Just because a charity has the word veteran in its name does not mean it is a genuine charity working for the veterans. There are many charities that have been found committing frauds. Money donated to such organizations never reaches the veterans or the worthy groups. Some organizations spend most of their funds on salaries and administrative expenses while others are outright scam organizations. There are charity watchdogs that list the best veteran charities. They also list fraud charities that simply pocket the money and do not do much charity. Genuine charities use the collected money responsibly and for the purpose they collect it. If you are planning to donate money to any veteran charity, it is important to first check its credential, records and reviews.
When you donate to the right charity, your money will be used for the purpose it is donated. It is important to understand that some part of the collected money will always be used to cover the administrative costs of the charity organization. However, the percentage of money used for this purpose should not be so high that only a small percentage of collected money is used for actually helping the veterans. The thumb rule as specified by some charity watchdogs is that a charity should spend at least 65% of its expenses on its charity projects. It must not spend more than 35% of its expenses for fundraising. There are different charity watchdogs and each one uses a different rating system to rate charities.
Your money will be used properly if you donate to the best veteran charities. Check their ratings at the websites of the charity watchdogs. You should do your own research as well and not depend completely on one watchdog’s reports. Genuine charities for veterans are not shy of disclosing their financial details. They have open accounting practices and give donors access to their accounting details. A charity that spends more on fundraising, conferences and meetings is never going to use the money donated to it judiciously.
Support veteran charities that focus on direct aid. Now it is easier than ever to find genuine veteran charities because of quick access to information through the Internet. At the same time, Internet has also made it easier for fraud organizations to project themselves as genuine organizations. They hide their frauds by carrying out extensive online marketing campaigns. Be wary of dealing with such charities. Donate your hard earned money to a charity that will help your cause of supporting the veterans. You should be able to check how much of its budget is used for the administrative expenses, salaries, fundraising and other internal expenses.