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Damar Hamlin's charity sponsor, the Giving Back Fund, might be in hot water. Hamlin's charity, which is a toy drive, received an incredible spike in attention after the safety suffered a cardiac arrest on the field. In total, it received a $9 million influx.
The Giving Back Fund hails a pristine reputation. They have a perfect score on Charity Navigator. They work with a ton of high-profile celebrities successfully. They've partnered with the NFL and NFLPA and have good relationships there.
Unfortunately, behind the curtain there is an organization in disarray and struggling to meet its own reputation. They had a falling out with their legal counsel and witnessed the resignation of multiple board members. There was also a complaint by a current employee about GBF founder and CEO Marc Pollick, a familiar refrain.
Additionally, there was internal strife over the $9 million from Damar Hamlin's charity. Whether or not they would have to pay to give tax letters to donors and how to pay things out was a real debate and threw the whole thing into jeopardy.
Damar Hamlin's charity in trouble
That's not the only thing facing Damar Hamlin's charity runners, though. Pollick said in a statement via Sportico:
“We will always seek to improve, but I can share unequivocally that this organization operates with integrity and compassion and has truly made the world a better place. I know an organization doing good isn’t necessarily the news you’re looking for, but it is our news, and we are very proud of it.”
The whistleblower who mentioned the CEO detailed his complaint:
“A great many times he would have me book his trips without confirming the schedules of the other parties. Booking at the last minute, but demanding the best prices only to cancel the flight again the day before, sometimes lying to say he had Covid. I was not comfortable lying for him, so he would have me patch him in after waiting on hold. I booked and canceled the same pre-BGBG trip for him around 5 separate times.
“Employees are scared of his retribution. Employees scramble to clean up the messes his unprofessional and accusatory emails cause with clients. Instead of giving anyone the benefit of the doubt, his emails frequently begin with accusations. People, myself included, do not want to be promoted because it would mean spending more time with Marc. He seems to believe everyone is trying to scam him.”
Things do not appear to be as rosy as they seem with the Giving Back Fund.
