Charities scammin' soldiers & veterans

waltky · Mar 23, 2014

Charities scammin' veterans...

Veterans charity again under fire, charged with deceiving donors
March 21, 2014 ~ According to a Texas lawsuit, Veterans Support Organization solicitors told the public their donations would help needy veterans, but the group made grants of 2.2 percent of funds it raised in the state during 2010 and 2012.

The Texas attorney generals office has charged the Veterans Support Organization, a Florida-based charity that has come under fire in several states, with deceiving Texas donors by falsely telling them that their donations would help needy local veterans. In a lawsuit filed this week in Travis County District Court, state prosecutors seek to seize funds raised by the group in Texas and bar the group from operating in the state. For several years, the group operated chapters in Austin, Dallas and Houston, sending veterans and nonveterans alike to stand outside supermarkets and other stores to raise money. According to the lawsuit, the group raised $2.5 million in the state between 2010 and 2012.

In February, the Austin American-Statesman published an investigation into the group, revealing that it gave less than 1 percent of the $7.1 million it raised from the public in 2011 for grants to needy veterans. Members of the Austin and Dallas chapters quit as a group in December after managers said they became aware of how much money the group was sending out of state. The funds werent going where they were supposed to be going, former Austin chapter manager, Robin Woods, said. What they were doing wasnt right for Texas or for veterans.

According to the lawsuit, solicitors told members of the public their donations would help needy local veterans. In reality, between 2010 and 2012 the group made grants of less than $57,000 to Texas veterans, or 2.2 percent of what it raised in the state during those years. State investigators think that more than 70 percent of what the group raised in Texas was sent to Rhode Island and Florida, where the groups headquarters are. And although the group claimed it was helping at-risk veterans with a work program, state officials called it nothing more than structured panhandling which they use to solicit funds.

VSO employees faced strict quotas, according to the lawsuit, and could be fired if they didnt raise $250 a day on average. Further, once back at the VSO office, the solicitor was subjected to pat down to ensure that he did not take any donations and had to remain on the VSO premises while the donations were counted, the lawsuit says. The attorney generals office is also seeking tens of thousands of dollars in fines against VSO President Richard VanHouten and three associates, including his wife. VanHouten an Army veteran who lives in a $548,500 South Florida home, according to county records received $259,965 in salary in 2011, more than five times what the group disbursed to needy veterans that year. Neither VSO officials nor attorneys responded to requests for comment.

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Military support group says it's not getting proceeds from items left in Virginia bins
December 6, 2013 -- Across from an office park in a convenient roadside pull-off sits a pair of bins adorned with the Military Family Support Centers logo, allowing locals to drop off clothes, housewares and other valuables.

But none of the donations go to charity. Instead, they go to a for-profit recycling company using the Centers name illegally, apparently to supplement their business of selling second-hand clothes to overseas buyers. Dozens of the bins have appeared around Northern Virginia over the last year, and officials from MFSC say theyve never seen one cent from the collections. Its frustrating, because we get complaints all the time about these bins, but we have nothing to do with them, said Jerry Brittain, operations director for the charity. It hurts our organization. It gives us a bad name. And some guy is making a lot of money fraudulently off the military connection.

Veterans groups and charity watchdogs say that isnt a surprise. Any time a national issue sparks a wave of generosity, it also spurs a disheartening rise in donation scams. Holidays add even more opportunity. Its a sadly common problem, said Tracy Thorleifson, an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission. You see both more good and more bad groups pop up whenever there is a need. You should not assume any more that a bin set out is truly collecting for a non-profit group. Thorleifson could not comment on the specifics of MFSCs problems, but said that her agency in recent years has seen plenty of scams allegedly collecting for veterans and first responders.

In the Military Family Support Center scam, the bins are covered with the charitys name, a picture of an eagle with an American flag and the slogan Building better lives for military families. But the phone number on the bins -- for maintenance and charitable receipts -- belongs to the World Trade Company, based in Woodbridge. Calls to that line default to a voicemail whose messages are rarely returned, according to Brittain and area business owners who have complained about the unwanted bins.

Company president Alan Garada said the unauthorized use of the logo is simply a mix-up and that his firm is paying $3,000 a year to Freedom Support Services -- which he called an MFSC spin-off group -- to use the name on the bins. Brittain said he has never heard of the group and said no one outside his office would have the authority to allow use of the MFSC name and logo. Lynchburg attorney David Embrey -- who is listed as the agent for Freedom Support Services, a private corporation -- refused to answer any questions about the organization.

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waltky · Jan 28, 2016

Somebody takin' advantage of wounded veterans inna get rich quick scheme...

Wounded Warrior Project Accused of Wasting Donor Money
Jan 27, 2016 - The charity for wounded veterans, the Wounded Warrior Project, is facing accusations of using donor money toward excessive spending on conferences and parties instead of on recovery programs, according to a CBS News report.

