Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization that places wreaths on the graves of military veterans. It's a simple gesture that has proven popular. Wreaths Across America placed 33,000 wreaths in 2007, its first year. This year, the organization expects to place
Again, Judd and team, you uncover a story that needs to be exposed. I was waiting as I read through to find out if these people who made money ignoring the needs of their lowest level employees had done anything to help the Veterans who are still alive, and need assistance. All of those who contribute to Wreaths Across America, PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO U.S. Vets, Wounded Warriors Family Support, and the Head Strong Project.
Why is it that appearing on Fox is like a red flag that grifting, or deceit, or disinformation is being promoted? I'd say that here's a way to find the kind of stories that Popular Information investigates.
If I’m not mistaken, Wounded Warriors was shown to be one of those "charities" that takes over 75% of the contributions for overhead and administrative costs.
I was a big donor to them but haven’t given since.
This wreath racket has me feeling like everything is a scam!
The Wounded Warrior Project has cleaned up their organization after the scandal around a decade ago. Charity Navigator has them listed as a 4-star (98%) charity now. After Judd’s exposure here of Wreaths Across America, I would hope Charity Navigator would dramatically reduce its current 3-star rating.
Their tv ad campaign rakes in a vast proportion of the charity donations and they don't spend it all. They hoard it. And other children's hospitals get less. Like the Catholic Church secreting their cash in offshore accounts, so they claim penury when their sex abuse victims sue for damages. Many of these are using non profit procedures to launder money through shell organizations. It is a mess.
My problem is that executives in the organization are making salaries of over a million dollars each/year. That rubs me the wrong way. I'm so glad that you saw good work being done, though!
One would hope, but don't bet on it. It looks like it's not that hard to game Charity Navigator. Nothing against them, it's just that they don't really seem to be looking at the more devious forms of fraud.
Wow, now we're all doing research on this topic! I see that Disabled American Vets earns a good deal less that Wounded Warriors but that 97% of it's money goes to the disabled American vets!
Joe, so many scams out there. If these people weren’t running the company that profits, it would be a bit different. But at any rate, it’s better to do something for those who are living and in need. The dead don’t need the wreath.
Of course they don't help veterans. People like that think veterans are fools. They don't understand why someone might serve their country for they know in their hard little hearts that they wouldn't. They been inculcated/indoctrinated by a culture that taught them to care only for themselves at the expense of others!
Another thing to consider about the manufacture of wreaths is the considerable waste aspect of this short-use seasonal impulse buy: metal frames with weld spots, metal wire that wraps and secures the balsam to the frame, plastic decorations and bows.
Similarly to other seasonal one-time-use-and-then-throw-in-the-trash items that humans zombifically "need" each consumer holiday, we don't consider the waste stream, nor the wasted resources involved to make us feel something, anything.
Thank you for this report. Perhaps it will help some folks have second thoughts about the throw away items that we throw away money on, especially with so many in need.
I have donated to them annually since my father died in 2006 and was buried at Georgia National Cemetery. The first Christmas when I saw all the wreaths spread across the landscape meant a lot to me. Definitely an emotional issue! I never considered that they were making huge amounts of money (and creating considerable waste). I checked the BBB Wise Giving Guide, but the company failed to disclose any information so couldn't be rated. Charity Navigator gave them a rating of 75 and 3 stars. I would consider continuing to sponsor wreaths if the company would use at least half of their profits to actually helping veterans. I'm going to write them a letter based on this newsletter and see what they have to say. I will definitely donate to the suggested veteran groups instead. Thanks for bringing this matter to my attention!
It's beyond time for the IRS to change its rules on how a charity is defined. This is one of what are likely hundreds of organizations profiting from well meaning people, while not paying taxes and diverting scarce resources from beneficent charities doing amazing work. I'd never heard of these creeps, but have donated to wounded warriors in the past. It's on all of us to think about the mission of a charity before giving (substance over form), but the IRS aids and abets this kind of gift that on most countries would be illegal (or at least taxed).
