Wounded Warrior Project - Charity, Scam, or Something Else?

originally posted by: Hoosierdaddy71
I have no problem with the people running a charity getting paid well as long as their pay is in line with what they would be earning in the private sector.
For example a city attorney should have a salary similar to the salary of a private attorney. That's the only way to get and keep good employees.
That being said I have no idea if these people are being paid that way.
I personally have a hard time trusting any charity with my money.
Maybe somebody here has some experience with this particular charity. I will be reading this thread with interest.

It's important to note that it is normal for a ceo or leader of a large non-profit or government outfit to make several hundred thousand dollars. One has to think of the level of responsibility they have. Often they are the helm of a massive org, must chaperone a ton of money, interact with very senior officials, etc.

Compared to the same level of position in the private sector, they make much less. Imagine a ceo or VP in the private sector. They often make from 500,000 to multiple-millions per year for large organizations.

originally posted by: WeRpeons

Salaries range from $150,000 - $330,000 per year. This is in line with other mega-charity salaries.

These salaries are outrageous for an organizations who pride themselves on helping others. Who are they really helping? I understand the need to have a salary, but when you're a non-profit organization, who don't pay taxes, the board of directors have no right to expect an outrageous salary. This is why a lot of people question donating money to charities. We hear all the time that most of the money goes towards salaries and most of the donations barley make to the people who are truly in need.

If you can command that high of a salary and operate out of plush offices and high rental spaces, the message you give about helping others is conflicting. Charities should be managed by people who clearly want to help, and a high salary should be the last thing on their minds.

There has to be a balance. Some non-profits are massive international organizations. The level of responsibility for those at the top is like being at the head of JP Morgan or something. To attract people that have the right experience and training, you have to offer them a good salary. For that level, 200,000 is nothing. In the private sector, it would be 1 million.

Also, we have to get away from the whole martyrdom idea about non-profit and government. People need to be paid well. Obviously at the top it begins to get to a high salary. But for most people in that world, they could be making a hell of a lot more money in the private sector. They need, however, to be able to pay rent in expensive cities, pay for their kids' schooling, have some expendable income, etc.

I just looked online to get a feel for how may charities there are out there for vets and i got 50 pages with 20 charities on each. That is 1000 charities. Seems excessive and must split possible donations and probably takes away from the effectiveness of the cause. Many of them deal with similar issues. For instance, couldn't the P.A.V. (Paralyzed American Vets) also fit into the D.A.V. (Disabled American Vets) catagory. I also noticed that W.W.P. only rated 2.5 stars on this particular website and there were many charities that rated a full 5 stars and seem to have the same mission. I personally feel that at least half of all profit from all of these charities fighting each other for our dollars is being funneled away for personal gain. If I decide to donate I think I would pass on W.W.P. for one of the better rated charities, however I would rather help physically somehow rather than trust any of them.

a reply to: Quetzalcoatl14

Those people are all about money. Charity is about something much more. I'm all for that but if that is what you are chasing then go private and leave the needy's money to the needy. If you were truly ambivalent in your mission you would be happy with 75,000 and reap the real rewards with good will and caring. When you take a job at a NON-PROFIT organization charity is supposed to be in YOUR heart. Maybe I have just been broke dick too long but I help those I see in need whenever the opportunity presents. Be it a hitch hiker or an elderly person or a broke down car. I wonder if I would still even give a crap were I wealthy. I like to think yes but money is king in our society and like green coc aine it seems. I hope to see the day the wold goes to rehab and we get back to living. The most fulfilling good deed is one where no compensation is expected.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Salaries range from $150,000 - $330,000 per year. This is in line with other mega-charity salaries.

*choke* what??? after reading that you have to question who really benefits from this charity.

I understand that there is a need for administrators- but $150K a year? that money can build a whole lotta wheelchair ramps. I know It's not cheap to outfit a house to cater for disabled people-it can cost thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars and many hours of laboring- but $150K for dotting the i's and crossing the t's? that doesn't give a potential sponsor much confidence.

I lost trust in mega "non-profits" long ago. Any charities I donate time or money to are local and transparent. I can see they are helping people, and see where the money is actually going. It's not disappearing into a black hole of bureaucracy. Their salaries alone are outrageous, add to that the book cooking they do. Taking vacations around the world on donation dime, and calling it business trips. Etc etc.

a reply to: FlyersFan

My Masonic lodge, along with the local VFW, used to sponsor this charity. I would prefer not to get into detail but our lodge-appointed liaison with the charity advised us to sever ties with them almost five years ago and since then we have taken to individual charity undertakings for local wounded veterans.

