Veterans' Outreach

We have created this document with the public’s awareness and protection as our driving force.  We have learned over the years that the public is taken advantage of by folks who claim to be something that they are not. Charities are a needed and appreciated asset for our society.  They are the driving force of goodwill towards men.  Philanthropy is earned by a charity’s credibility and legitimacy. We should all verify the legitimacy of a group before we donate as our part in maintaining honesty in our society.  Each organization that claims to be of a charitable nature must have the following registrations and should be able to display to anyone who asks.
 

• An IRS  501(c) Determination Letter indicating tax-exempt status.  It will have the name, address, and federal ID of the organization.
• A state registration indicating that the organization is compliant with annual registrations.

 
Furthermore,

• The group should have a mission statement or hand out..  Read it thoroughly and see if it offers a clear cut message regarding the purpose of the fundraising.
• The literature should state the organizations name, address, phone number, and website.
• The literature should be organized and well presented, check for grammatical errors or places that have been blacked out or copied over.
• Ask the representative to show their license and/or ID.

 
Soliciting for collections in front of public thoroughfares is vital for the health of a lot of charities.  It is up to good citizens like yourself to take that extra step to verify the groups you see out and about.  If we would all do this, fraud and deceit would shrink away.
 
To verify state registration, you can call the registering authority in your state.
 
Thank you for your time and your willingness to help the less fortunate.
 
Veterans’ Outreach Management