Posted on 12/30/2015 12:51:34 PM PST by PROCON
Everyone wants to support American vets and when you hear about the great work Wounded Warriors Project does for our own American vets, well, ... you just can't fight the urge to dig deep and give to support the cause. But who/what are you really supporting? Not so much the vets....
DC Clothesline: In the first version of this article, I used the 2012-2013 Wounded Warrior Project 990 Tax Forms. This updated version is using the 2013-2014 Wounded Warrior Project 990 Tax Forms. (Thank you, David Isakson, for all of your assistance) I had made some errors in my original reporting; I am not a forensic accountant and had misread some of the figures or gotten the figures from the wrong columns. I will not be making those mistakes again. The 2012-2013 and the 2013-2014 tax forms are hyperlinked, so feel free to peruse the documents for yourselves. We should not be surprised to find out that yet another 'charity' claiming to 'help' Veterans is more interested in the salaries of their executives and funding the vicious cycle of advertisement...raise funds...spend it on advertisement...raise funds...ad nauseum. But just the raw figures from their own reporting:
FOR THE YEAR 2012-1013
REVENUE: $234,682,943.00
EXPENSES: $158,073,943.00
TOTAL PROFITS: $ 76,609,000.00
FOR THE YEAR 2013-2014
REVENUE: $342,066,114.00
EXPENSES: $248,005,493.00
TOTAL PROFITS: $ 94,060,675.00
TOTAL AMOUNT GOING TO ORGANIZATIONS IN 2013:
$16,849,420.00
TOTAL AMOUNT GOING TO ORGANIZATIONS IN 2014:
$41,305,308.00
TOTAL AMOUNT GOING TO INDIVIDUAL VETERANS IN 2013:
$853,365.00
TOTAL AMOUNT GOING TO INDIVIDUAL VETERANS IN 2014:
$804,393.00
Now, how about some brass tacks about what just their top three executives make per year in salaries alone, not including bonuses, retirement, and insurance.
STEVEN NARDIZZI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR $375,000.00 in 2013
STEVEN NARDIZZI CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER $473,015.00 in 2014
ALBION GIORDANO DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR $337,500.00 in 2013
ALBION GIORDANO CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER $369,030.00 in 2014
JEREMY CHWAT CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER $218,267.00 in 2013
JEREMY CHWAT CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER $262,750.00 in 2014
These are STRICTLY the amounts and descriptions from their own tax forms. This does not even begin to cover their beautiful, modern building or the seven lawsuits that they have launched against much smaller, higher rated Veterans non-profit groups, who either used the words 'wounded warrior' somewhere in their name or used a silhouette of soldiers in their logos.
***But of the more than 56,000 veterans the group counts as "alumni," meaning that they have been registered with the organization, many don't directly engage with WWP. Less than two-thirds (62 percent) of alumni participated in at least one WWP activity or service in the past year, according to a survey of alumni the group shared with the Beast. But according to their internal database, 78.9 percent of alumni have been involved with "engagements and interactions" with WWP this year.
The best advice I can give you is to do your own research. Find small charities that are well-ranked by Charity Navigator or Charity Watch. Stick with local charities with which you have developed an affiliation personally. One of the highest ranked and most respected Veterans charity is The Fisher House.
But, the numbers speak for themselves; very little actually ends up helping wounded Warriors.
I agree that the Fischer House is a much more reputable charity.
Does anyone here have experiences with WWP?
My company found more direct ways to help fellow vets. Just like too many non-profits, ithas been long clear this group is lining its pockets instead of helping vets.
I soured on them once they started using everyone who also bothered to use a silhouette of a soldier being carried.
Those are some mighty expensive blankets they hand out for a contribution.
WWP is choc full of libtards. If you want to donate, just give to Disabled Vets of America. We do.
That should read suing. Autocorrect strikes again!
Didn’t somebody just post the other day that Dubya was paid $100k by WW to speak?
Any way Fisher Houses has the best ratio of money put to real work.
They take outstanding care of the families of the wounded at Walter Reed Hospital. Provide free housing, transport, group support and more to eliminate as much external stress in a highly stressed situation.
Been supporting them for more than 10yrs now.
WWP has been very good to my boy who came back from Iraq with a brain injury. They helped us get through VA red tape and got my son the care he earned. I have nothing but good things to say about them.
how’s about NOT letting refugees in, getting RID of illegals, KICKING people off of welfare who shouldn’t be on it, no extra money for mom after the first kid.
how much would that free up?
our wounded would be treated the way they should be.
These guys don’t have broken legs. Their injuries are horrific in many cases.
I’ve had a MINOR head injury that makes life quite the challenge at times and it’s NOTHING compared to most of these guys.
this is crazy.
I’m deluged by charities sending gifts and spare change to buy contributions. Enough already! I resolve to begin refusing their junk mail.
Non-profits can legally pay their top exec up to $500,000/yr and contribute almost nothing to their intended cause. They have almost no oversight from the govt and there are no pesky shareholders demanding accountability. It’s basically free money.
God Bless your boy, I’m happy for you.
I have become very skeptical of “charities” and will remain so until I have done enough research to determine that my money is going for the reason I give it.
There are far too many “CEO’s” of charities that are making 7 figure salaries. There are far too many who make 6 figure salaries but live 7 figure salary lives based on expense accounts and other bennies. Charity is big business, but it is not supposed to be a for-profit business. If CEO’s want to make big money they can work in the private sector. If they want to promote charity they should not require comparable salaries with private sector jobs.
$170,670,000 Total profit for 2 years
minus
$59,800,000 Total to orgs and indvs for 2 years
$110,870,000 Balance
Minus
$2,036,000 Total to Ecec for 2 years
$108,834000 Net Profit after all expenses
So what happened to the other 109 million?
How about abolishing a dozen worthless federal agencies, sell off the current VA assets, fire the fat cat VA administrators wholesale and placing the gutted VA directly under the (re-named) War Department while transferring the $$$$$ saved from all of the former Fedzilla fraud, waste and abuse to cover veteran healthcare at the veterans’ choice of private healthcare in their area?
I'm no numbers guy.
Overhead, utilities, rent, bldg. maintenance, etc?
I’m sure they do SOME good work. But this is beyond the pale. They could do so much more!
There was a dust up about them and the 2nd Ammendment a couple years ago too from what I recall.
This just solidifies my distaste for them.
Only defense contractors who donate to Wounded Warrior Project as part of their pro-military stance and push employees to donate to WWP.
I agree Fisher House is good. So is Operation Paperback.
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