wounded warrior scandal new york times wounded warrior scandal new york times

Wounded Warrior Project executives fired in spending scandal. Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. or redistributed. As WWP has worked to become more collaborative with other organizations, Linnington indicated it has also pulled back from the aggressively protective posture regarding brand and logo that drew criticism in the past. While Military.com was unable to review survey findings in full, Plenzler said the 2018 study also found participants overwhelmingly considered WWP to be effective in two areas on which organizational leaders have chosen to focus more sharply: advocacy for caregiver legislation (93%), and advocacy on legislation regarding veterans' medical conditions related to burn pit exposure on deployments (86%). The organization slashed all-hands training costs from $987,000 in 2016 to $110,000 in 2019 for a staff of nearly 700, according to numbers provided to Military.com, in direct response to public criticism. Once a child came by the office to donate a piggy bank. In an interview Friday, he said donations had fallen, but declined to say by how much. That's because they include some promotional items, direct response advertising, and shipping and postage. Mr. Longoria said after he was fired, he fell into depression but was also relieved. "The warriors that joined Wounded Warrior Project, you know, in 2003 are today 15 years older than they were when they joined. There were charges of spending too much on expenses (e.g., fund-raising, travel, and [] Skip to content Log In So we've tried to paint service as a good thing and, I think if you look at the exceptional nature of the young people that are joining the military today, we're seeing a shift now in a higher propensity to serve, I think, over the last year or two.". WWP has also pressed forward in its role as a legislative advocate, recently mounting a campaign to expand an adaptive housing benefit available to veterans -- legislation named after longtime WWP staff member Ryan Kules. Another time a woman called to donate part of her sons life insurance after he was killed in Afghanistan, he said. In January, Charity Navigator, a group that oversees nonprofit organizations, placed Wounded Warrior Project on its watch list, Fox News reported, citing a separate CBS report. If that money goes away, its not clear these groups can make it on their own., After Complaints on Wounded Warrior Project, Pressure From Donors, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/us/after-complaints-on-wounded-warrior-project-pressure-from-donors.html. Graphite 80/20 Poly/Cotton Left Chest/Sleeve Design Screenprint Trace Adkins talks about his support of U.S. veterans through the Wounded Warrior Project in Rolling Stone's third Salute to . By Friday afternoon, both phones had been disconnected. We knew VVA had done pioneering work on Agent Orange, so we created a collaborative grant to pair them with TAPS to start gathering data on [toxic exposure] and to help ensure trans-generational knowledge transfer from the Vietnam-era generation of veterans to today's post-9/11 generation.". Peter J. Johnson Jr on the firing of WWP's CEO and COO. But newly released numbers for fiscal 2018 show a bounce in the right direction, up 16% to $246 million. Eighteen former employees many of them wounded veterans themselves said they had been fired for seemingly minor missteps or perceived insubordination. Millette is now best known as a whistleblower who went on the record to decry what he saw as WWP's lavish spending and interest in nurturing its public image, rather than providing meaningful support to its constituents. Mr. Nardizzi fought back. With time and support from donors, new meta-charities will arise to evaluate other areas of nonprofit activity. Still, if the Wounded Warrior Project were to collapse, it could have wide-ranging effects because it gives millions in grants to smaller veterans groups, like Team Rubicon and Team Red White and Blue. His marriage fell apart as the result of the pressure, he said; he received personal threats. After Jesse Longoria recovered from a roadside bomb blast that nearly killed him in Iraq, he got a job with the organization training veterans to help other veterans. Under the Charity Watch rating system, Wounded Warrior Project has a modest C+, up from a C in 2015, said Daniel Borochoff, the accountability organization's president. The two top executives of the Wounded Warrior Project among the largest veterans charities in the country were fired Thursday after an investigation into accusations of lavish spending on parties, hotel and travel, according to a statement released on behalf of the embattled organization. Parade participants representing The Wounded Warriors Project carry the American flag for the Veteran's Day, November 11, 2012 in New York. For Linnington, the mission when he arrived at Wounded Warrior Project was not