Armchair General small spacer
Armchair General magazine mastheadGo to Weider History GroupSubscribe to Armchair General MagazineLearn about latest issue of Armchair General

Veterans charities: comparing apples and lemons.

Gerald D. Swick March 24, 2008  | one comment  | Print  | E-mail

 

Subscribe Today

Recently, a reader asked us a question about donating to charities that purport to help veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many "charities" may meet the legal definition of that word, but the bulk of the money they receive from well-meaning donors ends up in the pockets of highly paid administrators instead of going to help vets.

 

People want to give to veterans, who have given so much of themselves; accordingly, an appeal to help vets is an easy way to get people to open their checkbooks.

 

Sadly, some “charities” are more interested in benefitting their bank accounts than in aiding those they purport to help. This is not unique to veteran-oriented charitable groups. 

 

So how do you tell the apples from the lemons, determine which groups spend most of their donations on the vets, or on whomever they claim to serve, and which ones divert most of the money to overhead and administrative costs?

 

ConsumerReports.org provided some recommendations for checking out charities, in a 2006 article titled “Make sure that your donations count.”

 

The article stated, “Three groups put large, general-interest charities under the microscope: The American Institute of Philanthropy (http://www.charitywatch.org), the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance (http://www.give.org), and Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org).”

 

Before whipping out your credit card to make a donation to any group, you should consider visiting these sites to see how they rate various charities.  All three use different criteria, so going to all three will give you the best overview.

Type the word “veterans” in their search engines to find charities that deal with vets.

 

Inspirational essayist George Matthew Adams said, "I never met an unhappy giver." A little investigation before making a donation keeps that statement true.

 

 

  1. One Comment to “Veterans charities: comparing apples and lemons.”

  2. Good Day,

    I, wish for assistance in order to receive residence in the following building in Joliet, IL

    at the “Western Building” off of Pine st.

    I have been approved for renting a apartment in this rental community. There is a $300. 00 deposit required and I ask respectfully for help as a United States honorable Veteran.

    I moved up here to Chicago area for the National Pipeline but the flood turned a good thing into a bad dream. Will you please help. Western Building 373 western Ave. Joliet, IL 60435

    :phone 815-726-2000 fax:815-726-6030 I have contacted other organization to help,

    but no one has responded.

    Sincerely,

    Marlon Williams

    815-582-8184

    By Mr Marlon Williams on Aug 8, 2008 at 2:45 pm

Post a Comment

Please note that Armchair General Staff cannot respond to requests for research of any type. Please visit our research forum to post research questions. If you have a question about our magazine, please use the contact us form.

Related Articles




Armchair General Spacer

SPONSORED SITES




Armchair General Spacer

OPINION POLL

Q: Which of these two conquerors do you rate as the greatest?

View Results

See previous polls

STAY CONNECTED WITH US

RSS Feed
 
Daily Armchair General Update
 
 

Armchair General on Twitter Armchair General on Myspace Armchair General on Facebook

What is Armchair General?

Armchair General (ACG) and ACG online feature a unique, interactive editorial approach that invites the reader to decide the course of action in challenging historical scenarios, to step into the shoes of a battlefield commander. Leading historians and contributors lend integrity and credibility to this fresh presentation of historical and contemporary events.

Armchair General is the INTERACTIVE history magazine where YOU COMMAND and decide the course of action!

Armchair General's Feedburner Link Get our RSS!
Weider History Group Newsletter Newsletter Signup

What We Write About

Our Other Magazines

Weider History Network:  HistoryNet | Armchair General | Great History | Achtung Panzer!

Copyright © 2004-2008 Armchair General L.L.C., All rights reserved.