Think Before You Donate: Part II

This is part two about an email I have received several times over the past seven or so years. It’s been circling the Internet since 2005 and just won’t go down the drain. Until now, I have simply deleted it. This time I didn’t and this two-part story is attributed to that fact.

It has its good points and bad points to be sure, but this year I simply had to point out to you the bad after having been recently chastised severely for not researching some of my columns. As the chastiser pointed out in his/her tirade, “Your readers deserve to know the truth.”

He/she was correct. I have never told my readers a right out lie. Some of my “true” stories have been embellished but those are called yarns and the reader can choose to believe them or not. I don’t yarn about serious stuff, usually.

But anyway, the email told of the high wages and low effectiveness of five of the most popular charitable organizations. (Glasgow Courier Oct. 21, 2015.) Through researching the BBB, Forbes, Charity Navigator and Snopes, I found that most the allegations in the email were, to say the least, skewed enough to put said mentioned organizations in a bad light with the reader.

And herein lies the rub that broke the camel's straw in the haystack.

The email listed the Salvation Army’s Commander William A. Roberts as receiving $13,000 yearly compensation. He actually received $126,920 in 2011. The efficiency rating (ER) of the Salvation Army as cited by Forbes and the Better Business Bureau is about 82 percent.

The American Legion Commander Daniel Wheeler gets about $200,000 (or more) per year as opposed to the $0.00 the email states. My info didn’t say if Wheeler is the past or present Commander. Their ER is just 55 percent.

Glen M. Gardner Jr. and Thomas J. Treadwell Sr. drew aggregate compensation of $329,868 from the VFW and got an 84 percent ER. Email stated they got NO compensation.

The National Adjutant of the Disabled American Veterans, Arthur Wilson, drew $328,252 as DAV CEO. Email said $0.00 zero salary and a 77 percent for ER.

The email says that Executive Director Gregory Bresser was awarded $142,996 (2009) in salary and compensations from the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation and that he received “$0.00 zero salary.” That organization rated just 35 percent inefficiency.

The Vietnam Veterans of American President Jim Rowan received $69,874 in salary and compensations in 2009. Email said NO salary. The CFO of that organization, Joseph Sternberg, received $137,092. Their efficiency rating was a low 25 percent.

Now, simmer down, some of you veterans and active military men and women. The email also mentioned St. Judes Research Hospital, Ronald McDonald Houses and the Lions Club International, saying that 100 percent is returned to the cause in all three organizations. This is simply not true.

St. Judes stated their efficiency rating is about 81 percent. In 2013, then CEO William Evans was compensated $941,143 while Ronald McDonald Houses program expenses are said to be 79 percent to 89 percent.

And lastly but not leastly, the only almost-true lie, stated that the Lions Club International Executive Director Peter Lynch received no “Direct Compensation”....but that he did receive $226,049 in “Affiliate Compensation” in 2013.

Now, before you pour on the tar and sprinkle on the feathers, I want you to know that I have nothing against any of the aforementioned organizations, foundations or charities. They all do fine work helping people who can’t help themselves. In the case of military organizations, it should be the sole responsibility of the United States government to take care of these men and women who have put their lives on the line. In America “the people” should not have to go out begging for donations in order to help their friends, family and fellow soldiers who were wounded in combat.

This column was only an effort to show my 17.135 listeners that you can’t always trust what you get via the Internet or in your daily/weekly newspaper. As I have said many times in the past, “one must take my columns with a grain of salt.”

That’s it for now folks. Thanks for listening.