onePULSE Foundation does not plan to return individual donations after canceling museum plans
onePULSE not returning individual donations
The onePULSE Foundation announced it was giving money back to Orange County last Friday after giving up on a plan to build a multi-million-dollar museum. The $3 million spent on design can't be recovered, but the $3.5 million property will be given to the county. The foundation says it won't be giving back any individual donations they've received over the years.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The onePULSE Foundation announced it was giving money back to Orange County last Friday after giving up on a plan to build a multi-million-dollar museum.
The $3 million spent on design can't be recovered, but the $3.5 million property will be given to the county. The foundation says it won't be giving back any individual donations they've received over the years.
"The Foundation has never had a plan to return funds to individual donors, as those gifts have already been used appropriately, whether they were restricted or unrestricted gifts," onePULSE told FOX 35 in an email.
Restricted donations go towards a specific project and unrestricted ones go towards whatever the foundation needs. According to records from 2022, individuals gave $506,220 in unrestricted donations and $40,075 restricted to certain projects. Records don't specify which projects the money went to.
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Since the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub seven years ago, Jimmy D’Ambrosia has been traveling from Chicago to volunteer. He sold pins, flags, and coffee mugs and donated the proceeds to onePULSE.
D’Ambrosia says he's not asking for any money back, but he doesn't plan to give more until he knows it's going directly to a memorial or to survivors.
"If another fund, charity fund is developed, and we absolutely know that it’s going to go for the memorial and anything related to the memorial without the onePULSE Foundation being involved, and I know for sure that money is going to go to a good cause, I would continue to do something," D’Ambrosia said.
For now, he's looking for an apology or explanation.
"I still respect and love Barb and the onePULSE Foundation," D’Ambrosia said referring to Pulse's former owner Barbara Poma. "Unfortunately, things take a turn that are unexpected. It happens all the time in life. But sometimes you have to answer for those, for things that you’ve done or things that have happened."
At one point, the foundation was taking $49 donations for people to have their picture added to an art project at the planned museum.
OnePULSE told FOX 35 News it specified on its website that money could also go towards things like operations, education, outreach or their annual scholarship program.