about exoneration; it was about regaining the lost trust of the veterans the organization was founded to serve. The videos are typically 10 to 12 minutes long. Mr. Chick, who was fired in 2012 after a dispute with his supervisor, said he saw the Wounded Warrior Project help hundreds of veterans. Mr. Chicks own supervisor told him to fire Mr. Longoria. With millions of good Samaritans regularly donating a portion of their paycheck to good causes, charities are booming unfortunately, not all of the money going into them is coming out the way we think. John Melia founded the Wounded Warrior Project in 2003 but left in 2009. Connie Chapman, who was the director of the Wounded Warrior Project office in Seattle for two years, at a friends home in Eatonville, Wash. People could spend money on the most ridiculous thing and no one batted an eye, she said. One significant ongoing organizational investment has provided for a two-week intensive post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury outpatient program at four hospitals: Massachusetts General Hospital, Emory University Hospital, Rush University Medical Center and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Donations to Wounded Warrior Project Slow After Spending Scandal. The statement also said apreliminary financial audit found that some policies, procedures and controls at WWP have not kept pace with the organizations rapid growth in recent years and are in need of strengthening.. It wasn't just about lavish all-hands gatherings, although those quickly became a thing of the past. Citing whistleblowers, stories by CBS and The New York Times detailed allegations of waste and abuse, lavish all-hands conferences and unbridled spending on ticketed outings that did little lasting good for the veterans they purported to help. The New York Times' recent investigation into the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has sent rumbles throughout through the philanthropy community. Wounded Warrior Project's Chief Executive Officer Steven Nardizzi reported a salary of $473,000. The kind of fundraising figures that most organizations in the space could only dream about. Although detailed defenses of Wounded Warrior Project have been mounted -- including a lengthy independent report from nonprofit expert Doug White, published in September 2016 -- Linnington spends little time trying to relitigate the past. Charity Navigator also assessed that Wounded Warriors total revenue for 2014 was well over $340 million. The writer is head of investments and partnerships for the Forest Stewardship Council. And though critics argue that the standards used by watchdog organizations to assess nonprofits are overly subjective and sometimes unfairly punitive, staff with two accountability groups who spoke with Military.com were generally bullish about Wounded Warrior Project's practices and outlook. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Mr. Odierno, who is the son of Gen. Raymond Odierno, a former chief of staff of the Army, became the groups interim chief executive Thursday evening and is conducting a nationwide search for a new leader. But constraining nonprofits to a special class of organization that isnt allowed to market itself, pay competitive salaries or grow quickly is a longstanding tradition in America. There was no one there to tell us what was going on or how we were going to get through this.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He's come in on a Segway, he's come in on a horse, one employee told CBS News. A week after the top executives of the Wounded Warrior Project were fired amid accusations of lavish spending, an influential senator on a committee that oversees nonprofit organizations is. Mr. Nardizzi said his staff was constantly monitoring metrics to try to get the most out of every dollar donated. Notably, at its lowest point following the whistleblower reports and leadership churn, WWP's funding still dwarfed that of virtually every other organization in the space. March 14, 2016. Jan 26, 2023. Some of the top picks of these charity evaluators include the Against Malaria Foundation, which protects families in the developing world against deadly malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and GiveDirectly, which transfers money directly to some of the poorest people in the world. I read with disgust your slanted article on the Wounded Warrior Project. Recently, a social movement called Effective Altruism has been pushing the nonprofit sector to become more transparent and accountable. For fiscal year 2015, Wounded Warrior reported a 92.9 percent satisfaction rate with the organizations services. And This Was Called Care? He noted, approvingly, that as of 2018, 64% of WWP spending goes to fund programs, up from about 54% in 2016. For fiscal year 2015, Wounded Warrior reported a 92.9 percent. The Wounded Warrior Project spent more than $34 million on fund-raising in 2014, according to tax records. Mr. Nardizzi