Celebrating 30 years of helping you give wisely
America's most independent,
assertive charity watchdog

CharityWatch List of "F" Rated Veterans Charities

   Nov 11, 2022

Do you plan on making a donation to a Veterans & Military charity this year in honor of Veterans Day 2022? 

If veterans and military causes are important to you, CharityWatch advises you to be proactive and seek out a charity to support that will use your contributions the way you intend. Visit CharityWatch's list of Top-Rated Veterans & Military Charities to identify a worthy charity to support, and review the below list of CharityWatch "F" rated veterans and military charities to consider which charities you may want to avoid. 



"F" Rated Veterans & Military Charities 


Adoptaplatoon Solider Support Effort has a mission of providing deployed military service members with quality of life and morale lifting packages. In an article we published in 2019, CharityWatch called on Adoptaplatoon to adopt better accountability

 

Is Adoptaplatoon Soldier Support Effort Legit?

 

Donors often ask CharityWatch if a particular charity is “legitimate.” While this is a worthwhile question, it is only one step in ensuring that any donation you are considering making to charity will be used the way you intend and truly make an impact in supporting the causes important to you.

 

Adoptaplatoon is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) public charity. However, there are no federal laws in place requiring charities to spend the majority of the donations they receive on their programs. For this reason, donors cannot assume that just because a charity is “legitimate” by virtue of being registered with the IRS that it is also operating efficiently and effectively.

  • Rating: F  
  • Program %: 31%
  • Overhead %: 69%
  • Cost to Raise each $100 in Cash Support: $57
  • Fiscal year ended 12/31/2020


From CharityWatch Analyst Notes on Adoptaplatoon:


  • Approximately 95% of Adoptaplatoon's revenue is derived from the fundraising efforts of a professional fundraising company. 

 

  • Adoptaplatoon is in a dispute with its direct mail service provider concerning mailing costs. 

 

  • Adoptaplatoon reported Paycheck Protection (PPP) Loan proceeds of $88,125. 



AMVETS National Service Foundation has a mission of providing support to veterans through service programs as well as providing community and youth-oriented programs designed to promote unity and patriotism. 

 

Is AMVETS National Service Foundation Legit?

 

Donors often ask CharityWatch if a particular charity is “legitimate.” While this is a worthwhile question, it is only one step in ensuring that any donation you are considering making to charity will be used the way you intend and truly make an impact in supporting the causes important to you.

 

AMVETS National Service Foundation is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) public charity. However, there are no federal laws in place requiring charities to spend the majority of the donations they receive on their programs. For this reason, donors cannot assume that just because a charity is “legitimate” by virtue of being registered with the IRS that it is also operating efficiently and effectively.


Rating: F  

Program %: 28%

Overhead %: 72%

Cost to Raise each $100 in Cash Support: $62

Fiscal year ended 8/31/2018

CharityWatch provides a separate rating for AMVETS National Headquarters


Coalition to Salute America's Heroes has a mission of providing support to wounded troops, veterans, and their families and informing the public of the needs of wounded veterans. 


Donors often ask CharityWatch if a particular charity is “legitimate.” While this is a worthwhile question, it is only one step in ensuring that any donation you are considering making to charity will be used the way you intend and truly make an impact in supporting the causes important to you.


Is Coalition to Salute America's Heroes Legit?


Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) public charity. However, there are no federal laws in place requiring charities to spend the majority of the donations they receive on their programs. For this reason, donors cannot assume that just because a charity is “legitimate” by virtue of being registered with the IRS that it is also operating efficiently and effectively.

 

  • Rating: F  
  • Program %: 28%
  • Overhead %: 72%
  • Cost to Raise each $100 in Cash Support: $62
  • Fiscal year ended 12/31/2020


Select CharityWatch Articles on Coalition to Salute America's Heroes:




Disabled Veterans National Foundation has a mission to change the lives of men and women who came home wounded or sick after defending our safety and freedom. 


Is Disabled Veterans National Foundation Legit?


Donors often ask CharityWatch if a particular charity is “legitimate.” While this is a worthwhile question, it is only one step in ensuring that any donation you are considering making to charity will be used the way you intend and truly make an impact in supporting the causes important to you.

 

Disabled Veterans National Foundation is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) public charity. However, there are no federal laws in place requiring charities to spend the majority of the donations they receive on their programs. For this reason, donors cannot assume that just because a charity is “legitimate” by virtue of being registered with the IRS that it is also operating efficiently and effectively.

 

  • Rating: F  
  • Program %: 4%
  • Overhead %: 96%
  • Cost to Raise each $100 in Cash Support: $90
  • Fiscal year ended 12/31/2019

 

Read CharityWatch's many Articles & Alerts on Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) here


From CharityWatch Analyst Notes:


  • Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) reports compensating four vendors an aggregate of approximately $25.5 million during 2019. The largest amount went to a company called Innovairre for "Direct Mail prod[uction]", according to DVNF's audited financial statements of the same year. 


