Donations after mass shootings don't go entirely to the victims
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Photos of Club Q shooting victims at a memorial in Colorado Springs. From left, Kelly Loving, Derrick Rump, Ashley Paugh, Raymond Green Vance and Daniel Davis Aston. Photo: Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post
Whether the millions in donations collected after the Club Q attack will reach the victims and their families remains uncertain, highlighting the challenges for helping those impacted by mass shootings.
The latest: The Colorado Healing Fund — a victim-advocate nonprofit started with state dollars in 2018 — tells Axios Denver it's received more than $2 million in commitments for donations related to the Nov. 19 shooting at the gay nightclub in Colorado Springs.
- About 10% — or $220,000 in cash disbursements — has gone to the relatives of the five people who were killed and the 24 who were injured, officials report. Another $125,000 went to cover the cost of immediate needs, such as travel and lodging.
- The money is distributed through third-party partners. The sum each person has received is not released to protect victim privacy, executive director Jordan Finegan said.
Why it matters: Gov. Jared Polis and nonprofit officials have endorsed the Healing Fund as the primary resource for victim assistance.
- But the group's distribution of contributions has been being closely scrutinized, with the community questioning who's making the decisions about where the money actually goes and associated nonprofit administrative fees.
What's new: In response to criticism, the Healing Fund emphasized its commitment to transparency and Cynthia Coffman, a volunteer board member and the state's former attorney general, defended the need to charge fees to run its operation.
- Three unnamed organizations also donated an undisclosed sum to cover administrative costs, and the fund is forming a local advisory board to help determine how the money is divided.
- A separate GoFundMe account set up after the shooting will give all contributions to the victims, the organizer announced.
The backstory: In the aftermath of the 2021 Boulder shooting at the King Soopers, the Healing Fund raised about $4.8 million for victims, records show
- About half the total went to the 31 named victims and families of the 10 killed, according to Healing Fund financial records. Another $603,000 covered victims' costs for travel, lodging and other basic needs. And roughly $1 million went to provide mental health support for those impacted, officials said.
- The fund kept about $200,000 in administrative fees.
At least four victims' families from the 2021 attack questioned how the money was distributed and called for an independent monitor.
- The Healing Fund and other groups that collected money on behalf of victims said at the time the needs went beyond those in the store to the community at large.
What to watch: In an interview Thursday, Finegan said the organization keeps in mind the victims' immediate needs — present and future — such as during a trial. Every tragedy is different, she added, so it's unclear what percent of the Club Q donations go directly to victims and relatives.
- "We have to continue to be very flexible," she said.
She added it takes time for donations and pledges from corporations to arrive. At the start of the month, none of the roughly $2 million had been received into the organization's bank account.