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Charity Watchdog Group Continues Giving Veteran and Troops Causes an “F.”
In a report published by the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), efficiency ratings of a few well known and not so well known Veterans and Troops charities and causes reflects very little change since testimony given to Congress by AIP in 2007. AIP’s latest Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report for April-May 2010 shows ratings for Vet and Troop efforts and causes from a Top “A” to low poor rating of “F.”
Veterans Today Editorial Note: To get a copy of AIP’s Triannual Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Reports go to http://www.charitywatch.org/ratingguide.html AIP requests only a $3.00 fee for postage and handling.
It is not important if the Veteran, Troop, or Military Family community seeks out or even believes the ratings given by such watchdog organizations as AIP, Charity Watchdog, or Guidestar. Several Veterans Service Organizations including younger ones from the current wars have expressed concern that shining a light on the incompetency or inefficiency of a few efforts shines a negative light on all, but we at Veterans Today do not embrace this view because of the Veteran and Troops groups who rate an “A” regardless of UNRELATED political stands or affiliations.
We as a community of Vets, troops, and families are prone to give and take care of one another regardless how efficient our fund raisers and accountants are, because we EXPECT them to be accountable. If we are members of the Army, Air Force or other service, we are apt to donate to that services charity fund or Aid Society. A portion of my Air Force Retirement pay goes to Air Force Aid Society (AFAS), and Air Force Village, in fact my family has benefited from the AFAS. If we are members of Disabled American Veterans, the VFW, VVA, or whatever, we are prone to donate to the organization we belong to, are loyal to, or believe in regardless if more money goes to advertisement and admin overhead or not, such reactions of loyalty to an organization, cause or effort is only natural. Maybe we should but we do not question the competence of those running the Air Force Aid Society for example, especially since my family benefited from it.
However, readers it is the IMAGE put forward on how effective, inefficient, incompetent, or accountable Veteran and Troop charities and causes are in the public donor’s eyes that is most important. Why?
Well out of the 22 million or so Vets (as of U.S. Census data 2006), a small fraction of us either join a Veterans organization or use the VA for example. Even if we are able to donate to charities or Veteran and Troop causes during economic hard times, a feat in itself, donating to ourselves is like well preaching to the choir of a church congregation the vast majority of our national community does not belong to or are members of a different church, religion, or no affiliation what so ever.
Less than one percent of the U.S. population goes into the military today, thus the overall Veterans community is only destined to SHRINK. Simply put, it is more important that our Veteran and Troop support fund raisers and managers promote a positive image to the vast majority of Americans who ARE NOT VETERANS, who ARE NOT TROOPS and who, ARE NOT MILITARY FAMILIES.
I hope that the vast majority of donations to our Vet and Troop causes are coming from outside our community, because we just do not have the number of people within, especially people with money to spare, to sustain such gallant efforts alone. With that I give you the AIP ratings for those Veteran and Troop related causes.
Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired, Veterans Today News
AIP’s Top Rated Veteran and Military Related Charities
To view some of the top rated Vet and Military related causes go to
http://www.charitywatch.org/toprated.html#veterans, scroll down to their index of top rated charities in the blue lined box, then select Veterans and Military that will take you to the listing of Veteran and Military related efforts rated from A+ to B+.
In order to access those causes rated below B, readers must get the most current AIP Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report
Related Stories:
Veterans Charities Protest Their F’s http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/Vets_Charities_Protest_Fs.html
Inefficient, Tax-Delinquent, and Even Fake Charities Pass Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Screens http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/combinedfederalcampaign.html
F Rated Charities Awarded Best in America Seal http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/fratedbestinamerica.html
Our Veterans Deserve Better from America’s Charities http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/veterans.html
Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation Whistle-Blower Booted From Board http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/Whistle_Blower_Booted.html
Help Hospitalized Veterans – Two Layers of F’s http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/TwoLayers.html
Not Enough Charity: IRS Takes Away Tax Exempt Status http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/IRS_Pulls_Status.html
Now Is The Time To Reform Veterans Charities http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/Now_Is_The_Time.html
American Veterans Coalition: All-in-the-Family Charities Receive F’s http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/AllintheFamily.html
Soldiers Angels Lose Their Halos http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/soldiersangels.html
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=25221
Posted by Robert L. Hanafin on Apr 5 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under Support the Troops. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Does anyone know anything about the Disabled For Life Memorial, donation requests are going on around for this planned Memorial. Even had a full paged ad in DAV magazine for a minted coin. Anybody hear anything good or bad about this Org.
