Is it possible that widely praised philanthropist and media renegade Jane Fonda isn’t so charitable after all?
According to documents first unveiled by The Smoking Gun, the Fonda Foundation – of which the 75-year-old actress serves as president and chairman of the board – hasn’t donated a dime to charity over the last five years, according to its filed federal tax returns.
While the 2011 return is void of donations, it seems the four years prior are too. And in 2006, the group made one single $1000 donation to the Atlanta Obstetric and Gynecology Society.
But the apparent lack of financial donations also indicates that the Fonda Foundation, which is based in Atlanta, could be in serious trouble with the Internal Revenue Service, which requires that private foundations make annual distributions of at least five percent of its assets.
As the Smoking Gun explains, the “five percent rule” is designed to prohibit such private groups from stockpiling and investing funds while failing to make donations and fulfill its intended purpose.
This means that Fonda’s organization should have dished out a bare minimum of $40,000 in 2011, yet the document filing remains glaringly blank. Raising more eyebrows is the alleged notion that the group has attempted to grow its financial value through the stock market, as evidenced by the 2011 filing, which lists 166 separate trades totaling around $2200.
The filing also claims that Fonda devotes ten hours per week to working for her foundation.
“This looks awful. No way around it. It looks like Jane Fonda doesn't care and she is involved in the foundation just to make herself look good,” crisis communications specialist Glenn Selig told FOX411. “Unfortunately, not donating anything makes her look bad.”
A representative for Fonda did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What a fucking c*nt.