fired Ms. Chapman, an Iraq veteran with PTSD, in 2012 as part of a management restructuring, she said. The problem is the horns effect, one of the many thinking errors that are a consequence of how our brains are structured. Wounded Warrior Project's CEO, Steven Nardizzi, and COO, Al Giordano, were fired by the charity's board amid criticisms about how it spent more than $800 million in donations over the last four years. They began raising millions of dollars and broadening their services to include adaptive sports for disabled veterans, employment and benefits help, and retreats to teach veterans to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. The groups founder, a wounded Marine named John Melia, announced late Friday that he was interested in returning to the organization, which he left in 2009 after a dispute with Mr. Nardizzi and Mr. Giordano. The Annual Warrior Survey from Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) shows post-9/11 wounded warriors face increasing financial hardship. Why don't you offer services to ALL veterans? Michel duCille/Washington Post, via Getty Images. Kaine, in the recent interview, also questioned Nardizzis apparent public absence while his organization has been under scrutiny. The eRumor's claim that the organization spends just 3.5% of its total income on grants for individuals and veteran organizations is . Is Wounded Warrior Project a legitimate charity? The Wounded Warrior Project said Mr. Longoria was terminated at Mr. Chicks recommendation. About 500 staff members attended the four-day conference in Colorado, which CBS News reported cost about $3 million. "Their mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors, but what the public doesn't see is how they spend their money," he said. The veterans' service organization called Wounded Warrior Project has just fired two top executives, CEO Steven Nardizzi and COO Al Giordano. But what of the veterans in need? reported that the Wounded Warrior Project. Such ambitious programs would be impossible without significant spending on fund-raising and staff, said Mr. Nardizzi, who has become a vocal advocate of the idea that charities should be able to spend what they want on travel, fund-raising and executive salaries. So WW cut their spending- not to themselves, but to the people who needed their money most. It was a very coercive conversation.. After Mr. Kanes email to other donors, he said he got a call from Mr. Giordano. A three-judge panel has denied an appeal and upheld the original verdict in a battle between two charities that support returning American veterans and were using similar names. He said the. It slowly had less focus on veterans and more on raising money and protecting the organization, he said. Have they proved reliable in the past? He said that the organization regularly followed up with veterans who receive Wounded Warrior Project services and that the vast majority reported having good experiences. But as donations poured in, many former employees say the group became wasteful. As this weeks Retro Report video explains, the biggest scandal in recent times involving the care of wounded American troops was actually worsened because medicine on the battlefront had made such remarkable advances. "[Now], I would tell you to look at the organization, the changes they've made and make an educated decision. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! By 2009, the group had grown to about 50 employees and $21 million in revenue. 6. Breaking down the group's finances, Charity Navigator says . Other former employees said they had signed such forms, and could not speak. "So the needs of our population when that average was 27 years old is different than it is at 38, and it will be different when it's 48.". All rights reserved. Instead, meta-charities receive funding from donors who appreciate the services these organizations provide, allowing meta-charities to stay objective. "Going to a nice fancy restaurant is not team building. And it did not appear to prioritize collaboration with other veterans' organizations, taking criticism for relatively small grants it made to support other groups and for passing up opportunities to join forces for advocacy and shared knowledge. The two top executives of the Wounded Warrior Project among the largest veterans charities in the country were fired Thursday after an investigation into accusations of lavish spending on. On Tuesday, CBS News ran a story about the Wounded Warrior Project, claiming to have interviewed over 40 former employees who stated that spending was out of control at the organization. In 2014, the Wounded Warrior Project lobbied in California and Florida to fight proposals that would have required nonprofits to increase financial transparency. According to the charity's tax forms obtained by CBS News, spending on conferences and meetings went from $1.7 million in 2010, to $26 million in 2014, which is the same amount