Charity’s for suckers — or at least not for the New York Road Runners, host of the New York City Marathon.
The organization touts itself as a charitable gold mine, churning out millions in donations each year. But as The Post’s Jeane MacIntosh reports, NYRR doled out only $494,000 in direct aid last year — less than the $500,000 salary the group lavished on its tone-deaf CEO, Mary Wittenberg.
Despite its $54 million in revenues.
“In total,” The Post found, “NYRR paid its top seven executives, including Wittenberg, more than $1.8 million.”
Since 2005, Wittenberg’s pay alone has nearly doubled.
Anthony Behar/Sipa USA
Mary Wittenberg (with Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson), after Mayor Bloomberg reluctantly cancelled this year's marathon
That’s a big take. But what about the give?
In the wake of its disastrous attempt to run the marathon through the Sandy-battered city, NYRR donated $1 million to relief efforts. It also runs extensive programs for New York schoolkids.
But from its own coffers, NYRR is decidedly less generous than the runners themselves, who raise tens of millions each year.
We recognize that NYRR isn’t a charity — it’s a group dedicated to running.
But it’s also a group that has begun taking in millions from participants and rewarding top executive with fat salaries.
So, as an organization, NYRR isn’t as generous as folks might think.
But what about on an individual level?
We asked a rep for NYRR whether Wittenberg has made any personal monetary donations for Sandy relief efforts.
The answer? Not a dime, as of yet.
Sad.
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The road runner racket
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The road runner racket
