Despite Raising $21M for Charity, Hillsong Gave Their Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Org. Only $42
The Hillsong Foundation is a “charitable foundation that exists to finance the outworking of Hillsong Church’s vision.” Through the Hillsong Foundation, “Hillsong is able to partner with like-minded non-profit organisations across the globe in an effort to bring care and justice to vulnerable groups in the name of Jesus.” Because it is listed as a charity, all giving toward the Hillsong Foundation is tax-deductible. Much of the money is raised during the “Heart for the House” offering, an “annual, sacrificial offering that is over and above our tithes and offerings.”
Each year Hillsong raises around $21M on the back of these heavily promoted ministries, Hillsong Africa Foundation, Vision Rescue India, A21, One80TC, and others, frequently showcasing them as the excellent work they are doing in the world. Despite the tens of millions raised, only 4% went to these charities– each one getting around 1% of the money raised and the rest being squirreled away to other endeavors.
What of the rest? Hillsong Kerfufle (HK) explains:
“If only 4% of money raised through the Hillsong Foundation are going to all four not-for-profits combined, where is the rest of the money going??
Basically to Hillsong, apart from the Bushfire Appeal ($1,387,798) which were designated funds. By law they could not use that money for anything else. And the Sisterhood and BWC (Because We Can) initiatives were also designated funds – $599,258. BCW initiatives only raised about 3% of the total funds raised through the Hillsong Foundation, and these went to a number of different charities, so the breakdown is even smaller for each charity.One ministry that falls under the Hillsong Foundation is the Sisterhood Because We Can initiatives in 2019 (the last column on the right) and 2020 (the second last column on the right). These were designated funds – meaning they were raised for a specific purpose and could not be spent elsewhere.”
Hillsong raised over $21M in each 2019 and 2020, but did they spend it all on their charities? Not even close. Hillsong did not voluntarily give these extra designated funds to organizations like Watoto and Compassion- ministries that they were partnered with and promoted.
What is Watoto that they might have given more to? It is a ministry founded in 1994 that operates out of Sudan. They create safe villages for children to grow up in, providing education, medicine, safety, and church life. Part of Watoto is Baby Watoto, which cares for young babies and orphans. Despite promoting Watoto and even having a splash page on the Hillsong’s site, it received less than crumbs, as did many more.
In 2019, $2548 (0.01%) was given to Baby Watoto, and none given in 2020.
$6333 was donated to the Keep a Girl in School project run by Watoto (0.02%).
$544 was spent on Compassion toilets (0.002%) in 2019 and none in 2020.
$28,430 was raised for World Vision Emergency Relief in 2019 (0.1%).
$91 was spent on McGrath bracelets (for Breast Cancer Awareness) in 2019 and none in 2020.
$25,613 (0.01%) was donated in 2019 to the Preemptive Love Coalition, which works in war-torn countries such as Syria, to supply emergency relief and help rebuild structures. None was donated in 2020.
$39,127 (just under 0.02%) was raised for the Hillsong Africa Foundation Literacy program. The money buys books for schools.
These meager morsels were given even as they transfered millions from their charity fund to fuel “Media and Arts prjects like conferences,” and even as they had a surplus of nearly $8M each year.
And then there is Compassion FGM. (Female Genital Mutilation)
Not only did Hillsong CHARGE Compassion over $1M a year to partner with them and allow them to have booths at their conferences, but a mere $42 was raised by Hillsong and donated to Compassion FGM (Compassion’s program to fight against female genital mutilation).
That’s 0.0001% of the total money raised through the Hillsong Foundation.
$42 donated, despite Bobbie Houston saying that her pet ministry Color Sisterhood is ‘passionate” about the issue. $42 donated, despite showing congregants gut-wrenching videos like this one which reveals the horrors of genital mutilation. $4 donated, despite saying that they “support local people’s efforts to eradicate this issue.”
Priorities, priorities, priorities.
For more Hillsong shennanigans, see:
Top 10 Most Expensive Meals Brian and Bobbie Houston Expensed to the Church (Number 4 is $2433.38)
Top 10 Luxury Hotels Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Spoiler: The Cheapest is $8457.42)
Top 10 Weirdest Things Hillsong Leaders Expensed to the Church (Number 7 is $1467.28 for a Single Uber Ride)
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I wonder when the International Day of Zero Tolerance for MALE Genital Mutilation is going to be.
Good point. I also wonder when the Day of Zero Tolerance for Hillsong and their Dreadful Music will be held? Why otherwise sound churches continue to funnel royalties back to this Jezebel religion is beyond comprehension. Just about every royalty dollar goes to feeding these rapacious wolves.
Hillsong’s financial records are a train wreck.
It used to be Churches were to be a model for charity. Now they have become the model for greed.
Despicable