Stop Donating To The Wounded Warrior Project – They’re A Fraud

Update at the bottom

During this Christmas and New Year’s season the gift of charity swells in the hearts of many. And who better to benefit from that charity than those who have literally given life and limb for the freedom and liberty we possess today than the veterans who stood tall when their nation called on them?

When people donate money they expect that the majority of it will go to the actual cause and not line the pockets of some corporate hack or grease the wheels to enable extravagant parties. Unforunately, when it comes to the Wounded Warrior Project, the people who have been so generous with their donations have been bamboozled and the veterans in need have been placed, as one veteran put it, into a “dog and pony show.”

For full disclosure, I have been against the Wounded Warrior Project ever since they came out as being against the 2nd Amendment. That is not some perceived imagined slight, WWP has stated that as a fact. Via their director of public relations Leslie Coleman, the Wounded Warrior Project staked their position with regards to the 2nd Amendment thus after refusing to go on the Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk national radio show:

“While we appreciate the interest in having a WWP representative on your show on Veterans Day we are not able to participate in interviews or activities with media/organizations that are related to firearms.”

So basically, if you have anything to do with firearms, the Wounded Warrior Project doesn’t want anything to do with you.

Every since then I have told believers in the 2nd Amendment to take their donations elsewhere.

But now, I have discovered that on top of being against the 2nd Amendment, the Wounded Warrior Project is a legal scam in which the vast chunk of donations made to them go to executive salaries and lavish parties and the veterans they claim to help, by and large, are given trivial trinkets and used as fodder for photo ops.

During an interview with the Daily Beast, a double amputee veteran of the Iraq war spoke candidly:

“They’re more worried about putting their label on everything than getting down to brass tacks. It’s really frustrating.” “Everything they do is a dog-and-pony show, and I haven’t talked to one of my fellow veterans that were injured… actually getting any help from the Wounded Warrior Project. I’m not just talking about financial assistance; I’m talking about help, period.”

Another soldier, Sam, an active duty soldier with Special Forces gave voice to what he sees as the problem:

“In the beginning, with Wounded Warrior, it started as a small organization and evolved into a beast. It’s become so large and such a massive money-maker…the organization cares about nothing more than raising money and “keeping up an appearance” for the public with superficial displays like wounded warrior parking spots at the Walmart.”

A veterans’ advocate spoke their concern stating:

“They’re laser-focused on making money to help vets, but forgetting to help vets. It’s becoming one of the best known charities in America—and they’re not spending their money very well.”

A second veterans’ advocate echoed that concern:

“It’s more about the Wounded Warrior Project and less about the wounded warrior.”

Ken Davis, a veteran from Arizona says that he is considered an “alumni” of the WWP even though he doesn’t want to be associated with the organization and that the WWP uses him to bolster their numbers fraudulantly. He questions the WWP:

“I receive more marketing stuff from them, [and see more of that] than the money they’ve put into the community here in Arizona. It’s just about numbers and money to them. Never once did I get the feeling that it’s about veterans.” He could have used a ride to a VA facility for health care, he said. But rather than receive practical assistance from the WWP, he got a branded fleece beanie. “They’re marketing, they’re spending money—but on what?”

Speaking of how the WWP spends its money, how does that break down?

Only 48 to 58 cents of every dollar actually makes its way to wounded veterans and as you read above, that could be spent on trivial nonsense orchestrated to bolster the WWP and not necessarily help actual veterans who are in need.

Think about that though…for every dollar you give them as much as 52% of it goes to their overpaid executives in either salary (the CEO Steve Nardizzi makes $375,000 a year) or their corporate infrastructure that includes vacations, parties and events.

One would expect to find such excess and bloating in the Federal Government but not in a charity that says it is there to help. More like they are there to help themselves and give only the meanest of help to those they claim to champion.

Let me make a comparison for you so as to illustrate how little of your donation goes to the veterans when you give to the Wounded Warrior Project, because maybe you think that 58% (I’m being generous) is a good amount and that an organization needs 40 plus percent to operate with.

While the Wounded Warrior Project circles the drain at the mid fifties when it comes to percentage of donation going to cause, another veterans charity, Fisher House has 95% of their donations going directly to help veterans. Fisher house receives top marks from charity watchdog organizations and is 25 times more efficient when it comes to fundraising than the Wounded Warrior Project.

Transparency, efficiency, nearly all the money going to veterans, no anti American sentiments…this is why, if the spirit of giving has touched your heart and you desire to donate to a charity that helps veterans, give to Fisher House. You will get more bang for your buck and will help out those in need instead of helping buy Steve Nardizzi another sports car.

So yeah…stop wasting your money by padding overpaid executives and give to organizations you know will spend the money on those in need.

I encourage you all to look into Fisher House and any money you were going to give to the Wounded Warrior Project, consider sending it them instead.

UPDATE: Apparently its not all about the money…its also about religious bigotry as the Wounded Warrior Project is against Christians who want to donate as Christians.

Wounded Warriors rejects donation from children at Christian school

Seems being a Christian is too partisan to help the troops. Thanks to my readers for pointing out this story.

Followup/Update: Even though the vast majority of readers support this story and have contributed their own to how secondary the WWP treats vets, some have continued to not only bury their heads in the sand but also challenge the patriotism of those who would dare speak the truth about the WWP.

For that reason I wrote a followup article on July 3rd 2015, going into detail, using WWP’s OWN TAX FORMS, to prove that they use less than 52% of the money they get via donations for the actual program services they provide for vets.

You can read that article here: PROOF that the Wounded Warrior Project Uses Less than 52% of its Donations to Help Vets.

Enjoy. And remember, there are better places to send your money than an organization who will only use half of it for the purposes you are giving it for in the first place.

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