Damar Hamlin says he’ll use $10m in gifts donated after cardiac arrest to fund his own non-profit

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will use the $10 million given by well-wishers to online fundraising campaigns following his collapse on the field to fund his own non-profit organization, the Chasing M’s Foundation.

The decision, first shared with The Associated Press on Monday, kicks off the 25-year-old’s plan for the unprecedented outpouring of support he received after his heart gave out following a tackle during Monday Night Football competition in January.

“We have been very deliberate and intentional in taking our time to properly set up my charity,” Hamlin said in a statement. “I’m excited to start sharing news about programs we’re creating to impact and give back to a generation of young people.”

That people continue to give to the fundraiser weekly, if not daily, is just one measure of the emotional strength and connection Hamlin has with so many.

To date, they’ve donated more than $9 million to a GoFundMe campaign and nearly $1 million to a second online fundraiser set up by The Giving Back Fund, a non-profit organization that helps athletes and celebrities manage their charitable giving. said Kelley Denny, a spokesperson for Hamlin’s charity.

Hamlin’s marketing representative said in January that his family arranged for The Giving Back Fund to act as a fiscal sponsor for the funds given to GoFundMe, allowing Hamlin’s team to raise money as a charitable trust.

At the time, Hamlin’s team said that the millions given to the GoFundMe would eventually be transferred to The Giving Back Fund, but that didn’t happen.

Last week the news center Sportico reported on turmoil within The Giving Back Fund, caused in part by whether donations to Hamlin’s GoFundMe are charitable donations.

Marc Pollick, CEO of The Giving Back Fund, challenged the accuracy of Sportico’s reporting in a statement, saying the organization’s leadership “has always acted ethically, properly and legally.”

“My charity is not connected to the challenges facing the leadership of The Giving Back Fund,” Hamlin said in the statement, adding, “Donors will have full tax-exempt status.”

Hamlin first started Chasing M’s Foundation in May 2020, when he was still a student playing at the University of Pittsburgh, and filed for retroactive tax-exempt status last month, according to Denny. It was founded as a non-profit corporation in Pennsylvania.

Experts say whether the donors can claim tax deductions for what they gave to GoFundMe after his injury may depend on decisions made by the IRS.

Philadelphia attorney Don Kramer, who edits the Nonprofit Issues website, said the IRS has discretion to retroactively recognize Hamlin’s nonprofit as tax-exempt.

That’s despite the fact, Kramer said, the limit for applying for retroactive status is usually 27 months after an organization is founded.

Few donors to Hamlin’s GoFundMe are likely to have a significant interest in claiming tax deductions for their donation.

Because of changes in tax law created in 2017, only those who itemize their taxes, about 11% of filers, can claim deductions for charitable contributions.

“I think the public needs to be educated a little bit more about checking when they’re giving money and whether they really think they’re giving it tax-deductible,” said Lisa Delpy Neirotti, director of sports management programs at George Washington University School of Business.

She encouraged GoFundMe to make a clearer distinction between fundraisers set up by tax-exempt organizations and those that are not.

GoFundMe confirmed they will keep the money given to Hamlin’s campaign and said fundraisers specify when they will benefit charitable organizations.

Records filed with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State show that Hamlin filed a May 1 application to update Chasing M’s bylaws, including her mission statement.

Chasing M’s Foundation supports “the aspirations of youth and community members through sports, education” and other activities and “promotes health and safety in sports through CPR and AED training.”

Neirotti usually advises athletes to partner with large organizations that are already working on the causes they care about, rather than starting their own non-profit organization. But she said the windfall of having millions of dollars all at once is unusual.

“With that amount of money, you could really put it in an endowment that will last forever, well past his playing time,” she said of Hamlin.

Since being released from the hospital, Hamlin has teamed up with the American Heart Association for a campaign to teach a basic version of CPR.

He has also met with President Joe Biden at the White House and advocated access to defibrillators in schools with congressional leaders.

In April, Hamlin announced he wanted to play again and has been cleared to practice with the Bills.

Lora Golke, who leads donor engagement at the Arizona Community Foundation, said many athletes and their families often underestimate the amount of work required to run a nonprofit or foundation and the expertise and knowledge required.

“At the same time, you should not forget that he is an athlete and is expected to do his job. His work is not philanthropy,” Golke said.

Her organization started a sports and philanthropy center to provide advice to former athletes settling in the state and key teams on how to make a difference in that community.

In his first public statements posted in a video posted to social media on Jan. 28, Hamlin thanked those who gave money to the fundraiser, but added, “I know it’s not enough just to be thankful.

“This is just the beginning of the impact I wanted to have on the world and with God’s guidance I will continue to do great and wonderful things.”