud of the work our organization is doing. @BLEXIT pic.twitter.com/a8pDqdcapD— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) June 18, 2020
According to Blexit’s 2020 filings, the organization gave $108,215 in grants that year, mostly to businesses that were looted during the riots.
In 2021, however, the foundation gave away only $4,000 in grants or other assistance. Blexit did not specifically state which organizations received funds that year.
