I agree with donating to veterans' charities but, there is always one good organization in there, please go to https://www.charitynavigator.org/ and check out operating expenses to their total budget. Many pay out almost as much as they get in operating expenses and have very little to actually help veterans.
You ask why I am skeptical of these organizations, here is the reason I started diving into many of these things. I came back from Iraq and was laid up for 2 years because of surgeries and such and could not just right into the work field and took so long for veteran benefits and such to get approved and started. I asked for help from the veterans organizations and they never had anything to help. From that, we lost our house and sold just about everything we had to start over again. Which was so stressful for my family that I have many regrets from that.
I think it would be much better to do a benefit in the community to help a veteran in your community because the money raised actually goes to the veteran and not an organization.
I am not bitter, well maybe a little, but I believe there are better ways than donating to a veteran organization to help veterans in each of our communities.
Ok, rant is done! I just know that there are better and more ways to help veterans that using many of the veteran organizations.
Thank you for sharing the link to charity navigator. That will be a big help for many in making an informed decision. I included the three just because they are ones that are recognizable. For some I thought it would make it easy for them to get started I guess.
I appreciate you adding to the conversation in this way. It helps those that do not know understand what veterans go through and deal with everyday. Sorry to hear you had to deal with all that and some of these organizations did not come through for you and your family when you needed them most.
Yes, local community fundraising I feel is always best as well. If one can find a cuase to give to that is preferred.
Again, thank you for sharing your experience and perspective. I think it helps add so much more information to consider for this post that I did not include or consider myself.
Semper Fi,
Joe