Time's Up charities spent $1.4M on salaries, $157K on conferences at luxury resorts from the $3.6M raised in 2018
The #MeToo movement rocked the world in 2017. It began with many celebrities calling out Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein for sexual harassment, and turned into a movement where people across the globe shared their horrors of molestation, and inappropriate behaviour. The organisation Times Up was set up to fight sexual harassment in the workplace. However, records show that the organization spent a bulk of its donations on executive salaries, and only a fraction on legal costs to help victims in its first year.
Tax filings show that the organization, which was founded by Hollywood celebrities and consists of Time's Up Foundation and Time's Up Now Inc., raised $3,670,219 in 2018 in its first year of operation. Less than 10% was spent on helping survivors of sexual harassment. Filings show $312,001 was spent on the legal defense fund while $1,407,032 was spent on salaries. More than $157,000 was spent on conferences at luxury resorts, and a further $58,395 was spent on travel. The organization had brought in the elite Hollywood stars during the early days of its operation with Reese Witherspoon, Amy Schumer and Brie Larson holding positions on its board.
The tax filings detail the mission of Time's Up Now as being "to promote safe, fair and dignified work for women of all kinds. We work to make sure that women are free from harassment and other forms of discrimination on the job, have equal opportunity for economic security and can achieve the highest positions of power wherever they work."
Instead, excessive amounts were spent on salaries instead of legal support. Lisa Borders was recruited to head Time's Up, but remained at the organization for only four months, after her 36-year-old son was accused of sexual misconduct. Yet, the CEO managed to pull in $342,308 for her salary. The chief marketing officer, Rachel Terrace, drew a salary of $295,000 for her efforts during the organization's first year. Treasurer Rebecca Goldman drew a salary of $255,327.
Tax filings mentions how "3,000 individuals" were helped by the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund between January and June 2018 at a cost of $1,747,635.
Sadly, most of the defense fund money emerged from grants that had been made to the Women's Law Center, according to the New York Post.
Only a small percentage came from the Time's Up organizations with the Time's Up Foundation donating $132,575 to the fund and Time's Up Now, handing over $179,426. $157,155 was spent on conferences, which were "designed to build community and spark critical conversations about gender equity."
The conferences included a stay at a luxury resort and spa in Ojai in June 2018, where a room costs 400 dollars a night. According to an attendee who spoke to the New York Post, the conference was unable to decide what the organization's mission was. It was changed from 'Let's Clean Up Hollywood' to 'Let's Help All Workers'. The tax filings also show that $288,007 was spent on advertising, and $940,328 on legal costs.