The “Kanye West Foundation” Closes It’s Doors

Top Stories | hiphopucit | April 21, 2011 at 8:19 am

The Kanye West Foundation has shut down.

Joseph Collins, former executive of the Kanye West Foundation, recently revealed that the charity has closed its doors.

Geared towards reducing high school dropout rates, the charity appears to be no more.

“I am reaching out to let you know that the Kanye West Foundation (kanyewestfoundation.org) has officially closed it doors after a successful 4+ years of programming and events,”

wrote Collins in an e-mail, according to The New York Times.

“It has been an incredible experience working with Kanye and the board to realize his mother’s vision and I am honored to have been given the opportunity to lead the Foundation.”

No details have been given about the charity’s closing, though the Times article did point out several incongruities.

First, the charity does not appear to have been funded by Kanye, even though it filed tax forms as if it were a private foundation.

Additionally, the charity raised an average of $492,000, and made total grants averaging $18,080 in 2007, 2008 and 2009, bottoming out at only $563 in the last year.

The rapper’s Kanye West Foundation closed its doors after four years in existence, according to a former employee of the non-profit, which was at one time headed by the late rapper’s mother, Dr. Donda West.

A former executive director for the company sent out an email to colleagues making the announcement.

The foundation’s productivity appeared to flounder after the death of Dr. West, who died in 2007 from complications of plastic surgery.

Kanye was unavailable for comment.