Kanye West’s Charity Is Not Recession Proof

It’s not a good day for Kanye, when it all goes down. Especially when it happens to be his philanthropic effort, The Kanye West Foundation. The Foundation due to a financial downturn has been abandoned.

The mission statement for this foundation, according to the official website, is to “help combat the severe dropout problem in schools across the United States by partnering with community organizations to provide under-served youth access to music production programs that will enable them to unleash their creative ability and reach their full potential.”

However now that things are done, the foundation’s former executive director, Joseph Collins, had sent out an email expressing his need for employment. According to The New York Times, Collins wrote:

I am reaching out to let you know that the Kanye West Foundation (kanyewestfoundation.org) has officially closed it doors after a successful 4+ years of programming and events … It has been an incredible experience working with Kanye and the board to realize his mother’s vision and I am honored to have been given the opportunity to lead the Foundation

When Collins was contacted, he simply told New York Times to contact Mr. West himself. So far, no one has heard a word from Yeezy.

As far as funds go, the charity filed for taxes as if it were a private foundation, but it does not appear to have been financed by Mr. West. In fact businesses that were working with West were the ones providing the money.

The charity raised an average of $492,000 and made total grants averaging $18,080 in each of 2007, 2008 and 2009, the last year for which tax forms are available. In 2009, the grants suffered drastically: the charity made just $563 in grants. The foundation was founded by his mother Donda West, who passed in 2007, Dr. West was an English professor who “was passionate about student success.”