It’s been over a month since Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey pledged to give away $1 billion of his $4.7 billion fortune towards COVID-19 relief.
While a lot of people praised and supported his decision, there were also some who doubted his intentions. Recent updates on his philanthropic efforts seem to prove his detractors wrong.
Here’s a quick breakdown of which organizations and causes Dorsey picked to give away million to.
Fulfilling Promises
So far, the 43-year-old billionaire has reportedly dispersed over $87 million. He donated various amounts to numerous causes and charitable organizations through the charity fund he created called Start Small LLC.
His donations went to organizations involved in advocacies tackling HIV/AIDS, pandemic-related domestic violence, and refugees. He also notably sent monetary aid to the frontliners in Detroit and Flint in Michigan.
It can be remembered that Flint is still reeling from the water crisis it faced a couple of years back. That said one of Dorsey’s largest donations went to the DigDeep Navajo Water Project, a movement whose goal is to give water access to the Navajo people in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico.
Staying Accountable
All of the organizations Dorsey contributed to are listed in a Google Spreadsheet for the purpose of transparency.
Looking at the public spreadsheet, the billionaire’s largest donation ($15 million) went to Give2SF, a San Francisco-based platform where people can donate money to fund a variety of organizations. He made $10 million donations to the Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), the Oakland Public Education Fund, REFORM Alliance, and Project 100.
Dorsey also made a significant contribution to the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s emergency fund for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Some experts on the topic of HIV/AIDS have noted how the current health crisis may negatively affect the efforts to treat and contain the spread of HIV, which is also contagious.
Post-Pandemic Plans
In the end though, a significant part of Dorsey’s $1 billion pledge may not go towards causes related to the coronavirus. He has expressed his plans of using the fund to focus on other issues such as universal basic income as well as ensuring the health and education of girls all over the world.
The tech businessman identified these two causes as the best long-term solutions to the world’s biggest problems. Dorsey also emphasized how the well-being of girls is critical to balance.