Lost in all of the news last week was this item involving local U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minneapolis), from The Hill newspaper,
GOP backlash to Omar earmark slows government-funding bill.
The legislation involved was part of one of the dozen or so annual budget bills that have to pass to keep the federal government operating and avoid the short-term continuing resolutions.
The Hill reports,
Tucked into a “minibus” funding several departments and agencies, the requested community project funding would give $1,031,000 to the Somali-led organization Generation Hope’s “Justice Empowerment Initiative.” The earmark had also been backed by Minnesota Sens. Tina Smith (D) and Amy Klobuchar (D).
Who is “Generation Hope“? The Minneapolis-based, Somali-operated nonprofit was incorporated in 2021.
The nonprofit received its IRS tax-exempt status in 2021. IRS records show that only one Form 990 tax return has ever been filed for the organization, and that return covered calendar year 2023. In 2023, the nonprofit reported $167,000 in revenue.
A search for “Generation Hope” in the state of Minnesota charities database returns no results.
On its website, the nonprofit lists several funding sources, including the City of Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota.
Media reports indicate that the earmark was later stripped from the bill before passage.
