Fraudulent Veteran's Organizations
Nothing, nothing gets my blood boiling faster than to stumble upon an organization claiming to be non-profit and raising money for veterans when the facts prove otherwise.
I wrote an article a couple of years ago and today that article prompted a call from the Veteran's Administration in NY. They called and asked me what I knew about the The Veterans Alliance Service Center or the American Veteran's Alliance. Have they not heard of the Internet?
I told them I knew enough to call both of these organizations fraudulent to the core and anyone who has ever throughly checked out these organizations would know that to be true. When you don't list a mailing address, when you don't publish annual financial reports, and when you give less than 50% of what you raise to veterans then in my opinion as a veteran you are perpetrating a fraud - plain and simple!
What is really sad is that these organizations and others as well (most try and use the word veteran or soldier in the name) continue to operate and raise money all around the country. How do they do it? it is simple.
They approach the manager of a grocery store and say they are raising money for veterans. Most of these managers are encouraged by their corporate headquarters to become involved with the community so when the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the local softball league or even a local gymnastics team wants to set up a table outside the store they almost always get permission to do so. The same holds true when these managers are approached by someone claiming to represent veterans.
The mere fact of being allowed to collect money outside of the grocery store automatically acts as an endorsement of the organization. Unfortunately, some of these organizationa are not what they seem, certainly in the case of these veteran's groups.
What is really sad is to see people leaving the grocery store and dropping $5 or $10 into a jar believing it will go to help veterans... the only person that money is going to help is the guy working the table as well as the person he is working for... that's about it... in a few cases they may donate 4% or so to keep it legal...
So, if you are Ok with giving $10 to one of these groups knowing full well that only 40 cents or so may end up helping a veteran then be my guest, but you are both a fool and doing a disservice to veterans around the country.
I wrote an article a couple of years ago and today that article prompted a call from the Veteran's Administration in NY. They called and asked me what I knew about the The Veterans Alliance Service Center or the American Veteran's Alliance. Have they not heard of the Internet?
I told them I knew enough to call both of these organizations fraudulent to the core and anyone who has ever throughly checked out these organizations would know that to be true. When you don't list a mailing address, when you don't publish annual financial reports, and when you give less than 50% of what you raise to veterans then in my opinion as a veteran you are perpetrating a fraud - plain and simple!
What is really sad is that these organizations and others as well (most try and use the word veteran or soldier in the name) continue to operate and raise money all around the country. How do they do it? it is simple.
They approach the manager of a grocery store and say they are raising money for veterans. Most of these managers are encouraged by their corporate headquarters to become involved with the community so when the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the local softball league or even a local gymnastics team wants to set up a table outside the store they almost always get permission to do so. The same holds true when these managers are approached by someone claiming to represent veterans.
The mere fact of being allowed to collect money outside of the grocery store automatically acts as an endorsement of the organization. Unfortunately, some of these organizationa are not what they seem, certainly in the case of these veteran's groups.
What is really sad is to see people leaving the grocery store and dropping $5 or $10 into a jar believing it will go to help veterans... the only person that money is going to help is the guy working the table as well as the person he is working for... that's about it... in a few cases they may donate 4% or so to keep it legal...
So, if you are Ok with giving $10 to one of these groups knowing full well that only 40 cents or so may end up helping a veteran then be my guest, but you are both a fool and doing a disservice to veterans around the country.
Labels: American Veteran's Alliance, Fraudulent Veteran's organizations
posted by The Quick Consultant at
2:50 PM
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