It is not my intention to convict someone for something they did not do. I don't personally know if this story about Bono is true or not I am just blogging about stuff that interests me. Since I am starting my own non-profit - California Homeless Resources I am interested right now in this subject of non-profit scams... When I was researching for this blog post I encountered this awesome website called "Look to the Stars" is is awesome because it has the top charities and quite a good database of celebrities that support different charities. I like this because I want to gain some celebrity support for California Homeless Resources. So here is some stuff about Mr Bono you take it for what it is worth and make up your own mind.
Bono's anti-poverty foundation ONE is under pressure to explain its finances after it was revealed that only a small percentage of money it raises reaches the needy.
The non-profit organisation set up by the U2 frontman received almost £9.6million in donations in 2008 but handed out only £118,000 to good causes (1.2 per cent).
The figures published by the New York Post also show that £5.1million went towards paying salaries.
Friends in high places: U2 singer Bono meets French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris at the weekend ahead of the UN summit in New York
While the organisation's gameplan has never been direct handouts on the ground, many who admire the Irish rock legend may be surprised by the figures.
Bono was playing Brussels last night with U2 as the world's leaders - so many of whom he speaks to directly - were meeting at the UN assembly in New York to assess the progress, or lack of, in reaching the Millennium goals they set.
The day job: Bono performs with U2 last night at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels
The Post revealed it had received a number of gifts from ONE in the run-up to the event, such as leather notebooks, bags of coffee and water bottles.
In the UK, the organisation has laid on a series of high-profile, celebrity-supported events since it launched in 2002 to fight poverty in Africa and Aids worldwide.
In 2009, the group campaigned to have enshrined in British law a commitment to development assistance abroad.
ONE spokesman Oliver Buston has now defended the way the organisation is run, insisting the money is used for promoting its campaign and raising awareness rather than being given straight to those who need help.
He said: 'We don't provide programmes on the ground. We're an advocacy and campaigning organisation.'
Another spokesman in New York today dismissed the notion of lavish salaries being paid to its 120 members of staff and said the organisation was highly efficient in its raising of awareness.
ONE said it took no money from the public and that most of its funding came from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Action men and women: Staff from Bono's ONE charity
Charities & foundations supported (31)
Bono has supported the following charities:
- Mulago Positive Women’s Network
- MusiCares
- Not On Our Watch
- ONE Campaign
- Oxfam
- (RED)
- Red Cross
- Simon Community
- The Lunchbox Fund
- UNICEF
- UN Millennium Project
- War Child
- Wildlife Conservation Society
- Witness
- Zero Hunger
Charity biography
There are few people in the music industry who have the presence of Bono. The Irish frontman of U2 knows no limitations when it comes to fighting poverty and hunger, and is constantly in direct contact with world leaders and policy makers in his quest to make the world a better place.
Bono was inspired to get involved in charity work after seeing The Secret Policeman’s Ball in 1979. In 1986 he helped organize Amnesty International's Conspiracy Of Hope tour alongside Sting, who was one of the Secret Policeman’s Ball performers seen by Bono, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, and Bryan Adams. He also got involved in the Band Aid and Live Aid projects which were organized by Bob Geldof – another Secret Policeman’s Ball performer, and later helped Geldof organize the 2005 Live 8 project.
His first contact with charitable causes was in 1986, prior to the Conspiracy of Hope tour, when World Vision invited him to Ethiopia. While there, Bono developed an education program with his wife, Ali, that used one-act plays and songs to spread information on health, hygiene, and other issues. He released a book of photos he took during the trip called “String Of Pearls”.
Bono followed his trip to Ethiopia with visits to Nicaragua and El Salvador with Sanctuary to draw attention to the conflicts and help children.
He wrote a song called Silver and Gold for Steve Van Zandt’s Artists Against Apartheid, and participated in Van Zandt’s anti-apartheid single Sun City.
Bono and The Edge attended the Festival Against Racism in Hamburg, Germany, in 1993. The event consisted of a concert, a press conference, a theatrical event, and a debate on the subject of anti-racism.
Bono has been a leader in the fight against poverty, and has helped to create the ONE Campaign, DATA, (RED) and EDUN, a clothing company which is striving to stimulate trade with poverty stricken countries.
He was on Forbes’ Generous Celebrity List for his work with Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA) against the spread of AIDS and for debt relief in Africa, participation in fundraising concerts like Live 8, and his donation of $50,000 to One in Four Ireland, a charity that helps survivors of sexual abuse.
Bono has received 3 nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, and was knighted in 2007.
Bono met with President Sarkozy of France early in 2008, to discuss issues brought to light by DATA.
“We had a feisty factual meeting about effective aid, French aid and the risks to EU credibility of broken promises to the world’s poor,” said Bono after the meeting. "The President knows the details and moves fast.
“Within the meeting the President not only promised to restore 20 million Euros cut from the Global Fund to fight AIDS TB and malaria, he also said he would send through a plan to restore promised French aid trajectories in the next few weeks.
“The President admitted it would be very very hard, but France would keep her word.”
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Thanks for sharing!!! :)