I am a long time visitor to ATS and enjoy reading the varied posts and opinions. I had to register for an account specifically to reply to this thread because I have personal experience requesting assistance from the Wounded Warrior project. My husband was hit with an IED in Afghanistan and he suffered severe injuries. After he was medically retired and we came back to the United States from Bamburg Germany we were in that limbo period where we were waiting for ratings and approvals from the VA and social security disability claims. We specifically asked for help from WWP at Fort Campbell Kentucky. They referred us to Army Emergency Relief. AER is an Army program and NOT affiliated with WWP at all. We received a no interest loan from AER and that was greatly appreciated, We just recently paid that off and that was years ago. WWP did not assist us in any way other then referring us to the Army program.
Once we had found a place to live we needed furniture and again contacte WWP in Virginia Beach and they literally mailed us a one page computer print out of consignment stores in our area. My husband and I literally laughed when we opened the envelope. It was ridiculous. We began realizing that WWP was really not helping veterans at that point and every time a WWP commercial came on at that point we would get offended by them.
Recently my husband has been receiving treatment at the VA in Denver and me and our two small children have been staying at the Fisher House. We are moving our belongings here soon and it was suggested to me that I contact the WWP to get some physical help loading/unloading our furniture. I called the WWP in Colorado and Tennessee and after going through all these "donate money" prompts was directed to voicemails. I left multiple messages and have never even received one phone call back from anyone at the Wounded Warrior Project.
I am left with the unsettling impression that WWP is NOT helping veterans and the money they raise is going to pay the salaries and rents for the employees and staff. They have offices in every city and they literally just fundraise for themselves.
On the other hand, the VA has been awesome and without them I cannot imagine where our family would be. The Fisher House is also a great charity and have really helped our family.
Also, Operation Home Front was there for us when we needed help and they just required us to fill out some paperwork and attach a bill and they promptly paid it. I have no idea how the people at WWP can run those commercials constantly and steal money that is supposed to go and help veterans and not even bother to return phone calls from injured returning veterans. It is a very sad state of affairs.
I literally get tears in my eyes when I see one of those commercials now because they are even using our severely injured vets to make them more money, using them like financial pawns. I hope they at least got compensated for the commercials. Enough said.

a reply to: coloradotransplant

Fisher House is from everything I can see an awesome charity - it's a bit single-focus, (for those that don't know, it provides housing for family members near treatment facilities so they can be near their loved ones while hospitalized or in rehab) - I think there are like 56 houses now, and I always feel good about donating to them.

WWP started off well, and I used to donate to them - but I've gotten the sense they're becoming another money-pit, where too much is spent on raising more funds and not enough on the beneficiaries. And I'm always skeptical about "salaries" - if you pay someone $1, but provide them a multi-million dollar condo to live in on Central Park West, access to private jets, and endless "meetings" in glamorous locales, that $1 salary is meaningless (not accusing WWP of this, btw.)

And of course, it goes without saying, we shouldn't need these charities, but then again, our government is hopelessly incompetent so ...

Personally, I think the Gov. should match any and all contributions to the WWP.

I saw this video a few weeks ago,
about Nissan teaming up with wounded warrior,
and it was actually a good story, however,
this is how some of the money is spent.


I believe our warriors need as much support as they can get.
Peace!

I have often wondered about WWP. The fact that they have SO MUCH advertising was a BIG red flag to me.

Oh, they do a great job making it look like its a great thing for the poor souls who have had their lives shattered.

That's the easy part, it is a fine tuned science milking money out of people. The tug on the heart strings is brilliant.

Anything advertised so much by the MSM does not have the best interest of the little people in mind.

Lets see, they ask for a $20 donation, that's 15,000 donations going to the ceo.

ETA: Thanks for the thread and bringing attention to this FF. Wish I could give applause to you.

Any one know a legit charity for our shattered Veterans?

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
*choke* what??? after reading that you have to question who really benefits from this charity.

I didn't say it was right or wrong. I said it's in line with other mega charities. Mega management salaries seems to be 'the norm' with these big charities. They are run much like a corporation, and the people running them are mega managers.

originally posted by: stosh64
Anything advertised so much by the MSM does not have the best interest of the little people in mind.

I'm not sure who pays for that advertising on TV. I don't know if the charity does or if the TV stations give the time and write it off as a donation. I know that TV networks donate a certain percentage of time towards charity causes and WWP may be one of those that fits the criteria. I don't know.

a reply to: coloradotransplant

Thank you for posting. This is the kind of first hand information I was hoping to get. It is helpful in making decisions. I hope everything is going well for you and I'll be checking into Fisher House and also Operation Home Front.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I have seen the Wounded Warrior project in action and I find the attempt to smear it disgusting and, unfortunately, so typical of our times.

originally posted by: bbracken677
a reply to: FlyersFan

I have seen the Wounded Warrior project in action and I find the attempt to smear it disgusting and, unfortunately, so typical of our times.

Please share whatever first hand experience you have had. Others it seems have not had a good experience and a counter point would be most appreciated. I do not see this as an attempt to smear to but, question where people when they donate can do the most good. And that should always be the goal.