- By Shivangi Sharma
- Sat, 03 Aug 2024 12:10 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A leading LGBTQ organisation reportedly spent substantial amounts of money on its CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, for expensive flights, luxurious hotel stays, and summer rentals, and also nearly USD 20,000 (1.66 crore INR) on remodelling her home office, according to a report released on Thursday.
Sarah Kate Ellis is president and CEO of the advocacy group Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Ellis has led GLAAD for a decade. The nonprofit advocates for LGBTQ rights and addresses what it sees as defamatory or inaccurate media coverage of LGBTQ individuals.
In 2022, the organisation reported nearly USD 19 million (156 crore INR) in revenue, with Ellis receiving a salary of USD 575,716 (4.78 crore INR), as reported by The New York Times.
“I take my role as GLAAD’s financial steward incredibly seriously, and we’ll continue updating our procedures to keep pace with the organization’s rapid growth,” Ellis said in a statement, as quoted by the New York Times.
The report indicated that Ellis's salary exceeded the norm for similar-sized nonprofit organisations. It also criticised her spending while travelling to the popular tourist destination Provincetown, Massachusetts, which GLAAD claimed was for official business. Additionally, the report suggested that these expenditures might have breached GLAAD’s internal policies and IRS regulations.
According to another report by the Times, Ellis’s travel included over 30 first-class flights in 18 months, a USD 13,000 (1.08 crore INR) trip to a conference in California, and a nearly USD 500,000 (4.14 crore INR) week-long stay at the Tivoli Lodge in Davos, Switzerland, in 2023. GLAAD reportedly covered most of these costs, though the organisation stated that another group funded the Davos trip.
GLAAD Defends CEO Sarah Kate Ellis
GLAAD rejected claims of extravagant travel by Ellis. Richard Ferraro, a GLAAD spokesman informed NYT that the trip to Davos for Ellis and her team was covered by a donation from the Ariadne Getty Foundation. However, he acknowledged that an “administrative oversight” resulted in GLAAD initially paying for the team’s skiing expenses in Switzerland, which Ellis has since reimbursed to the organisation.
The NYT report also revealed that in 2023, Emily Plauché, the organisation’s chief financial officer, expressed concerns about the expenses to Liz Jenkins, the chairwoman of the board of directors.
Following this, the organisation revised its travel policy. In November, Plauché departed from the organisation and reached a financial settlement that included a confidentiality agreement.