Native Fund Backed By Kutcher and Clark Fails
It was the concert event that anyone who attended remembers. The Backporch Revival at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Huge artists like Big and Rich, Thomas Rhett, and Blake Shelton played before over 50,000 fans. The event was to help raise money for what was called The Native Fund, and it was back by Iowa native Ashton Kutcher and former Iowa tight end Dallas Clark.
The fund was created, according to Kutcher, after the devastating floods of 2008. Kutcher and Clark came up with the idea in 2011 and in 2014 the idea became a reality. In 2015 The Native Fund became a nonprofit. Their mission was to help Iowans.
The Backporch Revival was held in 2016. Another concert featuring Metallica was held in 2017. Despite those two events, the fund has paid out more in administrative costs than it has to charities. Kyle McCann was hired as executive director in 2016. He earned nearly $600,000 over the past four years. The fund paid out less than HALF that to disaster aid and to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. McCann stepped down in July of this year.
Dallas Clark said in an interview that the fund never really took off like he imagined it would. Even though records show both concerts lost money, Clark says that they brought Iowans together and that is what matters.
Ashton Kutcher is no longer a part of the organization.
[via Gazette]