The troubled Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has been suspended from Amazon’s charity platform for failing to disclose the whereabouts of tens of millions of dollars in donations. The money was received nearly two years ago.
An Amazon spokesperson told the Post, AmazonSmile, which gives a portion of eligible purchases on the online shopping site to charities, said it “had to temporarily suspend” the group.
“States have rules for nonprofits, and organizations participating in AmazonSmile need to meet those rules,” the spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, this organization fell out of compliance with the rules in several states, so we’ve had to temporarily suspend them from the program until they come into compliance.”
The spokesperson said, “until they are back in compliance,” Amazon plans to hold any funds that have accumulated for BLMGNF. According to its website, Amazon has raised more than $300 million for charities.
According to documents filed with the California attorney general, in October 2020, BLMGNF took in more than $65 million in donations from Thousand Currents, a charity that manages assets of grassroots nonprofits.
So far the organization has failed to disclose the location of the cash. Several states have revoked their ability to collect donations due to the missing money. Earlier this month, in California, where the group is based, the state’s Department of Justice warned its leaders they would be “personally responsible” for any delinquency fees and fines.
The federal tax filing for BLMGNF was released on Feb. 11. Its accounting period was changed from a calendar year to a fiscal year. During the January-to-June reporting period, no contributions or grants were shown on the filing. It’s likely the group has another year to file its return for the remainder of 2020.
BLMGNF has not responded to emails or calls.