Agree with RLMorel that Fisher House is probably the most legit of the "Veteran" charities. Unfortunately, most big charities use only a small percentage of their take on actual charity work and spend huge amounts on generous salaries for themselves and yet more for advertising.
I had my own run-in with the "Vietnam Veterans of Virginia" a few years ago when the company that they used to fund raise thought it would be a great idea to call my home phone 2-3 times a day, sometimes very late at night to force me to give them money.
I finally had some time on my hands, so I found the leading officers of Xertex, the jerks calling me every day and the head of the VVV and called them at home several times a day to get their minds right.
They haven't bothered me since then.
Nice to hear from you, Chainmail.
Ugh. That is the thing I despise these days about being charitable, is that you get punished for doing so by the people you donate to. And they all do it, although I will say, Fischer House is the only one I don’t get these things from, which makes me want to donate further to them. (Not to mention the unbelievably generous and no-strings-attached way they treated veterans at Walter Reed during GWII, something I was privileged to both participate in and be invited to see with my own eyes)
I understand why many charitable organizations think they should harass donors. I just hate that they do it. It isn’t that people “forget” they gave money them, that doesn’t happen. But they treat you as if you did.
I gave money last year to Project Veritas, I just had to, after watching their expose of CNN when they somehow got the number of their weekly status call with the CNN “leadership” that included Jeff Zucker. It so hilariously revealed the scumbaggery at the corporate levels of CNN that I very nearly donated on the spot.
But since then, I must have received hundreds of emails and mailings for more money.
It is discouraging. I gave money with the caveat that I did not want to be included in email spamming or junk mailing, but...that was like spitting in the wind.
Once they get money from you, they double the email spamming and junk mailing.
Swan-song may have been a bit harsh, but this Is the last professional race of my career, it will be fully funded by myself because I have to have stake and a dog in the fight, otherwise I would feel that im freeloading on the charity of others. Most of my pledged sponsors are local groups or business that I support their products.
I am a massive underdog to even finish the race, 500 miles of open desert, one man one machine, Ironman class on a ATV designed for deep mud not sand.
In a way a statement, that no matter the age (Im 45), no matter status or past, tomorrow is a new day to help others. I have seen to many veteran support groups tie the funds up in “administrative costs” where pennies on the dollar are actually spent helping those that swore an oath and was willing to give all for others. So I want to be sure that all profits and leftover goes to a proper cause.