ORLANDO, Fla. – Friday marks 10 years since the massacre at the Pulse Nightclub, and as Central Florida reflects on the shooting, there are still questions about the defunct onePulse Foundation and the millions of dollars it raised.
During a recent News 6 town hall with local stakeholders, viewers asked about the foundation’s fundraising and what happened to the money after the organization dissolved.
The nonprofit announced plans for a permanent museum and memorial in 2017 after the June 12, 2016 attack that killed 49 people. The onePulse Foundation’s plan included a permanent memorial on the Pulse Nightclub property and a separate museum project along Kaley Street.
In 2023, the foundation dissolved.
“What happened in my opinion is that they got too grandiose in what they wanted to do with having a museum as well as a memorial,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a recent interview with News 6. “If they had been focused on solely getting a memorial done they probably could have got that done.”
What tax records show about the money
According to tax documents posted on Propublica’s Nonprofit Explorer, the onePulse Foundation generated more than $20 million during the years it operated.
The filings show more than $11 million was spent toward building a museum and memorial project.
The foundation also spent millions of dollars on employee salaries, scholarships, an educational program called onePulse Academy, annual remembrance ceremonies and more. We have posted a breakdown of those expenses here.
Orange County also directed money to the effort. The county provided about $3.5 million in tourist development tax dollars for the purchase of the property on Kaley Street for the proposed museum, as well as $3 million for design services.
The Kaley Street property was given to the county after onePulse dissolved, but the design-services money was spent.
The foundation also received a state grant of nearly $400,000. That money was returned.
News 6 asked the Florida Department of State whether it investigated or performed an audit on the onePulse Foundation. A spokesperson said there are no responsive records for our request.
A 2023 tax filing for the foundation indicates all grants still held by the organization were returned following dissolution.
The organization reported owing more than $500,000 — mostly a mortgage and unpaid bills — and reported zero assets at the end of that year, according to the filing.
City takes over memorial plans
The City of Orlando has taken over the memorial project. The city bought the Pulse Nightclub property for $2 million and plans to build a permanent memorial there.
The city has committed $7.5 million toward the project, while Orange County has committed $5 million. The State of Florida also agreed to provide a $394,321 grant for the project.
Mayor Dyer estimates total costs will be a little more than $12.5 million. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.
“Just as I have moved on from the shooter and he’s nothing to me, I moved on from that organization. If somebody wants to go after them, have at it, but we’re very focused on making sure we continue to support the families and survivors and get the memorial done,” said Mayor Dyer.