  • In April 2020 DVNF applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $169,600. 

For The Troops has a mission to send care packages filled with basic necessities, such as snack items, DVDs, CDs, and personal care items and magazines to our troops around the world. 


Is For The Troops Legit?


Donors often ask CharityWatch if a particular charity is “legitimate.” While this is a worthwhile question, it is only one step in ensuring that any donation you are considering making to charity will be used the way you intend and truly make an impact in supporting the causes important to you.

 

For The Troops is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) public charity. However, there are no federal laws in place requiring charities to spend the majority of the donations they receive on their programs. For this reason, donors cannot assume that just because a charity is “legitimate” by virtue of being registered with the IRS that it is also operating efficiently and effectively.

 

  • Rating: F  
  • Program %: 20%
  • Overhead %: 80%
  • Cost to Raise each $100 in Cash Support: $69
  • Fiscal year ended 12/31/2018


From CharityWatch Analyst Notes:


  • According to the For The Troops (FTT) 2018 tax filing (IRS Form 990, Schedule O), For The Troops reports that Paula Cornell (FTT's President) and James Cornell (FTT's Secretary) are the only two officers of the organization, and are two of the six total individuals on the charity's board of directors in 2018 (IRS Form 990, Part VII, Section A). 


Operation Finally Home has a mission to provide homes and home modifications to America's military heroes and their families. 

                                                                        Is Operation Finally Home Legit?


Donors often ask CharityWatch if a particular charity is “legitimate.” While this is a worthwhile question, it is only one step in ensuring that any donation you are considering making to charity will be used the way you intend and truly make an impact in supporting the causes important to you.

 

Operation Finally Home is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) public charity. However, there are no federal laws in place requiring charities to spend the majority of the donations they receive on their programs. For this reason, donors cannot assume that just because a charity is “legitimate” by virtue of being registered with the IRS that it is also operating efficiently and effectively.

 

Rating: F

Program %: 32%

Overhead %: 68%

Cost to Raise each $100 in Cash Support: $31

Fiscal year ended 12/31/2020


Paralyzed Veterans of America has a mission to be the leading advocate for quality healthcare for PVA members; research and education addressing spinal cord injury and dysfunction; benefits available as a result of members' military service; civil rights and opportunities that maximize the independence of members. 


Is Paralyzed Veterans of America Legit?

Donors often ask CharityWatch if a particular charity is “legitimate.” While this is a worthwhile question, it is only one step in ensuring that any donation you are considering making to charity will be used the way you intend and truly make an impact in supporting the causes important to you.

 

Paralyzed Veterans of America is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) public charity. However, there are no federal laws in place requiring charities to spend the majority of the donations they receive on their programs. For this reason, donors cannot assume that just because a charity is “legitimate” by virtue of being registered with the IRS that it is also operating efficiently and effectively.


  • Rating: F
  • Program %: 31%
  • Overhead %: 69%
  • Cost to Raise each $100 in Cash Support: $53
  • Fiscal year ended 6/30/2021


Read Veterans Charities Protest Their F's.


From CharityWatch Analyst Notes:


  • According to the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) consolidated audit of June 30, 2021 (Note 20, Related Parties):


        "During the years ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, PVA paid $54,000 to a company owned by one of         the [PVA] Research Foundation's directors for consulting services. In addition, PVA paid $862,876 and         $169,372, respectively, to a university for research in which one of the Research Foundation's directors         is a professor."


Purple Heart Foundation has a mission to holistically enhance the quality of life for all veterans and their families, providing them with direct service and fostering an environment of camaraderie and goodwill among combat wounded veterans. 


Is Purple Heart Foundation Legit?


Donors often ask CharityWatch if a particular charity is “legitimate.” While this is a worthwhile question, it is only one step in ensuring that any donation you are considering making to charity will be used the way you intend and truly make an impact in supporting the causes important to you.

 

Purple Heart Foundation is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)(3) public charity. However, there are no federal laws in place requiring charities to spend the majority of the donations they receive on their programs. For this reason, donors cannot assume that just because a charity is “legitimate” by virtue of being registered with the IRS that it is also operating efficiently and effectively.


Rating: F

Program %: 7%

Overhead %: 93%

Cost to Raise each $100 in Cash Support: $88

Fiscal year ended 6/30/2020


Read CharityWatch's many articles about Purple Heart Foundation (aka, Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation) here


From CharityWatch Analyst Notes:


  • According to the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation consolidated audit of June 30, 2020 (Note 9, Recurring Losses): "For each of the preceding 5 years the Organization has generated net losses ranging from $950,000 to $7.6 million dollars. The current year loss of approximately $414,000 dollars has further reduced net assets to a deficit of approximately $1.1 million at June 30, 2020. 

Additional Veterans & Military Nonprofits That Receive Failing Grades


Blinded Veterans Association 

United American Patriots

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and Foundation

Veterans Relief Network 

Vietnam Veterans of America



Related Charities