Does anyone know anything about the Disabled For Life Memorial, donation requests are going on around for this planned Memorial. Even had a full paged ad in DAV magazine for a minted coin. Anybody hear anything good or bad about this Org.
Veterans Today Editorial Comment:
Ray,
As we understand it, and with a few on our staff being members of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) including the writer of this piece being a Life Member. The Disabled For Life Memorial is being sponsored by the DAV.
First off, the DAV as a fund-raiser for Disabled Vets has been rated an EXCELLENT four star charity by Charity Navigator and that is a GOOD thing.
Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=7589
The Disables American Veterans has also been rated ‘C’ for SATISFACTORY by the American Institute of Philanthropy although we believe the rating has dropped the DAV is still doing Good. At least the DAV is not reluctant to send a charity watchdog updated information to show that efficiency has dropped, but the point is that the DAV is doing what it says it does and suppose to do despite an imbalance in what it has paid for advertising and admin overhead.
We believe that this shows a desire by the DAV to be measured, monitored, and willing to take such ratings as a sign and effort to do better. THAT TOO IS A GOOD THING!!!
Now, when it comes to this Memorial effort, we do not know if that is part of the DAV Charitable Trust or not. Regardless given DAV’s satisfactory to excellent track record as reported by various watchdog organizations, I would trust my donations to the memorial going to THE MEMORIAL and not to the managers of the collection effort, advertising, DAV recruitment, or selling the DAV logo.
That is not to say that a portion or your or my donation IS NOT going toward admin overhead, it would be dumb to say that. The point is the more of our donation would go toward the memorial than toward the DAV per se. THAT IS WHAT A VSO EFFORT SHOULD BE DOING – PERIOD, NO EXCUSES!!!
Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
Having been in the saving Veteran’s business a few years ago it did not take long to see the enormous amount of corruption in the mainstream Veteran’s organizations. Of course when you have to deal with those people you do get some on you. “It will not wash off”. It continues today. I watch these people in amazement. They control politics in my state so its wise to stay out of the way, especially if you have family. Not optimistic that things are going to change anytime soon.
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Unfortunately, no “body” is perfect. Fortunately, there are watchdog groups out there that are trying to keep the good ones in line, and try to shed some light on those that may stray from their stated mission.
Then, there are those that are simply not as streemlined as the others are.
[...] Charity Watchdog Group Continues Giving Veteran and Troops Causes … [...]
This article by Bob Hanafin makes ALL veteran Non Government Organizations(NGOs) look horrible. Air Compassion for Veterans (ACV) and most of the highly vetted NGO veteran organizations are not even listed on the American Institute of Philanthropy. ACV has provided over 14,900 free flights to wounded warriors, veterans and their adversely affected family members to specialized medical, counseling and diverse rehabilitation services in the past 40 months. 96% of every dollar we receive goes directly to those flights.
Mercy Medical Airlift is the administrator of ACV and has for the past seven years held the highest efficiency rating with Charity Navigator which is America’s largest charity watchdog.
There are many vetted veteran NGO organizations who have been created to fill the gaps of care our government should be suppling for the extraordinary Americans who return home wounded. When these heroes return wounded from protecting our American freedom and lifestyle – they deserve the finest care available for healing and restoration of a normal productive and happy life. It is the least we can do…and these NGO veteran groups do it….do not take away the validity and great good they do by your blanket negative statement.
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