Wreaths Across America = Grift + wage theft + malfeasance + sexual harrassment & a company town.
Wait a minute. A company town in this day and age?
To wit: "The workers allege they were fired and kicked out of employer-owned housing for raising these concerns."
So this is another example of where the GQP, that party of constant criminals wants to take us all. Back in time to company towns and no worker rights, where a person of color or a woman would be nothing more than a thing to be owned.
Let's look at this way. If they win (GQP/Crazies) , don't be Black or Jewish or Gay or Woman or a Democrat! They'll have a kristallnacht for all of you.
Grift in the name of dead Vets! What a scam, and supported by Fox (faux) News. Thanks Judd for making this known and naming the real charities that support living veterans.
A " gesture" of a wreath vs an organization that provides direct help through ptsd counseling; I think I'd donate to the organization that provides direct help to vets. Especially when this wreath company seems so cavalier about following proper safety rules & OSHA SAFETY guidelines. I'M certain at least a percentage of employees might be veterans or family of veterans. If you have a business that operates under the pretense of a kind or generous gesture, but on the back end, ignores the safety of it's workers & apparently has been known & fined for cheating them out of pay & safety violations, that's appears to be a bit contradictory to their supposed "mission." As has been said before, " hypocrisy knows no bounds." Hypocrites should find no profit in their bad deeds...imo.
So a company can continually ignore regulations, pay a minor fine, and stay in business. Imagine if anyone of us did this. And corporate flacks keep complaining about burdensome and onerous regulations.
Anyone hear about how the National Auto Dealers Association is complaining that being forced to fully disclose all the fees in a car purchase would be too onerous and "slow down" the purchase process? What a crock of ...
I can't help but wonder what it is about Americans, specifically the weasel news audience, that makes them far more likely to give money to decorate cemeteries to honor dead people for the holidays than they are to give badly needed money (or support government help) for veterans who are still above the ground, alive, suffering and in need.
It's a striking parallel to their attitude toward "the unborn." They only seem to care about other people before they're born or after they're dead, but they can't seem to locate the pieces of their original God-given personalities that would allow them to care about or help living people who are in legitimate need.
It must be a terrible, frustrating, disappointing, empty way to go through life after those families, communities, and communities of faith that raised you have groomed out of you (beaten out of you, verbally or physically), the pieces of yourself that you need to be able to see other people as REAL and to love and care for others, especially those in need.
For such people there's only "room in the inn" of their hearts for you before you're born or after you're dead, which seems to be the exact opposite of the message of the Nativity story and Jesus' incarnation.
Yes, honoring the dead and ignoring the living, and the parallel passion for "the unborn" reveals an underlying fear of death and an ignorance about the spiritual challenge to life while we're in a body.
I absolutely love a classic dissection of a nonprofit like this. It’s a tale as old as time, and makes it harder for the genuine, scraping-by nonprofits to do their work. Accountabilty journalism FTW!
Again, Judd and team, you uncover a story that needs to be exposed. I was waiting as I read through to find out if these people who made money ignoring the needs of their lowest level employees had done anything to help the Veterans who are still alive, and need assistance. All of those who contribute to Wreaths Across America, PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO U.S. Vets, Wounded Warriors Family Support, and the Head Strong Project.
Why is it that appearing on Fox is like a red flag that grifting, or deceit, or disinformation is being promoted? I'd say that here's a way to find the kind of stories that Popular Information investigates.
"Why is it that appearing on Fox is like a red flag that grifting, or deceit, or disinformation is being promoted?"
Some questions just answer themselves...
If I’m not mistaken, Wounded Warriors was shown to be one of those "charities" that takes over 75% of the contributions for overhead and administrative costs.
I was a big donor to them but haven’t given since.
This wreath racket has me feeling like everything is a scam!
Great reporting as usual Judd
The Wounded Warrior Project has cleaned up their organization after the scandal around a decade ago. Charity Navigator has them listed as a 4-star (98%) charity now. After Judd’s exposure here of Wreaths Across America, I would hope Charity Navigator would dramatically reduce its current 3-star rating.
