[Advogado]

The other day, solicitors for an organization called "Veterans in Need Foundation" had positioned themselves in front of Publix on 466. Seemed like a good cause, but when I checked, neither the Better Business Bureau nor the Charity Navigator websites (the two usual places to check out whether a charity is legitimate) had any information on the Foundation. So, when you drop cash in their bucket, it's impossible, without a lot of digging, to tell whether you are really donating to needy veterans or to the organizers and administrators of the Foundation.

[Mikeod]

Didn't we go through this a year or two ago? If I remember correctly, there were people in cammies at Publix on 466a soliciting for veterans and it turned out none of them were veterans and were basically paid solicitors for a "charity" that no one had heard of and there was no accounting of where the money would go. Since no information on the charity was found at those sites, I would be leery of donating. There are established foundations that help veterans in need.

[Advogado]

Originally Posted by mikeod

Didn't we go through this a year or two ago? If I remember correctly, there were people in cammies at Publix on 466a soliciting for veterans and it turned out none of them were veterans and were basically paid solicitors for a "charity" that no one had heard of and there was no accounting of where the money would go. Since no information on the charity was found at those sites, I would be leery of donating. There are established foundations that help veterans in need.

Exactly. I was prompted to start this thread by seeing a number of people tossing money into the collection bucket for use by an organization and individuals that the donors know absolutely nothing about.

While it doesn't address the "Veterans in Need Foundation", here is an article dealing with the issue of fraudulent veterans' charities: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/1..._n_782216.html