According to the 990 form, Gagas foundation, which she launched in 2011, spent more than $406,000 on legal fees, around $9,000 on office expenses, $50,000 on website design and some $150,000 on philanthropic consulting in 2012. These functional expenses sound huge, especially if you interpret Gagas comparatively measly five grand as her only charitable gift. However, a deeper assessment of the document reveals that the $1.3 million in program expensesthe costs of operating her charitable causeswas spent on three key projects.
Her Born to Be Brave bus tour, which traveled across the country to provide therapy and mental health education to young people; the development of a youth outreach program that would build up after-school programs; and the creation of a youth advisory board summit, whose goal was to reflect and magnify the strength, determination, creativity and capacity of our youth all got the benefit of these funds. The fact that Gaga gave only $5,000 in the form of a grant is not so important; doling out cash isnt the only way to give back.
