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Check charity’s history before you donate

Since Sept. 11, 2001, charities have sprung up everywhere purporting to help veterans and military families.

Many have evolved into reliable groups, joining others with a proven track record of helping military families with financial emergencies or other needs.

If you know a charity’s track record and want to donate, by all means — donate. But if a charity is unfamiliar to you, it’s wise to do some checking first.

The Federal Trade Commission and law enforcement officials in 49 states recently launched “Operation False Charity,” a crackdown on allegedly fraudulent telemarketers who claimed to help police, firefighters and veterans.

“All of us share a deep trust and respect for our law enforcement officers, firefighters and military service members,” said Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster in the joint announcement. “The attorneys general across the country will not stand idly by while greedy telemarketers take advantage of that trust and respect.”

In the past year, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, an arm of the Better Business Bureau, has received 130,000 inquiries about charities purporting to support police, firefighters, veterans and service members, said Bennett Weiner, the alliance’s chief operating officer.

The bulk of inquiries have been about veterans charities, Weiner said. “Usually it’s the reverse — police and firefighter charities generate more inquiries.”

Here’s one example of why you should check out a charity before donating. In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California, the FTC claims that three nonprofit groups were formed mostly to line the pockets of the defendants and the fundraising companies they hired. The complaint states telemarketers are paid about 80 percent to 90 percent of the funds they raise.

All three — American Veterans Relief Foundation Inc.; Coalition of Police and Sheriffs Inc.; and Disabled Firefighters Fund — use the same address. AVRF did not return calls seeking comment.

A number of groups use names that sound familiar or feature words such as “veterans” or “military families.” But that alone does not mean the group is legitimate or that your donation would go to a veteran or military family.

In addition to using the word “veterans” in its name, AVRF told donors it was raising money to support families through a program called “Operation Home Front,” the FTC says.

In fact, the FTC said, the group spent virtually no money helping military families and is not connected to the genuine nonprofit Operation Homefront Inc., a national organization with 30 chapters that does support families of troops and is praised by watchdog groups.

If you, as a service member, family member or veteran, suspect wrongdoing by a charity, you should contact your state attorney general’s office, Weiner said.

“Public complaints are probably one of the most important triggers for an investigation,” he said.

If you believe you haven’t been treated fairly by a charity, you can file a complaint with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Be as specific as possible. The alliance forwards complaints to the charity for response, and they generally are responsive, he said.

“But if there is a pattern, we can alert other people through our reports,” he said.

If you believe you’ve been wronged, Weiner said, “there are people to help address complaints, at no charge.”

Giver beware

Even if a charity has tax-exempt status, it may not be using your donations the way you want.

Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission and Bennett Weiner of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance:

• Do a background check. Call the organization in your state that regulates charities to see whether a charity or fundraising organization must register and whether it has done so. You can look up and contact your state’s charity regulator at the National Association of State Charity Officials Web site, www.nasconet.org.

• Be wary of solicitors. Tell them to mail information to you to help you decide. If they say they require you to pledge a certain amount before they’ll mail you something, hang up.

• Do not donate cash. For security and tax reasons, it’s best to write a check made payable to the charity instead of to an individual.

• Get a receipt.

• Check your records. If you don’t remember making a pledge, resist pressure to give.

The following are resources for checking out charities:

• Guidestar: www.guidestar.org

• BBB Wise Giving Alliance: www.bbb.org/charity

• CharityNavigator: www.charitynavigator.org

• American Institute of Philanthropy: www.charitywatch.org

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Questions or comments? Contact Karen Jowers at kjowers@militarytimes.com.