Maybe it is time to look into Charity Navigator. But do St. Jude's first.
By "do" do you mean donate to St. Jude's, or to investigate where all the donations to them go?
Their tv ad campaign rakes in a vast proportion of the charity donations and they don't spend it all. They hoard it. And other children's hospitals get less. Like the Catholic Church secreting their cash in offshore accounts, so they claim penury when their sex abuse victims sue for damages. Many of these are using non profit procedures to launder money through shell organizations. It is a mess.
We must all do due diligence!
Good question.
I used to live in Memphis and saw, first hand, the good they did.
I donate monthly to St Jude's
My problem is that executives in the organization are making salaries of over a million dollars each/year. That rubs me the wrong way. I'm so glad that you saw good work being done, though!
I am sure they are doing good work. I question the over reaching fundraising and how it impacts the broader ecosystem of medical philanthropy.
St. Jude's is another scam. Shriner's Hospitals for Children is honorable, however.
One would hope, but don't bet on it. It looks like it's not that hard to game Charity Navigator. Nothing against them, it's just that they don't really seem to be looking at the more devious forms of fraud.
This is the only place my veteran dollars go. https://www.veteranscommunityproject.org
Thanks! I’ll look into that.
As a veteran of 36 years, I hate scammers using vets to pull the heartstrings of good, well meaning people.
It’s a great organization! Read Jason Kander’s book Invisible Storm. Jason is devoted to the organization.
Wow, now we're all doing research on this topic! I see that Disabled American Vets earns a good deal less that Wounded Warriors but that 97% of it's money goes to the disabled American vets!
Joe, so many scams out there. If these people weren’t running the company that profits, it would be a bit different. But at any rate, it’s better to do something for those who are living and in need. The dead don’t need the wreath.
Couldn't agree more.
Everything is not a scam. I volunteered with Oxfam America and they are one of the best. Most every single dollar goes into their missions.
Yes, they've been known for being honorable and helpful for decades!
Please check out Wounded Warriors on Wise Giving Guide and Charity Navigator. They both give them a high rating.
Of course they don't help veterans. People like that think veterans are fools. They don't understand why someone might serve their country for they know in their hard little hearts that they wouldn't. They been inculcated/indoctrinated by a culture that taught them to care only for themselves at the expense of others!
Didn't the wounded warriors have their own scandal?
Yes they did…overhead and administration costs were the lion's share of money.
Another thing to consider about the manufacture of wreaths is the considerable waste aspect of this short-use seasonal impulse buy: metal frames with weld spots, metal wire that wraps and secures the balsam to the frame, plastic decorations and bows.
Similarly to other seasonal one-time-use-and-then-throw-in-the-trash items that humans zombifically "need" each consumer holiday, we don't consider the waste stream, nor the wasted resources involved to make us feel something, anything.
Thank you for this report. Perhaps it will help some folks have second thoughts about the throw away items that we throw away money on, especially with so many in need.
It's almost like some kind of corporate Grifts Across America
I have donated to them annually since my father died in 2006 and was buried at Georgia National Cemetery. The first Christmas when I saw all the wreaths spread across the landscape meant a lot to me. Definitely an emotional issue! I never considered that they were making huge amounts of money (and creating considerable waste). I checked the BBB Wise Giving Guide, but the company failed to disclose any information so couldn't be rated. Charity Navigator gave them a rating of 75 and 3 stars. I would consider continuing to sponsor wreaths if the company would use at least half of their profits to actually helping veterans. I'm going to write them a letter based on this newsletter and see what they have to say. I will definitely donate to the suggested veteran groups instead. Thanks for bringing this matter to my attention!
Maybe your letter mattered?
