America’s military is unique in the world. It’s an all volunteer force and yet it remains the world’s most powerful and dedicated military. While the actions of the military as a whole may be controlled by politicians with whom we may or may not agree at different times, the individuals who enter our military do so out of love for the country and a desire to serve it and us.
Wounded Warriors
When these brave warriors are wounded, charities for wounded soldiers step up to give us the means of giving back to them, whether it be through clothes donations, donations to purple heart, assistance with housing, Christmas decorating campaigns, or other ways of helping military families and helping disabled veterans.
Charities For Wounded Soldiers
How do you know if the charities for wounded soldiers you’re looking into are trustworthy? Here’s how to make your donations count:
- Look for connection to the military or official organizations. A legitimate charity will be happy to partner directly with the military or official organizations such as the Military Order of the Purple Heart. If you see that a charity has an official relationship with an organization like this, you can be certain that they’re doing good. They are clearly not concerned that people are looking through their books and keeping an eye on what they do.
- Call the IRS To be more specific, go to the IRS’s website, where they have a spot you can specifically search for verified nonprofit organizations. All kinds of charities for wounded soldiers are listed there, and whether you want to help children in need of clothing or give monetary donations to veterans, you’ll be able to find a legitimate organization on the list.
- Don’t give cash. A legitimate charity will always take a check. While cash is always nice, legitimate charities for wounded soldiers are aware of the need to be upfront about where their money comes from and where it goes. Taking checks is a way of doing that, so if any charity demands cash only you should be suspicious.
- Get specific information If the charity is vague about what exactly they do or what’s going to happen to your clothes donation, you should be suspicious. Legitimate charities will be very happy to explain their process to you and are anxious for everyone to understand that they are legitimate.
- Look for a history. A new charity should always be checked out carefully. Of course new charities are popping up all the time that are perfectly legitimate. However, without a history that you can look at and a reputation that’s clear, it can be more difficult for you to be certain that your donation is going to be used well. If the charity is brand-new, look for connections to other organizations as mentioned in the first point, double check them on the IRS website, get specific information about how they work, and make sure they’re happy to take a check and give you some time to check them out.
- Resist unusual pressure. All charities for wounded soldiers are interested in getting help for the men and women they serve, but they all want donors to give voluntarily. They want donations because people really care: not because they feel pressured. This means that any charity that’s putting the screws on you is suspect.
- Don’t give out credit card info no the phone or on spammy sites. You should never give your credit card information to anyone who calls you looking for a donation. You should be the one who initiates the call, and if a charity does call they should give you information about how to donate rather than ask for your information over the phone. When on the Internet, make sure that the website seems legitimate and take a minute to do a little research before plugging in your financial information.
- Report scams. If you do run across a scam, it’s always a good idea to report this so it can be stopped. You can report it to your local state Attorney General’s office or to the National Fraud Information Center at fraud.org.
Show your appreciation for the sacrifice of your veterns with your donation to legitimate charities for wounded soldiers.
