America prides itself on being a philanthropic nation, helping those in need. Yet the right wing has been relentlessly attacking Hillary Clinton for raising money for universities, such as the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and donating her university speaking fees to the Clinton Foundation. It has already been reported that Hillary Clinton’s speech at a fundraiser for the UNLV Foundation has already helped raise $353,000 for the university’s nonprofit foundation, even though the event is many months away and individual tickets aren’t yet available for sale.
- “The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Foundation can afford Hillary Clinton’s much-debated $225,000 fee to speak at its annual fundraising dinner, having sold out the Oct. 13 event’s best tables at $20,000-a-pop.” [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/9/14]
- “The foundation has already sold $353,000 in high-dollar seats and expects to make a profit from the event at Bellagio for only the third time in its history, UNLV spokesman Tony Allen said Wednesday.”[Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/9/14]
- Secretary Clinton’s speech “has done exactly what the UNLV Foundation hoped it would: generate interest in the dinner and sell tables.” [Steve Sebelius, Las Vegas Review-Journal column, 7/4/14]
Hillary Clinton donates her university speaking fees to the Clinton Foundation, a philanthropic organization that funds programs to help people throughout this great nation and all over the world. Here are just a few examples of the life-changing programs funded by the Clinton Foundation:
- Job One: helps young people find jobs.
- Too Small To Fail: helps improve the health and well-being of children ages zero to five.
- No Ceilings: helps encourage the full participation for women and girls in the 21st century.
- Clinton Health Access Initiative: works to expand access to HIV/AIDS medications throughout the world.
The world is a better place because of philanthropic programs like these. Instead of criticizing philanthropy, the right wing should be encouraging it.