Blog: Avoid Scams by Doing Charity Checks

The American people are kind, generous and compassionate. When we see others suffering, we are quick to pull out our checkbooks, provide our time and talents, or just offer moral support to a dizzying variety of charities and good works.

But when we find out we have been duped, when our money and efforts are given to an organization that abuses that kind-hearted inclination, we not only get angry, we tend not to be as generous as we were before.

It is a natural and understandable reaction, but there are many good, honest and worthy charities out there that suffer as a result. So, how can you tell the difference? How can you know that your donations are actually going to support those the charity supposedly helps?

There are a number of sites on the Web that track charities and rate them according to a few standardized metrics. The Better Business Bureau and the Illinois Attorney General’s office have online sites where you can research a charity as well. They are:

http://www.bbb.org/us/standards-for-charity-accountability/

http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/charities/index.html

In a nutshell, how a charity is rated is based on what they do with the money they raise. Under Illinois law, charities are required to register every year, so checking if a particular charity is following this step is a good place to start.

This is something I have done recently.

It is not exactly a secret that I am a huge supporter of our military, and causes that support our nation’s heroes are near and dear to my heart. A friend sent me an email with the name of a local charity, asking if I had ever heard of the group. I hadn’t, so I began to dig.

If an organization has a Web site, you can go to their “Contact Us” section and send a quick note. Ask what percentage of their funds goes directly to their programs, what percentage goes to administrative and other costs, and what are the annual salaries of their paid employees. How a charity responds to these questions is just as important as the answers themselves.

The organization I was looking into gave me the worst of all possible answers. I was directed to a for-profit Web site that charities pay to list with. For a fee to this third party, I could have the answers to my questions.

To be fair, after registering and declining multiple offers to upgrade to the fee-based version, I was given the broad strokes of the operating budget of the organization in question. However, that information was as damning as was the redirect to that subscription, fee-based Web site.

This group claimed more expenses than revenue. What’s worse is they claim almost as much in fundraising costs as they do in program service expenditures. This helpful Web site to which this group sent me says it has on file the 501(c)3 and their IRS forms for the last three years but if I wanted to see those, or any further breakdown of their expenses and administrative costs, I would have to upgrade to their subscription service and pay a fee.

Instead, I went to the BBB and Attorney General’s Web sites I’ve linked above. It shouldn’t have surprised me that neither has any record of this supposed charity. Yes, I’ve sent an inquiry for an investigation to both, as this group smells like a for-profit venture disguised as a non-profit charity.

In the interest of fairness, until I have proof it is a scam, I’ll hold off on naming names. But I did send a note to my friend with the results of my initial digging. She then asked me what organizations I would support.

I’ve decided to list them here. These are all groups or organizations with which I have first hand knowledge. They do what they say, do it cost effectively and are completely open and transparent about their financials. And all of them have as their sole mission support of our troops and/or their families.

Fisher House – www.fisherhouse.org

They provide housing and other support for the families of service members who are injured or ill and admitted to a Veterans Administration hospital. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center. They are rated by A+ by CharityWatch.org, one of the best charity rating organizations.

Wounded Warrior Project – www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Their mission statement says it all. “To honor and empower wounded warriors.” They do this through a variety of direct services and programs, as well as through educating the general public on the needs of our nations wounded servicemen and women.

Operation Support Our Troops –America – www.osutamerica.org

The group just announced it has sent 1 million pounds of care packages -- 25 pounds at a time -- to our troops in harm’s way. The highlight of their year is the annual Rockin’ for the Troops concert at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. This year it will be held on July 21, with "CSI: New York" actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band headlining once again.

Illinois Patriot Guard Riders  - www.ilpatriotguard.com

This is the local chapter of the national organization. This group started as a response to protestors at military funerals. Their tag line is “Honoring All Veterans Past and Present,” a mission they fulfill by providing escorts and flag lines for military funerals, but only at the request of the family.

They stress that you don’t have to have or even ride on a motorcycle to join them on their missions. "Cages," as they call cars and trucks, are always welcome and needed in the processions. They also created the “Fallen Heroes Traveling Memorial Wall,” which has an image of every Illinoisian who has been killed in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Warrior’s Watch Riders – www.warriorswatch.org

This group’s tag line is “We Have Your Backs At Home.” It is an umbrella for a nationwide coalition of troop support efforts, including a very locally active Illinois branch. In addition to providing escorts to returning troops, they provide a motorcycle escort component to many activities that support our troops and their families.

They say they “use our motorcycles to draw public attention to our cause, and our cause is our troops.” Like the PGR above, they stress that riding a motorcycle is not a requirement, as many of their missions are not even mobile.

Operation Welcome You Home - www.welcomeyouhome.org

This group's tag line is my all-time favorite bumper sticker: "If you can't stand behind our troops...Feel free to stand in front of them." Readers of Plainfield Patch are probably famaliar with this group as they have organized numerous homecoming celebrations for local returning soldiers, often with the participation of the WWR and ILPGR. 

This all-volunteer group sponsors or co-sponsors a variety of fundraising and awareness events, one of which is the upcoming Wounded Warriors 5k in Plainfield on May 26. They also have links for greetings to local heroes on their Web site.  

These groups top my hit parade for worthy and worthwhile charities that support our troops, but it is only the top of the list. I applaud and support anyone who is honoring, caring for or finding ways of giving back to our troops.

I am always looking for organizations and events that share my passion, so if there is a group you know of, tell the rest of us about it. These groups deserve our time, talents and, if possible, financial support. What they do matters to our troops, as anyone who has been on the receiving end of the efforts of the above listed organizations will attest.

For those who are simply trying to make a buck off of our desire to support and honor our troops, remember what they are trained to do before you scam them, or us.