• Mission: Physical and psychological rehabilitation programs for wounded veterans.
• Donations: $6 Million
• 97% of donations spent on direct aid
• 1% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: To assist service members injured after 9/11
• Donations: $312 million
• 60% of donations spent on direct aid
• 34% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: Free lodging to military families during illness
• Donations: $56 Million
• 91% of donations spent on direct aid
• 2% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: Caring for the families of American’s fallen heroes
• Donations: $12 Million
• 84.4% of donations spent on direct aid
• 7.1% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: Financial Assistance to wounded service members and their families.
• Donations: $20 Million
• 93% of donations spent on direct aid
• 4% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: To provide veterans with 3 things they lose after leaving the military: a purpose, gained through disaster relief and community.
• Donations: $12 Million
• 77.6% of donations spent on direct aid
• 10.7% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: To honor defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need.
• Donations: $30 Million
• 91.12% of donations spent on direct aid
• 3.9% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: Restoring service members sense of self, family and hope by comprehensive support program for service members, veterans and military families.
• Donations: $9 Million
• 86% of donations spent on direct aid
• 8% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: To stand behind the entire military family.
• Donations: $5 Million
• 84% of donations spent on direct aid
• 11.4% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: Build specially equipped homes for injured service members
• Donations: $17 Million
• 89% of donations spent on direct aid
• 5% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: Provide support to the families of those who have been wounded, injured or killed in combat.
• Donations: $3 Million
• 88.8% of donations spent on direct aid
• 5.4% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: Rehabilitation and recovery to heal both physical and hidden wounds of war, through education and employment and quality of life.
• Donations: $1.8 Million
• 85.7% of donations spent on direct aid
• 10.7% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: Financial assistance, interest-free loans, education scholarships
• Donations: $17 Million
• 89% of donations spent on direct aid
• 3% spent on fundraising costs

• Mission: Financial and recovery assistance for wounded service members.
• Donations: $61 Million
• 92% of donations spent on direct aid
• 4% spent on fundraising costs

The following charities have been reported by the Federal Trade Commission to have pocketed 95% of donations that were meant for Veterans

American Disabled Veterans Foundation

Foundation for American Veterans, Inc.

Healing Heroes Network

Help the Vets, Inc.

Healing American Heroes, Inc.

Military Families of America

National Vietnam Veterans Foundation

Veterans Fighting Breast Cancer

Vietnam National Headquarters, Inc.

Before Donating to Charity, be sure to know where your money is going. Here are some tips:

• Don’t give cash. Legitimate charities will take a check.
• Don’t give credit card, bank account or personal information to telemarketers. In fact, you should be skeptical of telemarketers. If you want to give, you should be the one who initiates the call.
• Don’t give to Internet appeals if the cause does not look legitimate and doesn’t check out. Traditional frauds have gone electronic in recent years, giving con artists easy access to thousands of potential victims.
• Don’t give in to pressure. Anyone that can’t wait for a donation while you check out his or her organization is likely to be a fraud.
• Expect specific information. Ask what kind of relief this organization is going to provide. Don’t give to a vague appeal.

• Check out the charity with national, state and local authorities. Established charities register with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You can search for specific non-profit organizations on the IRS website.
• Beware of newly formed organizations. If the charity is new, you may have to rely on your relationship with the company or sponsor of the organization to determine whether you trust the group.
• Report abuses to the nearest Better Business Bureau and the State Attorney General’s office. You can also report abuses to the National Fraud Information Center at (800) 876-7060 or at Fraud.org.