I had a call today soliciting donations for homeless veterans. When I asked what percentage of the donation gets to the veteran, the voice said 15% goes to the veteran and 85% goes to collecting the funds. I told them NO and that when it is the other way around I will donate.

When I hung up, I searched for the organization and found it to be a scam. There is a lot of calls but no trace of any charity as that on line.

So Be Ware..........

Herb

 

Edited February 6, 20188 yr by Dadio

Thanks for the heads up, Herb.

thanks Herb...

Over the last year, I have listed nearly 200 telephone numbers that are either spam or scam. I block them all and answer only those numbers that are from people or organizations I know. Even then, I wait for a recording, then call back. I never donate to anyone without serious verification of identity because one open door may lead to many open doors. Its tragic that our society has become a hunting ground for sophisticated thieves. I wish there was an effective, vicious way to track them down and eliminate them from the gene pool. Make them very afraid!

hat

Thanks, Herb. 

Thanks, Herb. I learned a long time ago, that, I needed to be very picky about donating to these organizations. I especially, distrust those guys, standing on the corners and intersections, dressed in BDU's that collect. Anyone can buy BDU's and the fact that they are sterile (sans any unit patches, rank insignias, etc.) are a dead give-a-way. I, always, do research on the agency before I donate. I want proof, that, the bulk of the donation doesn't go to "administrative" costs.

 

Some banned organizations: American Heart association, Red Cross, 99% of LE and Firefighting telephone solicitations...and many more based on a variety of criteria.

I Have stopped donating to those top organizations too after reading that the top people in them are drawing millions for salaries and have corporation day jobs too.

Herb

 

...as an anecdotal (long) story, I make as short as possible.

 

Decades ago, my mother, ran the a NW Pennsylvania county chapter of the American Heart Association. The county was the biggest contributor to the annual February AMA fund drive. However, The AMA would never send any money back to the county in the way of durable goods or program funding. Several prominent members of the county got tired of this and broke away and formed their own "Heart Association". The AMA could never get a foothold back and lost well over 95% or what the county normally contributed funds.

 

The "new" county Heart Organization, used the money collected to: buy equipment for ambulances, hospital ER's, did health screening programs, provided free medications for limited income residents, funded heart research at the Hershey Medical Center (which was developing an artificial heart), and a whole host of other things. These were all things that the AMA refused to do.

After the earthquake in Alaska, a group of us GIs were tasked to help clean up and search for bodies around Seward where a huge tsunami hit. 

The Red cross and the Salvation Army had canopies and tents set up to dispense coffee, donuts and sandwiches. A couple of us tried to get coffee at the Red Cross tent and were told it would be $.25. We left and worked our way down to the Salvation Army tent where everything was given freely. 

Now, any time I see the red kettle, they get some of my $$. As does the local Lions club and, the local VFW and American Legion. 

We don't respond to any phone or mail solicitations....errr scams.

 

One of the few stories that my father told, was after that after a very cold Christmas in a little town called Bastogne, they broke out of Belgium in January 1945 and his squad came across a Red Cross tent. Not having had a hot meal in almost a week they decided to try and get a hot meal. The Red Cross wanted to charge them for the hot food. Not having been payed in weeks, they didn't have the money. However, between all of them they scraped up enough pocket change so that they all got a hot cup of coffee and ONE doughnut. 

 

He never had any use for them after that incident.

2 minutes ago, schnewj said:

He never had any use for them after that incident.

A big YUP. Same here.

I've always tried  to support veterans organizations, but in recent months it seems the more often I give, no matter how much or how little, the more frequent the requests for donations arrive. Just yesterday, I got requests from the DAV With $1.00 enclosed,, VFW,  and Wounded Warriers. This topic has been discussed here in the past. If I were to concentrate on one organization, can anyone say which one ultimately gives the highest % to the vets.

Red Cross:  When I went into the Air Force I had to return home for a few days on an emergency leave. I needed cash to get back to the base. I asked the Red Cross for a loan for my fare back to the base. They refused the puny loan that I needed. Luckily, I had friends who helped out. Red Cross gets "0" from me

Edited February 8, 20188 yr by It Was Al B

Al, stay local, give cash. Don't respond to mail or phone solicitations. The junk mail will eventually die away.