Soldier's Angels responds to Michael Yon

I am not sure what this is all about and frankly, I don't know enough about Michael Yon or Soldier's Angels to have an opinion. I've been too busy with what I do but I know some readers support Soldier's Angels and may not know about this.

Charity Ratings and Board Response

07/25/12
An Open Letter to Our Friends and Volunteers

Below is a letter from the Chairman of our Audit Committee and Member of the Board of Trustees, Richard Lowe. The Board of Trustees has recommended that this response get as wide an audience as possible, so we encourage you to share the message.
Wingtip to Wingtip,
Patti Patton-Bader
Soldiers' Angels Founder and CEO


It has come to the attention of Soldiers' Angels Board of Trustees that allegations have been raised by Michael Yon regarding the stability of our organization. We understand that some of our volunteers and supporters are disheartened by these charges, and we would like to take the opportunity to respond to them. We would also like to take this time to explain the ratings that were given to Soldiers' Angels by Gloria Wise/Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Charity Navigator, two independent rating organizations.

First, let me address organizational stability. Mr. Yon’s allegations are baseless at best. Soldiers' Angels has worked with over 400,000 highly-motivated volunteers since in its inception. In any organization of this size there will always be interpersonal conflicts and hard feelings between some of the volunteers; that is only normal. As our charity evolves in its mission to support service members and their families, organizational priorities change and some individuals may feel that their particular program isn’t being given the proper amount of attention. Rest assured, the Board weighs every issue and does its level best to make sure that everyone is accommodated, but our focus is on delivering the maximum benefit to those who are serving or have served in harm’s way. While most of our volunteers understand and support this concept, a handful of them have opted to air their grievances publicly, which has created fodder for Mr. Yon, who in turn has elevated concern among our other volunteers.

We assure you that the organization is in good standing and we sincerely hope that the actions of a few people who have placed personal agendas above service do not tarnish the feelings you have for all the amazing work you do. We want to once again thank all of our volunteers for giving so much of themselves to our men and women in uniform.
read more here

UPDATE

Clarification


Not knowing enough about Soldier's Angels is not a bad thing. It just means I have not heard complaints about them from the veterans or the troops. When I spend time checking out a charity like Disabled Veterans Foundation (not the DAV) or Wounded Warrior Project, it is caused by complaints from the veterans they claim to be doing everything for. If I get a few complaints, I let it go but when I get a lot, then I check them out so that people will know the flip side of great PR advertising and can make an informed decision to support them or not. Always check out a charity to see if they deserve your money.


The two groups I am involved with are the Disabled Veterans of America

The 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a non-profit 501(c)(4) charity dedicated to building better lives for America’s disabled veterans and their families.
The DAV was founded in 1920 by disabled veterans returning from World War I to represent their unique interests. In 1932, the DAV was congressionally chartered as the official voice of the nation’s wartime disabled veterans.

And Point Man International Ministries taking care of veterans with PTSD since 1984.


Both of these groups were established a long time ago and help all generations of veterans.