the group spends on combat stress recovery. They wanted me to say W.W.P. "When the negative media event hit in January-February-March of 2016, public support dropped 50%," he said. In the wake of the charity's scandal, Wounded Warrior Project not only ousted its two top executive officers but also slimmed its executive staff by 50 percent overall. Kane said he has cut charitable ties with the Wounded Warrior Project, embarking on a new charge to effect change at the organization. In 2012, after he had been working for the charity about a year, he had to have his right arm amputated because of lingering damage from Iraq. The metrics were intended to improve efficiency and help fund-raising. The veterans collected donations at those events. just hours before the New York Times ran a story about the . He didnt want to leave, but it was obvious something was going to happen, Ms. Melia said. Right now we are in a position where we can still meet our obligations, he said. These houses are used to alleviate the out-of-pocket costs of families of veterans and wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment at medical facilities. This weeks Retro Report is the 13th in a documentary series. It said that 94 percent of the travel spending was associated with program services delivered to Wounded Warriors and their families. It noted that the retreat at the Broadmoor cost about $1 million, not $3 million as CBS News had reported. There are fresh concerns that public support for ongoing military assistance may be waning. Steve Nardizzi, the chief executive of the Wounded Warrior Project, speaking at the 2010 Soldier Ride at Macys in Herald Square, Manhattan. Millette also marvels at the way the organization has overhauled itself and rebuilt, even as many predicted that it would crumble under the pressure. In September 2016, Forbes published a pre-emptive obituary to the organization: "The Gutting Of Wounded Warrior: How To Kill A Charity.". saved my life, he said. A spokeswoman for the charity said it fired those people because of poor performance or ethical breaches, and that each of them was given the opportunity to address their work problems. Dan Shannon of the Army, a father of three, who had served in Iraq, and, on Nov. 13, 2004, took a direct hit from an AK-47. All rights reserved. I don't know, and frankly, that's not what I'm worried about. One thing the Wounded Warrior Project can immediately do is travel economy class or by train and use the savings to make home visits to veterans to see that they are getting what is needed. Under Mr. Nardizzis direction, it has modeled itself on for-profit corporations, with a focus on data, scalable products, quarterly numbers and branding. Another response would be for our candidates, who are battling about which countries to send troops to, to have a public conversation about the price our troops will pay and how they will be helped. I have met over 1,000 soldiers and their caregivers whose lives have been positively affected by the organization. Previous reporting from Tim Mak, then at the Daily Beast, had detailed similar claims, but the reports published in January pushed the issue to critical mass. Board members called a few former employees this week to thank them for coming forward. The organization fired Mr. Chick later the same day for insubordination. Sometimes employees make poor choices that cant be overlooked, Ms. Tezel said. It's really about the resilience, the exceptionalism of our warriors.". In July, along with the publication of a new financial statement for fiscal 2018 showing revenues of $246 million, WWP received an updated score from the watchdog organization Charity Navigator, up to 86.45 out of 100 from 86.02 the previous year. With Linnington at the helm, he said, WWP inspires confidence and appears to be working diligently to meet the real needs of its veterans population. Many Americans gave their trust and. In 2014 alone, the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) received more than $300 million in donations, yet it only spent roughly 60 percent of that on vets, CBS News reported. Ask anyone with a personal stake in the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), the organization founded in 2003 to provide programs and services for injured U.S. military personnel. The organization paid Mr. Melia at least $230,000 after he stepped down, according to tax forms. "I have zero regrets, and I would do it again," he said. "So when I saw what was going on in the media, I was, believe it or not, automatically attracted to try and help.". The councils mission includes defending charity spending on overhead and executive salaries, its website says. In other words, the Wounded Warrior Project scandal will likely reduce trust in all nonprofitsincluding effective ones. The Wounded Warrior Project began in 2003 as a basement nonprofit organization run by Mr. Melia, who was wounded in a helicopter crash off Somalia. I would push