Colin Kaepernick is making good on his pledge to donate $1 million

UPDATE—Colin Kaepernick made a promise and this quarterback has certainly put his money where his mouth is. It was just last September during a postgame news conference, when the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback — who has still not been signed with any team this season — pledged to donate $1 million to different organizations of his choice.

“I will donate $1 million plus all the proceeds of my jersey sales from the 2016 season to organizations working in oppressed communities — $100,000 a month for 10 months,” he said.

It appears he’s doing just that. Kaepernick unveiled his website, which cites nine months of his 10-month promise. The site houses an itemized list that informs visitors where the money was distributed. He said he started the website “to make sure not only that I’m transparent in what I’m doing, but that these organizations are transparent with where the money is going as well.”

From October 2016 until June, $900,000 of the $1 million is accounted for. According to his website, Kaepernick’s mission is to fight oppression of all kinds globally through education and social activism. He also held a Know Your Rights camp for young people in Oakland, California, during the 49ers’ bye week in 2016 to raise awareness on higher education, self-empowerment and instruction to properly interact with law enforcement in various scenarios.

In June, $25,000 was donated to DREAM (Formerly RBI Harlem) in New York. The donation will specifically pay for $10,000 for baseball and softball supplies including balls, bats, gloves, uniforms to help 100 kids, $10,000 for college trips for 54 students (and chaperones) for an entire grade of middle-school students, $6,000 for food and overnight lodging, $4,000 for bus expense and $5,000 for laptops for the ninth-grade class at DREAM charter school. Another $25,000 went to Coalition for the Homeless in New York to pay for food programs and crisis intervention. Kaepernick donated $25,000 to War on Children in New York and the last $25,000 helps United We Dream for immigrant youths.

In May, Kaepernick donated $34,000 to The Dreamville Foundation in Fayetteville, North Carolina, $33,000 to the Lower East Side Girls Club in New York City and $33,000 to 100 Suits For 100 Men in Jamaica, New York.

April’s donations included $25,000 to Assata’s Daughters, a Chicago group that focuses on black female empowerment. After making substantial donations to Chicago-based charities in November 2016, Kaepernick vowed to donate more funds to the area.

“I’ll continue to look at other communities in Chicago, as well, as far as what are ways I can help and what are ways I can try to help empower those communities,” he said.

Besides the contribution to Assata’s Daughters, $25,000 was given to H.O.M.E. (Helping Oppressed Mothers Endure) in Lithonia, Georgia, $25,000 went to Grassroots Leadership in Austin, Texas, and the last $25,000 for the month went to American Friends Service Committee in Phoenix.

In March, Kaepernick donated $50,000 to Life After Hate in Chicago, $25,000 each to Leaders Of A Beautiful Struggle in Baltimore and SilenceIsViolence in New Orleans. These funds went to directly support to families affected by violent crime (funeral expenses, rent, utilities, groceries, counseling, and child care).

February saw some cold months around the globe, which prompted Kaepernick to think about food for those in need. He donated $50,000 to Meals on Wheels and $50,000 to Somalia Famine Relief’s GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign.

In January Kaepernick gave $25,000 to Black Veterans For Social Justice in Brooklyn, New York, $25,000 to 350.org in Brooklyn, $25,000 to the Center For Reproductive Rights in New York and $25,000 to the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles in Los Angeles.

In December, Kaepernick decided to share his wealth with UCSF for The Mni Wiconi Health Clinic Partnership at Standing Rock with a donation of $50,000, then $25,000 each for Appetite For Changein Minneapolis and Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation in Chicago.

In October 2016, Kaepernick dished out gifts of $25,000 each to the Silicon Valley De-Bug, Causa Justa/Just Cause, Urban Underground and Mothers Against Police Brutality. In November, besides his gift of $25,000 to the BYP100, he donated equal amounts to Gathering For Justice/ Justice League, Communities United for Police Reform and the I Will Not Die Young Campaign.

Original Story:

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made a promise, and so far he’s making good on it. He caught the eyes of the nation this season when he made the decision to kneel, as opposed to standing, during the national anthem before games in protest of racial inequality. During a postgame news conference in September, Kaepernick pledged to donate $1 million to different organizations of his choice.

“I will donate $1 million plus all the proceeds of my jersey sales from the 2016 season to organizations working in oppressed communities — $100,000 a month for 10 months,” he said.

It appears he’s doing just that. At the end of November, he announced that he made a donation of $25,000 to the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100) organization, which is “dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all black people,” according to its website.

Kaepernick recently unveiled his website, which details his donations. The site houses an itemized list that informs visitors as to where the money was distributed. He said he started the website “to make sure not only that I’m transparent in what I’m doing, but that these organizations are transparent with where the money is going, as well.”

So far, $200,000 of the $1 million has been allocated. In October, Kaepernick dished out gifts of $25,000 each to the Silicon Valley De-Bug, Causa Justa/Just Cause, Urban Underground and Mothers Against Police Brutality. In November, in addition to his gift of $25,000 to the BYP100, he donated equal amounts to Gathering For Justice/ Justice League, Communities United for Police Reform and the I Will Not Die Young Campaign.

Kaepernick told reporters on Wednesday that there may be more donations for Chicago groups in the future.

“I’ll continue to look at other communities in Chicago, as well, as far as what are ways I can help and what are ways I can try to help empower those communities,” he said.

According to his website, Kaepernick’s mission is to fight oppression of all kinds globally, through education and social activism. He held a “Know Your Rights” camp for young people in Oakland, California, during his team’s bye week to raise awareness on higher education, self-empowerment and instruction to properly interact with law enforcement in various scenarios.