Wounded Warrior Project Spent $250,000 on Candy and Even More on Gimmicks

[n2doc]

Shocking new details on lavish spending by the veterans charity that led to the CEO and COO’s firing after years of controversy.

The Wounded Warrior Project’s board of directors fired the charity’s chief executive officer and chief operating officer Thursday following years of scandal and suspect management.

The massive charity spent lavishly on snacks, company retreats, and more, whistleblowers told The Daily Beast. The charity had a quarter-million-dollar annual budget for candy and soda, and spent untold sums on staff field trips and elaborately produced music videos promoting executives.

The Wounded Warrior Project raised more than $340 million in 2014, making it one of the largest veterans’ charities in America. Its ubiquitous television commercials and product placement made it a household name, leading many Americans to donate to the group, thinking the vast majority of their contributions would go toward helping veterans.

Instead, less than 60 percent of the charity’s funds went directly to veterans’ programs (top-rated charities routinely spend more than 90 percent on programming). Meanwhile, CEO Steven Nardizzi collected an annual salary of more than $470,000.

more

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/11/wounded-warrior-project-spent-250-000-on-candy-and-even-more-on-gimmicks.html

[salinsky]

1. Grifters gotta grift ...

[TeamPooka]

2. Lotta profit in non-profit business. nt

[underpants]

3. First heard about this 2-3 weeks ago

Not surprising.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

4. Scored only 78.49 on financials

Program Expenses
(Percent of the charity’s total expenses spent on the programs
and services it delivers) 59.9%
Administrative Expenses 6.0%
Fundraising Expenses 34.0%
Fundraising Efficiency $0.26

59.9% is absolutely awful. I'm surprised they rated as high as they did.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12842

[haele]

5. The terminology they used in their organization is a big tip-off.

I'm a veteran, and from what I've observed, terminology is an important way of determining if the organization is legit or a money-making venture pandering on playing war.

Anything using the term Patriot and Warrior that has nothing to do with sports, history, or similar context to an action for or against a condition, i.e. Tax Refund Warrior (we will fight for you!), Patriot (made in America) Solar Panels, is pandering to the "glory" of service. Like advertising one's religion or a shared experience to draw in customers, why should I trust anyone who is so obviously trying to use a status to draw in customers rather than promising an action? Rule #1 for people running a con or a scam is to let the mark think that the con artist is "one of us", or if they can't pass, pretend to be a sympathetic or other figure the mark will trust.

However, if business or charity uses the term Veteran or Outreach, and has a list of regional programs rather than regional directors, then I'm more likely look at them a little less cynically.

Haele

[sendero]

6. Many of these large "charities"..

.... exist for the benefit of those who run them. Like that big "pink ribbon" outfit, they spend almost nothing on cancer research.

If you want to do charitable giving you really have to do your homework first.

[corbettkroehler]

7. Doubly Despicable

It's already way too difficult to provide our nation's heroes with the support they need. Non-profits fill vast gaps in the system. They often struggle for resources. Then, we have this crap. Grr!

[Iggo]

8. Susan G Komen For The Cure doesn't care about the cure.

Wounded Warriors doesn't care about wounded warriors.

I'm sensing a theme here.

[Skittles]

13. any "charity" that is pimped by conservatives

Last edited Fri Mar 11, 2016, 07:34 PM - Edit history (1)

BEWARE

[dembotoz]

9. i like candy

used to work for a clec in telecom
the company was know for little leave behind giveaways you would drop after a cold or sales call.
candy bars, bags of peanuts, pens, calculators.

all had the company name on it with a slogan or such

think they spent a lot on candy

before you condemn all the spending find out what it was used for.
some might be legit

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Capitalism..

[leftstreet]

11. +1

!!

[MrScorpio]

12. Add them to the list...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024266292