As we honor our military veterans this Saturday, it’s a great time to consider contributing to a charity focused on supporting former members of the armed forces, active-duty service members, as well as their families. Better Business Bureau holds a special tie to the support of our military through charitable giving.
The effects of World War I led to the development of new nonprofit organizations that sought to help devastated areas overseas, displaced populations and many wounded soldiers. This growth in charity work during and after WWI was a significant factor that contributed to the establishment of the National Charities Information Bureau and the need for reports on charities by BBBs.
The bureau and the national charity reporting program at BBB merged in 2001 to form the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Overall, this reflects a legacy of over a century of experience in reporting on veterans and military service charities. To help contributors make wise giving decisions about charities that address needs facing veterans, military service members and/or their families, BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance offers the following advice:
— Avoid mistaken identity. The Bush Institute estimates there’s over 45,000 nonprofit organizations that serve U.S. veterans, active service members and/or their families. There’s many sound-alike names among these organizations. Some similarities are inadvertent, but others are established with an intent to deceive. Make sure you’re donating to the organization you wanted to support.
If you’re unfamiliar with a group, do your research by checking them on charity monitoring sites like Wise Giving Alliance’s Give.org to help ensure their trustworthiness.