Tweet
Quite like they had intended. Summary: Group claims veteran charity with 56million in cash from donations. Instead of sending money in, they 'donate' things like 700 pairs of Navy dress shoes and 11,000 bags of coconut M&M's.
Report on CNN: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg4FrX0AxTY&feature=results_video&playnext =1&list=PL0C1ACF6633092B20[/ame]
Bookmark the permalink.
Scam Alert: Veteran Charity
May7 by DejahThoris
IRS forms show charity’s money isn’t going to disabled vets – CNN.com.
CNN Highlights:
Tax records for the Disabled National Veterans Foundation show $55.9 million in donations
Almost none of that money has been provided to American veterans
It has also provided useless donations, including over 11,000 bags of M&Ms to one charity
The DNVF did not respond to repeated questions from CNN
This is another example of how charities scam good people who believe they are contributing to a worthy cause.
http://www.charitywatch.org/ is a good organization to find out the percentage of donations that are actually going directly to the people they are supposed to be helping. You can also go directly to the IRS website and do a 501c status verification of all non-profit organization. Just because it claims to be a 501c, doesn’t mean that they are officially recognized as such. Always be careful, and do your due diligence before giving your hard-earned money away. You may be better off calling your local VA office and asking if there is a way to directly support homeless veterans, or families who are in dire straits. This way, you know for certain exactly what the money is going to be used for.
The independent group CharityWatch gave the DVNF an “F” grade. More than 30 veterans charities were rated by the independent group by the amount they spend on fundraising compared to actual donations, and two-thirds were given either a D or F grade, according to CharityWatch president Daniel Borochoff.
“Up to $2 billion is raised in the name of veterans in this country and it’s so sad that a great deal of it’s wasted,” Borochoff said. “Hundreds of millions of dollars of our charitable dollars intended to help veterans is being squandered and wasted by opportunists and by individuals and companies who see it as a profit-making opportunity.”
This goes for every type of charity out there, regardless of how pious and sympathetic they may come across.
When approached by a CNN crew at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Disabled National Veterans president Precilla Wilkewitz rebuffed questions.
“Well, this is the Veterans of Foreign Wars and I really didn’t think you’d do something like this and we’ve agreed to talk to you … answer your questions,” she said, standing in the entranceway to her office.
Wilkewitz is the former national legislative liaison for the VFW, which is not directly tied to the Disabled Veterans National Foundation.
She said she would answer questions only in writing, but so far CNN has received no response.
Congratulations Precilla Wilkewitz! You are the latest winner of the Order of the Douchebag Award. I commend you on your singularly unethical behavior, as well as the bottomless pit of avarice that allows you to divert donations meant for homeless and wounded veterans. I look forward to numerous SEC and IRS investigations and the destruction of all that you have worked so hard to “achieve,” to include your personal assets and career options.
Report on CNN: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg4FrX0AxTY&feature=results_video&playnext =1&list=PL0C1ACF6633092B20[/ame]
Bookmark the permalink.
Scam Alert: Veteran Charity
May7 by DejahThoris
IRS forms show charity’s money isn’t going to disabled vets – CNN.com.
CNN Highlights:
Tax records for the Disabled National Veterans Foundation show $55.9 million in donations
Almost none of that money has been provided to American veterans
It has also provided useless donations, including over 11,000 bags of M&Ms to one charity
The DNVF did not respond to repeated questions from CNN
This is another example of how charities scam good people who believe they are contributing to a worthy cause.
http://www.charitywatch.org/ is a good organization to find out the percentage of donations that are actually going directly to the people they are supposed to be helping. You can also go directly to the IRS website and do a 501c status verification of all non-profit organization. Just because it claims to be a 501c, doesn’t mean that they are officially recognized as such. Always be careful, and do your due diligence before giving your hard-earned money away. You may be better off calling your local VA office and asking if there is a way to directly support homeless veterans, or families who are in dire straits. This way, you know for certain exactly what the money is going to be used for.
The independent group CharityWatch gave the DVNF an “F” grade. More than 30 veterans charities were rated by the independent group by the amount they spend on fundraising compared to actual donations, and two-thirds were given either a D or F grade, according to CharityWatch president Daniel Borochoff.
“Up to $2 billion is raised in the name of veterans in this country and it’s so sad that a great deal of it’s wasted,” Borochoff said. “Hundreds of millions of dollars of our charitable dollars intended to help veterans is being squandered and wasted by opportunists and by individuals and companies who see it as a profit-making opportunity.”
This goes for every type of charity out there, regardless of how pious and sympathetic they may come across.
When approached by a CNN crew at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Disabled National Veterans president Precilla Wilkewitz rebuffed questions.
“Well, this is the Veterans of Foreign Wars and I really didn’t think you’d do something like this and we’ve agreed to talk to you … answer your questions,” she said, standing in the entranceway to her office.
Wilkewitz is the former national legislative liaison for the VFW, which is not directly tied to the Disabled Veterans National Foundation.
She said she would answer questions only in writing, but so far CNN has received no response.
Congratulations Precilla Wilkewitz! You are the latest winner of the Order of the Douchebag Award. I commend you on your singularly unethical behavior, as well as the bottomless pit of avarice that allows you to divert donations meant for homeless and wounded veterans. I look forward to numerous SEC and IRS investigations and the destruction of all that you have worked so hard to “achieve,” to include your personal assets and career options.
Comment