Recently, it was circulated on social media that interim government chief advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus donated $70,000 to the Jewish Community Foundation through his organization Grameen America. The circulated posts included a video where, through screen recording, a webpage from the Jewish Community Foundation Los Angeles’ website was shown, displaying a $70,000 grant under the name of Grameen America.
See Facebook posts spreading such claims here (Archive), and Here (Archive).
Fact Check
The Rumor Scanner Team’s investigation found that the claim that Dr. Yunus’ Grameen America donated $70,000 to Israel through the Jewish Community Foundation is not correct. In reality, the Jewish Community Foundation Los Angeles donated $70,000 to Grameen America in 2018, aimed at investing in and improving the economic empowerment of low-income women entrepreneurs in the Pico Union and Boyle Heights areas of Los Angeles, USA through financial education and group-based microloans. In other words, the situation is completely the opposite.
In the investigation, by observing the Jewish Community Foundation Los Angeles’ website shown in the video attached to the viral post, it is found that in 2018, a $70,000 grant to Grameen America is mentioned. The stated purpose of the grant reads: “Grameen in Los Angeles works to invest in and improve the economic mobility of low-income entrepreneurial women in Pico Union and Boyle Heights through financial education and group-based microloans.”
Further investigation led to a report published on December 6, 2018, on the Jewish Community Foundation Los Angeles’ website titled “Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles Awards Nearly A Half-Million Dollars To Help People Overcome Barriers To Employment“. This report states that “The Jewish Community Foundation Los Angeles announced a record-high General Community Grants distribution of $490,000.” These grants were awarded to seven organizations helping low-income individuals overcome employment barriers, find jobs, and even start or expand their businesses. The grantee organizations create opportunities for marginalized residents of Los Angeles to re-enter the workforce, change their lives, and move towards self-sufficiency.
Each of the organizations that received the 2018 General Community Grants was awarded $70,000 over two years. Grameen America was included on that list.
Grameen America received a grant for its “Grameen in Los Angeles” program. The grant aimed to invest in and improve the economic capacity of low-income entrepreneurial women in Pico Union and Boyle Heights through financial education and group-based microloans.
Additionally, the report mentions about the Jewish Community Foundation: “The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles was established in 1954. It manages charitable assets exceeding $1.25 billion from over 1,300 families and ranks among the top 10 foundations in Los Angeles. It partners with donors to develop meaningful philanthropic strategies, exponentially increases the impact of their giving, and builds enduring charitable legacies. In 2017, the Foundation and its donors distributed $100 million in grants to over 2,600 nonprofits whose programs span the full spectrum of philanthropic giving. Over the past 25 years, it has granted more than $1 billion to thousands of nonprofits across diverse fields.” (translated)
Thus, it is confirmed that the mentioned $70,000 was not given by Grameen America but was given to Grameen America. Moreover, no credible evidence was found regarding Grameen America donating to the Jewish Community Foundation.
It should also be noted that the circulated posts claim Dr. Yunus did not donate to or contribute to Palestine either. However, the investigation found several organizations and projects associated with Dr. Yunus are active in Palestine, such as: Grameen Foundation, Yunus Social Business Center and Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation.
Therefore, the claim that Dr. Yunus donated $70,000 to Israel through the Jewish Community Foundation, based on the $70,000 grant given to Grameen America by the Jewish Community Foundation Los Angeles for empowering low-income entrepreneurial women in Los Angeles, is false.
Sources
- Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles – Grameen in Los Angeles
- Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles – Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles Awards Nearly A Half-Million Dollars To Help People Overcome Barriers To Employment
