Page Nav

HIDE
Sunday, December 29

Pages

Classic Header

Breaking News:
latest

Time's Up charities set up by celebrities as part of Me Too movement spent $1.4m on salaries, $157k on conferences at luxury resorts and just $312k helping victims of sexual harassment

  Time's Up, the organization set up to fight sexual harassment in the work place in the wake of the #MeToo movement, spent the bulk of ...

 Time's Up, the organization set up to fight sexual harassment in the work place in the wake of the #MeToo movement, spent the bulk of its donations of executive salaries and only a fraction on legal costs to help victims in its first year, records show.

Tax filings show that the organization, which was founded by Hollywood celebrities and is made up from the Time's Up Foundation and Time's Up Now Inc., raised $3,670,219 in 2018 in its first year of operation.

However, less than 10% was spent on helping those women who have experienced sexual harassment. 


Filings show $312,001 was spent on the legal defense fund while $1,407,032 was spent on salaries. 

And more than $157,000 was spent on conferences at luxury resorts, and a further $58,395 was spent on travel.

The organization brought in Hollywood heavyweights during the early days of its operation with Reese Witherspoon, Amy Schumer and Brie Larson holding positions on its board.  

Tax filings reveal Times' Up organization received $3,121,427 in contributions in 2018 in its first year of operation but spent $1,407,032 on salaries and $312,001 on helping victims

Tax filings reveal Times' Up organization received $3,121,427 in contributions in 2018 in its first year of operation but spent $1,407,032 on salaries and $312,001 on helping victims

Time's Up is a movement against sexual harassment and was founded on January 1, 2018, by Hollywood celebrities in response to the Weinstein effect and #MeToo Movement

Time's Up is a movement against sexual harassment and was founded on January 1, 2018, by Hollywood celebrities in response to the Weinstein effect and #MeToo Movement

Reese Witherspoon
Amy Schumer
Brie Larson

The organization brought in Hollywood heavyweights during the early days of its operation with Reese Witherspoon, left, Amy Schumer, center, and Brie Larson, right, 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.' 

 But huge amounts were spent on executive salaries instead of legal support.

Lisa Borders was recruited to head Time's Up but only spent four months at the organization after her 36-year-old son was accused of sexual misconduct. 

Nevertheless, 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.

And treasurer Rebecca Goldman drew a salary of $255,327. 

Former President & CEO of Time's Lisa Borders
Rachel Terrace

Lisa Borders, left, was recruited to head Time's Up but only spent four months at the organization after her 36-year-old son was accused of sexual misconduct. She drew $342,308 for her salary. The Chief Marketing Officer, Rachel Terrace, right, also managed to draw a salary of $295,000 for her efforts during the organization's first year

Tax filings detail 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.

But most of the defense fund money came from grants that had been made to the Women's Law Center, according to the New York Post.

Only a small proportion came from the Time's Up organizations with the Time's Up Foundation donating $132,575 to the fund and Time's Up Now, the lobbying end of the charity, handing over $179,426.   

Aside from executive compensation, tax filings show that Time's Up Now, which is the lobbying arm of the organization, was noted to have spent $157,155 on conferences 'designed to build community and spark critical conversations about gender equity.'

The conferences included a retreat at a luxury resort and spa in Ojai in June 2018 where a room for the night costs upwards of $400-a-night.

The conferences included a retreat at a luxury resort and spa in Ojai, pictured, in June 2018 where a room for the night costs upwards of $400-a-night

The conferences included a retreat at a luxury resort and spa in Ojai, pictured, in June 2018 where a room for the night costs upwards of $400-a-night

Despite having been in existence six months, those at the conference struggled to  decide what the organization's mission statement should be, according to one attendee who spoke to the New York Post.

It later changed from 'Let's clean up Hollywood' to 'We're going to help all workers.'' 

Aside from the pricey conferences at country retreats the organization details in its tax filings how it spent $288,007 on advertising, and $940,328 on legal costs. 

A huge chunk of that - $719,522 - went to Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, a law firm  that frequently lobbies on Capitol Hill.

A total of $112,435 was given to Rally, a public relations company, according to the tax filings. 

An email seeking comment to Time's Up has not yet been returned. 

Almost one million dollars was spent on legal fees to a global law firm with a strong lobbying arm on Capitol Hill while a further $100,000 were paid to a public relations firm

Almost one million dollars was spent on legal fees to a global law firm with a strong lobbying arm on Capitol Hill while a further $100,000 were paid to a public relations firm

Time's Up, which is based in California, was formed in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal in 2017, which saw famous names including Oprah Winfrey speak out alongside journalist and activist Gloria Steinem and actresses Jessica Chastain, Rosanna Arquette and Mira Sorvino.

Sorvino who now sits on Time's Up 'global leadership board' detailed how Weinstein sexually harassed her in a hotel room in 1995.

She helped spark the Me Too Movement, along with actress Alyssa Milano who tweeted and urged women to speak up if they had been sexually assaulted. 

Jessica Chastain
Mira Sorvino

Famous names including actress Jessica Chastain, left, and Mira Sorvino, right who detailed how she was abused by Weinstein in a hotel room in 1995 spoke out in support of the organization

Actress Alyssa Milano's tweet, pictured, which urged women to speak up if they had been sexually assaulted sparked the Me Too Movement.

Actress Alyssa Milano's tweet, pictured, which urged women to speak up if they had been sexually assaulted sparked the Me Too Movement.

The tweet captured the spirit of the movement with thousands of women responding 'Me Too'

The tweet captured the spirit of the movement with thousands of women responding 'Me Too'

Meanwhile, Oprah's rallying cry at the Golden Globes in January 2018 saw her make an impassioned speech from which the Time's Up name was conjured.  

'For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men. But, their time is up. Their time is up. Their time is up.' 

It led to thousands of women sharing details of the times they had been sexually assaulted.