WOUND WARRIOR MONEYPIT: Instead of cleaning house, hire a damage control firm

The Wounded Warriors Project has us on their radar, and we sure as heck have them on ours.

Initially they came to our attention when they proclaimed that they didn’t want gun owner donations, or money from Christians, but money from fundraisers at the Playboy Mansion were A-OK (Parties 1 & 2) !

In recent days, they’ve been the subject of CBS News Investigations and also the NY Times and the Jacksonville, FL TV station.   And about a bazillion (well, 45,400) other reports.  We lambasted their shameful spending here:  SCANDALOUS: Wounded Warrior Project’s *extravagant* spending criticized by CBS News, others

Most of the reporting centered on the huge upswing on extravagant spending on “conventions, conferences and meetings”, but there are plenty of other gems in their Form 990.  They spent $43.4 million on fundraising on their 2014 Form 990.  That’s a lot, but it doesn’t include fundraising expenses written off as program and educational expenses through Joint Cost Allocation.  But fundraising expenses add up quickly when you’ve got groups like Constellations Group, Ltd. getting paid $240,000 to raise $23,222.

Instead of cleaning house and firing those responsible for their lavish $26 million in spending on “conventions, conferences and meetings” masquerading as “parties”, they’ve spent more big bucks to retain a high-priced PR counsel instead.

Abernathy MacGregor Aids Wounded Warrior Project Under Fire

(O’Dwyers) – Wounded Warrior Project, the veterans’ aid organization under scrutiny for lavish spending, has engaged Abernathy MacGregor Group for PR counsel.

The New York Times Jan. 28 covered the organization’s evolution from a “basement operation handing out backpacks” to a “fund-raising giant, taking in more than $372 million in 2015.” The paper’s reporting on WWP’s spending of millions of dollars on travel, dinners, hotels and conferences raised eyebrows for an organization that was previously unimpeachable in the public eye. Other media followed, including a three-part CBS series.

Yep.  Instead of cleaning house, they are going to “study” the problem.  And spend a princely sum to do so.

The PR firm is going to tell them to let some time pass, make some changes in the order of the deck chairs on their little Titanic and everything will be fine.

Now, the WWP’s board of directors issued a statement about the “concerns”.

Here’s an excerpt:

The Board takes very seriously

the concerns that have been raised in recent days

and is in the process of retaining independent advisors

to conduct a thorough financial and policy review of the concerns.

We remain steadfast in our commitment

  to our warriors and supporters

and will ensure

that the organization is effectively fulfilling this important mission.”

So, there you have it.

Wounded Warriors Project promises to take time from their $26million in partying- er, “conventions, meetings and conferences” to “ensure the organization is effectively fulfilling this important mission”.

What again was your mission?

Speaking of missions:

There is a “Wounded Warriors” group that’s actually a decent group.  A non-profit that doesn’t spend $26 million on drunken “team building” parties and suing everyone that looks at them cross-eyed.

The Wounded Warriors Family Support is a non-profit that scores a perfect 4 stars at Charity Navigator, with an outstanding overall 95.26 rating, just over one point behind Fisher House (96.87).  Note they clearly and prominently disavow any association with the scoundrels at Wounded Warrior Project in the screen grab from their website.

Their president called and spoke with me today, assuring me that his group had nothing to do with the Jacksonville, FL-based yahoos at Wounded Warrior Project, Inc.

So, just because you see “Wounded Warrior” in a non-profit’s name, don’t lump them all in with the bad apples.