10 Troop Friendly Deserving Charities

Do You Really Support Our Troops?

As we approach the season of giving we will be bombarded by groups asking us to give. Give money that is. And lots of it. While charitable giving is good, tax deductible and makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside and all that, are the dollars you are donating going where you intended?

Here at ReadyTribe.com we are 100% supporters of our troops and veterans. A large portion of the Ready Tribe community and followers are veterans themselves. Hopefully, this article will help direct your good intentions of giving get to their intended cause. Especially, when it comes to our veterans.

Did you know our nations veterans make up 7% of our country’s population?

Did you know our nations veterans make up 7% of our country’s population? There are roughly 21.6 million living veterans? 8.8 million are enrolled to receive benefits with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). 42% of these veterans are age 65 or older. And 1.2 million are aged 85 and above (these guys most likely served in the Korean or Vietnam War, or both).

No matter what your political preference or opinion is to send in troops, the fact remains that these men and women were willing to make the Ultimate Sacrifice for our country and some really need your help.

Below, you will find 10 of the top rated charities that, in my opinion, will put your money where it was intended. The selection was based mainly on their ratings from Charity Navigator. You may be surprised to find that some of the most familiar names are NOT on the list.

80% of the money raised by professional fund raisers never make it to the veterans

In an investigative report done by Texas local news affiliate KXAN, research found that 80% of the money raised by professional fund raisers never make it to the veterans. It goes directly in the pockets of these telemarketers.

Charity Navigator recommends you hang up if you get a call from a professional solicitor and instead send your donation directly to the group intended so it can keep 100 percent of your donated money.

Sandra Miniutti, VP of marketing for Charity Navigator, says at least 75 percent of donations should go toward programs. If just pennies on the dollar donated go toward the programs the charities support then that should be a red flag. –CNBC article

• CHARITY

• 
• Mercy Medical Airlift
• 
• DAV
• 
• The Fisher House Foundation
• 
• Operation Homefront
• 
• Semper Fi Fund
• 
• Homes for Our Troops
• 
• Navy SEAL Foundation
• 
• WWFS
• 
• Hope For The Warriors
• 
• IAVA
• 

• DESCRIPTION

• Programs and Service Provided

• Mercy Medical Airlift
• Founded in 1972, Mercy Medical Airlift's (MMA) mission is to ensure that no needy patient is denied access to distant specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis or treatment for lack of a means of long-distance medically-related transportation; further, to ensure the provision of urgent transportation in situations of compelling human need and homeland security emergencies. Major MMA programs include: * Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic/Angel Airlift Mid-Atlantic * Air Compassion for Veterans/Wounded Warriors * Angel Airlines for Life * Angel Flight for Veterans/Angel Airlines for Veterans * Angel Wheels to Healing * National Patient Travel Center
• DAV
• The DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Charitable Service Trust supports physical and psychological rehabilitation programs that provide direct service to ill, injured, or wounded veterans. Programs supported by the Trust target several groups of physically and psychologically injured veterans. Programs supported by the Trust typically include: providing food, shelter and other necessary items to homeless or at-risk veterans; accessibility or mobility items for veterans with vision or hearing impairments; therapeutic activities; physical and psychological activities for rehabilitation; and other forms of direct service for veterans and their families.
• The Fisher House Foundation
• The Fisher House Foundation program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 10,000 families, and have made available nearly 2.5 million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990.
• Operation Homefront
• Operation Homefront provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront assists military families coping with deployment and injury recovery as they struggle with unforeseen budget challenges. Payments are made in the form of grants, not loans, for some of the most basic kinds of needs, such as food, rent, and utilities.
• Semper Fi Fund
• The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund provides immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to post-9/11 wounded, critically ill and injured service members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, and their families. Semper Fi Fund helps defray the expenses incurred during hospitalization, rehabilitation and recovery; assists with the expenses associated with the purchase of specialized equipment, adaptive vehicles and home modifications; and educates the public about the special needs of our injured service members and their families. Our mission since our founding in 2004 has remained constant: to serve those who preserve our freedom.
• Homes for Our Troops
• Homes for Our Troops, founded in 2004, is strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to their country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries. We assist severely injured servicemen and women and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and then coordinating the process of building a new home or adapting an existing home for handicapped accessibility. The finished home is then given to the veteran. All services provided by Homes for Our Troops are at no cost to the veterans we serve.
• Navy SEAL Foundation
• The Navy SEAL Foundation's mission is to provide educational and motivational support, promote health and welfare programs for the Naval Special Warfare Community, and perpetuate the history and heritage of the U.S. Naval Commandos. Our Foundation is strong, our leadership is dedicated, and our mission is noble. The Navy SEAL Foundation is proud to serve the Naval Special Warfare community including the U.S. Navy SEALs, SWCC, NSW Support Personnel, and their families. Our programs center around three pillars: health and welfare, including tragedy assistance and family events; education and motivation, including scholarships and tuition assistance; and history and heritage, including the funding of monuments and memorials.
• WWFS
• Wounded Warriors Family Support provides support to the families of those who have been wounded, injured or killed during combat operations. The families of our casualties suffer in many ways: some financially, some psychologically. Wounded Warriors Family Support mitigates their trauma by allowing them to find peace and solace as a family once more in family-friendly retreats that we provide free of charge. Providing a low stress environment where they can be free from the cares and worries that often tear a family apart. Many of our young military families are not financially secure and would not be able to afford what we offer to them: a chance to bond with their children, especially after their children were traumatized and adversely affected by a parent's wounds and injuries.
• Hope For The Warriors
• We believe those touched by military service can succeed at home by restoring their sense of self, family, and hope. Nationally, Hope For The Warriors® provides comprehensive support programs for service members, veterans, and military families that are focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement, and connections to community resources.
• IAVA
• IAVA is the leading post-9/11 veteran empowerment organization (VEO) with the most diverse and rapidly growing membership in America. We don’t just support veterans, we empower them!

• PROGRAM EXPENSE

• Percentage (%) of Your Dollar That Goes To Cause

• Mercy Medical Airlift

• 97.3%

• DAV

• 96.5%

• The Fisher House Foundation

• 94.8%

• Operation Homefront

• 92.6%

• Semper Fi Fund

• 92.7%

• Homes for Our Troops

• 91.9%

• Navy SEAL Foundation

• 85.7%

• WWFS

• 81.1%

• Hope For The Warriors

• 80.4%

• IAVA

• 78.2%

What was most surprising, when doing research for this article, was the inefficiency of some of the more well known charities.  Some charities bordered on blatant fraud, while others employed highly paid executives.  So that got me thinking… how much of my dollar do I want to contribute to the salary of a highly paid charity CEO?

Source: 10 Troop Friendly Deserving Charities by Rick Sunderland via Ready Tribe - Don't Just Survive, Thrive!.