US government grants Kemi Adeosun's Dash Me Foundation tax-free charitable status

FORMER finance minister Kemi Adeosun has enjoyed a significant breakthrough in her quest to expand the activities of her charity Dash Me into the US after the government announced that all its activities will be exempt from paying tax from henceforth.

After resigning from office in 2018 over a National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) certificate saga, Ms Adeosun bounced bank into the limelight with the launch of Dash Me last year. At the time, she said the Dash Me Foundation and its online thrift-for-charity initiative known as Dash Me Store were established to give hope and better life to the vulnerable and needy people in Nigeria.

On June 14, 2021, vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo launched the Dash Me Foundation to raise funds for Nigeria’s army of small orphanages, internally displaced persons camps, domestic violence shelters and groups working with the vulnerable and needy. This week, Ms Adeosun has received a further significant boost after the US government granted her non-profit status with tax exemptions.

Dash Me said it received its new status under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code. According to Ms Adeosun, contributions from both corporations and individuals, donated to the New York-based Dash Me Foundation are now fully tax-deductible owing to its new status.

This new status also means that the US chapter of the Dash Me Foundation is now eligible to apply for government and foundation grants. This will further broaden access to resources and strengthen its ability to raise funds for orphans and vulnerable children, victims of domestic violence and disadvantaged youth.

Ms Adeosun said: “The Dash Me Foundation US is proud to announce that it is officially a non-profit with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. The granting of a non-profit status to Dash Me Foundation in the United States is a major milestone for our growing organisation and we are excited about the prospects it creates.

"Attaining recognition of our charitable status by the American Internal Revenue Service was a rigorous process and we are proud to have met all the requirements. Our donors can now change lives in Nigeria whilst obtaining a full tax deduction in America.”

She stated that the US team could now actively mobilise donations and support from its extensive diaspora as well as corporations and foundations, interested in supporting indigenous charitable work in Nigeria and beyond. Ms Adeosun confirmed that the Dash Me Foundation had mobilised and deployed cash and resources in projects in Lagos, Ogun, Cross River, Kano, Nasarawa, Imo, Osun and Kogi States.