back and they would get very frustrated and yell. It got under my skin, started eating at me, he said. From so much bad came some good, as the military medical health care system was reorganized. L.A. County Sheriff: 30% of workforce "unavailable". Recent reports from The New York Times and CBS alleged that the nonprofit has been misspending its donations on lavish conferences and unnecessary business trips for employees.. They were celebrating their biggest year yet: $225 million raised and a work force that had nearly doubled. According to Charity Watch, the Wounded Warrior Project is, in fact, rated C. To stop donating to it is a response that makes sense. Other respected charities . Where is this guy? According to The Times, former employees claim the organization spent millions every year on travel, dinners, hotels and conferencesall of which were over-the-top and . The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is the largest veteran's charity in the United States. A current ad campaign, "I am Living Proof," featured in a number of bold bus-stop ads near WWP's Washington, D.C., headquarters, shows wounded vets standing in a posture of confidence. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The chief of Irans nuclear program, Mohammad Eslami, acknowledged the findings of the IAEA report. WWP also put up strong numbers in financial health, with controlled spending on administrative expenses and a healthy reserve of capital, which speaks to the organization's ability to sustain itself over time. In 2013, according to tax forms, the Wounded Warrior Project gave $150,000 to a nonprofit called the Charity Defense Council and Mr. Nardizzi joined its advisory board. It seemed to me like it was a big lie., Wounded Warrior Project Spends Lavishly on Itself, Insiders Say, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/us/wounded-warrior-project-spends-lavishly-on-itself-ex-employees-say.html, William Chick, who was fired from the Wounded Warrior Project in 2012 after a dispute with his supervisor. Grants to veterans'. Also around that time, the group hired the global public relations firm Edelman, which has represented Starbucks, Walmart, Shell and Philip Morris, to improve public perception of the charity and its overhead spending. By 2014, the group was spending $7.5 million per year on travel, according to tax forms. "We focus our advertising campaign on warriors that have succeeded. The Special Operations Warrior Foundation was founded in 1980, after the daring attempt to rescue 53 American hostages in Iran, which ended in the tragic loss of eight servicemen who left behind. Then, in late January 2016, a pair of damning high-profile news reports hit like a one-two punch, throwing the organization into turmoil. By the time the board met Thursday to dismiss the two men, contributions were down and it had in hand an internal investigation that convinced it that the top leadership had to go. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a fast growing and media-savvy charity serving veterans, has recently been in the news and not in a good way. "Yeah. Linnington, who retired from the Army in 2015 and served as the first permanent director of the Pentagon's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency before taking the helm at Wounded Warrior Project, said he made the move over to the organization because of the positive impression it had made on him while he was still on active duty. 1 witness for the wounded was Staff Sgt. Wounded Warrior Project declined CBS News' interview requests for Nardizzi in January, but instead sent Director of Alumni and a recipient of their services, Captain Ryan Kules, who denied there was excessive spending on conferences. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. "Veterans, our lives, literally, depend on it.". The crisis this week centers on nonprofit Wounded Warrior Project and its response to news reports critical of how the organization that helps wounded U.S. veterans spends the money it gets in . Army Staff Sergeant Erick Millette, who returned from Iraq in 2006 with a bronze star and a purple heart, told CBS News at the time he admired the charitys work and took a job with the group in 2014 but quit after two years. So we had to rebuild.". On March 14, 2016, CBS This Morning published an article titled, "Wounded Warrior Project chair on recovery from spending scandal." For more information, please see the CBS This Morning article. Wounded Warrior Project's Top Execs Fired After Spending Scandal Wounded Warrior Project Denies Claims of Waste, Lavish Spending Wounded Warrior Project Accused of Wasting Donor Money. 2. Mr. Odierno said the board took issue with cultural and policy findings as well as financial issues when deciding to replace the organizations top leaders. It no longer invests, for example, in its TRACK college preparation program for wounded warriors, preferring to let Student Veterans of America own the space.