Army Staff Sergeant Erick Millette, who returned from Iraq in 2006 with a bronze star and a purple heart, told CBS News he admired the charity's work and took a job with the group in 2014 but quit after two years. "Their mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors, but what the public doesn't see is how they spend their money," he told CBS News. Millette said he witnessed lavish spending on staff, with big "catered" parties. "Going to a nice fancy restaurant is not team building. Staying at a lavish hotel at the beach here in Jacksonville, and requiring staff that lives in the area to stay at the hotel is not team building," he told CBS News.

According to the charity's tax forms obtained by CBS News, spending on conferences and meetings went from $1.7 million in 2010, to $26 million in 2014, which is the same amount the group spends on combat stress recovery. Two former employees, who were so fearful of retaliation they asked that CBS News not show their faces on camera, said spending has skyrocketed since Steven Nardizzi took over as CEO in 2009, pointing to the 2014 annual meeting at a luxury resort in Colorado Springs. "He rappelled down the side of a building at one of the all hands events. He's come in on a Segway, he's come in on a horse," one employee told CBS News.

About 500 staff members attended the four-day conference in Colorado, which CBS News reported cost about $3 million. Wounded Warrior Project declined CBS News' interview requests for Nardizzi, but instead sent Director of Alumni and a recipient of their services, Capt. Ryan Kules, who denied there was excessive spending on conferences. "It's the best use of donor dollars to ensure we are providing programs and services to our warriors and families at the highest quality," he said. Kules added the charity did not spend $3 million on the Colorado conference, but he was not there and was unable to say what it did cost. He also told CBS News that the charity does not spend money on alcohol or engages in any other kind of excessive spending.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/...r-project-accused-of-wasting-donor-money.html
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waltky · Nov 21, 2016

Weedin' out the wheat from the chaff...

Nonprofit Organizations for Veterans
With more than 7,000 U.S.-based nonprofits helping veterans and military families, how do you know which are respected and reputable?

If you're looking for a nonprofit to work for or donate your time or money to, consider the GreatNonProfits.org list of 31 Top-Rated Veterans Nonprofits. The list is based on user ratings, with the criterion of helping those in need. You might also find this list useful if you are a veteran looking for help as you transition to the civilian world. What follows is a rundown of top nonprofits that provide a broad spectrum of help, from providing counseling and scholarships, to free event tickets.
Ten of the Top-Rated Veteran Nonprofits Here are ten of the top-rated nonprofits, going off of number of reviews and high ratings combined.

Veteran Tickets Foundation, Tempe, AZ (Rating: 4.89 stars, 2019 reviews)
Supports military, veterans, and their families by providing free tickets to sporting events, concerts, and family activities (with a small delivery fee).

Operation Troop Appreciation, West Mifflin, PA (Rating: 4.98 stars, 241 reviews)
Provides wish list items for deployed military units across the globe, with a special focus on those serving in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa. The wish list items are intended to ease the burden of deployment, contribute to safety, and enable our troops to perform more effectively.

VeteranNonProfitOrgs

Reel American Heroes Foundation, Woodbridge, VA (Rating: 5 stars, 202 reviews)
Works with military hospitals and military bases to provide recreational therapy for our nation's wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, disabled veterans, and combat veterans by getting them out on the water to fish and duck hunt.

Freedom Alliance, Dulles, VA (Rating: 4.95 stars, 184 reviews)
Aims to advance the American heritage of freedom by honoring and encouraging military service, defending the sovereignty of the United States, and promoting a strong national defense. They do this through such programs as scholarships for the children of veterans.

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Programs to Ease Your Military Transition
Vets find art, therapy or other means of helping them in the transition and even dealing with PTSD. Below are three such programs.

I recently read at the LitQuake's event for veteran writers, as part of LitCrawl, and was touched by my fellow writer's story. He, like many other veterans who have become writers, has seen a big change in his life because of writing. It was what helped him transition into the civilian world and cope with his PTSD. But writing isn't the only way. Veterans find many forms of art, therapy, or other means of helping them in the transition and even dealing with PTSD. Below are three such programs that assist in the transition process.

Riding Horses into the Civilian World

Some veterans are looking to therapeutic horseback riding to help with their transition. Merriam Mashatt, a teacher at the Back in the Saddle (BITS) program at Lift Me Up! (LMU), had the following to say: "Our BITS riders learn that horses are remarkably kind, honest and compassionate animals. The time they spend building a relationship with a horse is so healing because our participants learn to trust these amazing animals and vice versa. One of our vets said it was truly the first time she learned to trust since returning home from Iraq."

Therapeutic horseback riding is a great example of equine therapy for veterans and active duty military. BITS sessions assist veterans coping with a variety of conditions including traumatic brain injuries, depression, and post-traumatic stress. The program also offers opportunities for family members to join in during special events. These service members are provided the opportunity to experience the healing power of horses in a safe and supportive environment. Connecting with horses in this way promotes physical strength such as building core muscles and improving balance, as well as promoting a general sense of mental well-being and calm. Lift Me Up! is located in Great Falls, Virginia and has been serving the community for over 40 years. All BITS services are offered at no charge to qualified participants due to the generous donations from the local community. There are a limited number of spaces open for new riders.

Transition through Comedy and the Arts
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Thingamabob · Jul 7, 2019

Shut them down.

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Charities scammin' soldiers & veterans

waltky Well-Known Member

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