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/02/02/down-east/downeast-business/worlds-tallest-flagpole-no-longer-happening/
It's beyond time for the IRS to change its rules on how a charity is defined. This is one of what are likely hundreds of organizations profiting from well meaning people, while not paying taxes and diverting scarce resources from beneficent charities doing amazing work. I'd never heard of these creeps, but have donated to wounded warriors in the past. It's on all of us to think about the mission of a charity before giving (substance over form), but the IRS aids and abets this kind of gift that on most countries would be illegal (or at least taxed).
Wreaths Across America = Grift + wage theft + malfeasance + sexual harrassment & a company town.
Wait a minute. A company town in this day and age?
To wit: "The workers allege they were fired and kicked out of employer-owned housing for raising these concerns."
So this is another example of where the GQP, that party of constant criminals wants to take us all. Back in time to company towns and no worker rights, where a person of color or a woman would be nothing more than a thing to be owned.
Let's look at this way. If they win (GQP/Crazies) , don't be Black or Jewish or Gay or Woman or a Democrat! They'll have a kristallnacht for all of you.
The Orange Crevasse has already issued the edict.
Symbolic gestures trumping the actual needs of veterans and workers alike. How very Anerican indeed.
Grift in the name of dead Vets! What a scam, and supported by Fox (faux) News. Thanks Judd for making this known and naming the real charities that support living veterans.
A " gesture" of a wreath vs an organization that provides direct help through ptsd counseling; I think I'd donate to the organization that provides direct help to vets. Especially when this wreath company seems so cavalier about following proper safety rules & OSHA SAFETY guidelines. I'M certain at least a percentage of employees might be veterans or family of veterans. If you have a business that operates under the pretense of a kind or generous gesture, but on the back end, ignores the safety of it's workers & apparently has been known & fined for cheating them out of pay & safety violations, that's appears to be a bit contradictory to their supposed "mission." As has been said before, " hypocrisy knows no bounds." Hypocrites should find no profit in their bad deeds...imo.
Well, I hope that Grifter Mike Lindell doesn't read this article!
I can envision him starting up a charity that funds the purchase of "R.I.P. pillows" to be placed inside veterans' coffins.
So a company can continually ignore regulations, pay a minor fine, and stay in business. Imagine if anyone of us did this. And corporate flacks keep complaining about burdensome and onerous regulations.
Anyone hear about how the National Auto Dealers Association is complaining that being forced to fully disclose all the fees in a car purchase would be too onerous and "slow down" the purchase process? What a crock of ...
I can't help but wonder what it is about Americans, specifically the weasel news audience, that makes them far more likely to give money to decorate cemeteries to honor dead people for the holidays than they are to give badly needed money (or support government help) for veterans who are still above the ground, alive, suffering and in need.
It's a striking parallel to their attitude toward "the unborn." They only seem to care about other people before they're born or after they're dead, but they can't seem to locate the pieces of their original God-given personalities that would allow them to care about or help living people who are in legitimate need.
It must be a terrible, frustrating, disappointing, empty way to go through life after those families, communities, and communities of faith that raised you have groomed out of you (beaten out of you, verbally or physically), the pieces of yourself that you need to be able to see other people as REAL and to love and care for others, especially those in need.
For such people there's only "room in the inn" of their hearts for you before you're born or after you're dead, which seems to be the exact opposite of the message of the Nativity story and Jesus' incarnation.
Yes, honoring the dead and ignoring the living, and the parallel passion for "the unborn" reveals an underlying fear of death and an ignorance about the spiritual challenge to life while we're in a body.
Wreaths across America just passed through here to pious adulation from the locals. Those bastards!
Thanks for the heads up. Yikes!
I also read that Wreaths Across America insists on placing wreaths on the graves of Jewish and Islamic veterans whose families do not want them there.
That's really supporting the troops! Go WAA!
/s
I absolutely love a classic dissection of a nonprofit like this. It’s a tale as old as time, and makes it harder for the genuine, scraping-by nonprofits to do their work. Accountabilty journalism FTW!
Thank you for this necessary piece!
A very ‘Grinchy’ approach by the company.
Interestingly, there is often fundraising around the town visits Wreaths Across America makes; wonder if the company donates?