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Report: Little Given Back by 6 Veterans Charities
Military.com ^ | June 7, 2013 | Bryant Jordan

Posted on 06/07/2013 6:47:06 AM PDT by DJ Taylor

Six national vet groups are among a list of the top 50 worst charities in the U.S., according to The Tampa Bay Times.

The Tampa Bay Times compiled the rankings for an investigative reporting project published on Thursday. The charities were put on the list because only a small portion of their donations were used toward those in need. Charities provided as little as 2 percent back to the earnings they collected in some cases.

The vast majority of the roughly $1 billion contributed by Americans went to the corporations in the business of making the phone calls and collecting donations.

(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: charities; veterans; veteranscharities
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For some time now, I've been suspicious of some of those TV ads begging for money for wounded veterans and depicting these veterans as destitute victims abandoned by their government when I know it isn't like that at all.
1 posted on 06/07/2013 6:47:06 AM PDT by DJ Taylor
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To: DJ Taylor

I agree. It’s like the suffering puppies and third world children. I find the ads offensive.


2 posted on 06/07/2013 6:54:06 AM PDT by Mercat
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To: DJ Taylor

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

I don’t take their rankings as the final story, but I do check all charities with Charity Navigator before donating. Several scams have names that are only a little different from a real charity.


3 posted on 06/07/2013 6:55:06 AM PDT by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: DJ Taylor
I always tell a phone solicitor:

Send me an audited financial statement of last year's operations and I consider donating.

They all say they will, but I've never heard from any of them and most never call back.

4 posted on 06/07/2013 6:56:24 AM PDT by econjack (Some people are as dumb as soup.)
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To: DJ Taylor

This is the oldest story in the world, and I can give you some advice from a friend who made calls, never contribute to those very compelling calls you get from supposed police and fireman funds. Boiler room scam artists. They set up a “charity” with one cop, then they contribute the bare legal limit and keep the rest. If it’s to buy police bullet proof vests, they might buy one.


5 posted on 06/07/2013 6:57:29 AM PDT by Williams (No Obama)
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To: DJ Taylor
My basic policy is to say "NO" to any solicitation by phone, regardless of the source and regardless of the worthiness of the cause. I simply tell them that it is the policy of this household. No negotiation. They are welcome to mail me with information on reviewing their financial statements, but most decline to do so.

Some even go so far as to say "mailing is expensive and costs what could be used to help xxxxx cause." To which I reply "It is nowhere near as expensive as hiring people to work the phones."

I've found the VFW and the American Legion to both be reputable veteran's organizations who can tell you who else is good and whom to avoid.

6 posted on 06/07/2013 6:57:31 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: DJ Taylor

Anybody know how to find out what groups have the lowest overhead, and gives the most to the veterans? Just donated $50 to wounded warriors this past Tues, I have no clue how much actually gets to the wounded warriors.


7 posted on 06/07/2013 7:00:30 AM PDT by Bruce Kurtz
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To: Vigilanteman

Me too. If they call me, they get nothing. One exception to that is our local VFW.


8 posted on 06/07/2013 7:03:34 AM PDT by Mrs. P (Figures can lie, and liars can figure.)
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To: DJ Taylor

If you want to make sure where your money goes when donating to help veterans, donate to the Fisher House Foundation
They make it possible for the veterans and active duty military to have their loved ones near by, free of charge, while they are hospitalized.


9 posted on 06/07/2013 7:04:47 AM PDT by ruesrose (The Anchor Holds)
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The veterans charities named in the report are the National Veterans Service Fund of Darien, Conn.; Vietnow National Headquarters of Rockford, Ill.; The Veterans Fund of Treverton, Penn. ; Veterans Assistance Foundation of Tomah, Wis.; Circle of Friends for American Veterans of Falls Church, Va. ; and Our American Veterans of Fort Valley, Ga.


10 posted on 06/07/2013 7:09:42 AM PDT by smokingfrog ( ==> sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: Bruce Kurtz

Please reconsider giving money to WWP. There are other alternatives.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2959552/posts


11 posted on 06/07/2013 7:16:06 AM PDT by smokingfrog ( ==> sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: DJ Taylor

When you donate to the
Fisher House Foundation, Inc.
111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420
Rockville, MD 20850-5168
95% of your donation is for their program which provides FREE housing for the families of hospitalized veterans and active duty personnel. Only 3% is for administration costs and 2% for fundraising.

You can also donate your frequent flyer hours to them to provide needed transportation for the families.


12 posted on 06/07/2013 7:16:46 AM PDT by ruesrose (The Anchor Holds)
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To: DJ Taylor

Here is the story....http://www.tampabay.com/americas-worst-charities/


13 posted on 06/07/2013 7:18:25 AM PDT by csmusaret (Will remove Obama-Biden bumperstickers for $10)
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To: ruesrose

Fisher House is truly a good one to give to.


14 posted on 06/07/2013 7:19:20 AM PDT by headstamp 2 (What would Scooby do?)
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To: Pollster1
Several scams have names that are only a little different from a real charity.

IMHO, child molesters are the only thing lower than charity scammers.

15 posted on 06/07/2013 7:22:53 AM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: DJ Taylor

Wounded Warriors is the worst.


16 posted on 06/07/2013 7:23:12 AM PDT by SkyDancer (Live your life in such a way that the Westboro church will want to picket your funeral.)
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To: DJ Taylor
The veterans charities named in the report are:

1. the National Veterans Service Fund of Darien, Conn.
2. Vietnow National Headquarters of Rockford, Ill.
3. The Veterans Fund of Treverton, Penn.
4. Veterans Assistance Foundation of Tomah, Wis.
5. Circle of Friends for American Veterans of Falls Church, Va.
6. Our American Veterans of Fort Valley, Ga.

17 posted on 06/07/2013 7:25:11 AM PDT by pgkdan (Some taglines never go away....)
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To: Bruce Kurtz
Anybody know how to find out what groups have the lowest overhead, and gives the most to the veterans? Just donated $50 to wounded warriors this past Tues, I have no clue how much actually gets to the wounded warriors.

Charity Navigator

18 posted on 06/07/2013 7:25:31 AM PDT by dread78645 (Evolution. A doomed theory since 1859.)
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To: Bruce Kurtz

Not much.

They’re an up-and-coming scam group, sad to say.

I found this out when they made their anti-gun pronouncements, which I found really odd for a veterans’ organization.

Then I started digging... and I found a professional grifter was the guy who founded WWP. The deeper I dug, the more I became incensed at what they were doing.


19 posted on 06/07/2013 7:28:43 AM PDT by NVDave
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To: DJ Taylor

That’s really a shame


20 posted on 06/07/2013 7:35:12 AM PDT by therightliveswithus
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