Money Donated For Veterans Went to UCLA Instead of Them

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 4, 2015

In the Veterans community, there is an entirely different conversation going on. While folks read news reports one way, we read them entirely differently.

When the topic involves your life and your friends it is alway more than just the headline.

When you donate to a charity, do you really know where your money is going? That question is usually answered repeating what the charity claims. Usually they say that a certain percentage goes to helping the individuals in need. When the individuals are veterans we assume the funds are going to them. In most cases, the money is not going to them or what the charity claims they are doing for them individually.

Over the years there has been a lot of talk about Wounded Warrior Project being "fraud" and a "scam" but there is nothing fraudulent about never making any real claims about doing anything more than "raising awareness" or getting folks to donate so they can "aid and assist each other" since WWP never really says more than that. It is all carefully worded PR coupled with legalese. It is also not a scam, again, since they allow the giver to use their own imaginations fed by heart-tugging images.

There is a recent news story about UCLA getting a huge donation from WWP. It pretty much shows that the money you gave to help veterans ended up going to UCLA instead.

UCLA Operation Mend receives $15.7 million for mental health program for wounded warriors
Wounded Warrior Project funding creates network to connect injured service members with world-class care
UCLA Newsroom
Amy Albin
June 02, 2015

WWP and Warrior Care Network partners will commit a total $100 million over three years to fund the initiative, including $7.5 million each that the medical centers will contribute through their own fundraising efforts.

Wounded Warrior Project has approved a $15.7 million grant over three years for UCLA Health to expand its Operation Mend program.

The grant will fund a new, intensive structured treatment program for service members suffering from mild traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Operation Mend expansion is part of Warrior Care Network, a first-of-its-kind medical network funded by Wounded Warrior Project that will connect wounded veterans and their families with world-class, individualized mental health care. In addition to Operation Mend, the network will include three other programs based at academic medical centers — the Veterans Program at Emory University in Atlanta, the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program in Boston, and the Road Home Program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

“UCLA Operation Mend is at the forefront of healing the visible and invisible wounds of war suffered by our military men and women,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. “This funding will expand Operation Mend’s highly successful holistic approach to restoring our wounded warriors in body, mind and spirit. And I am confident that the collaboration between UCLA and its new partners will result in ever more effective treatments for wounded warriors and their family members.”
read more here

This is nothing new. When you donate to a charity they can turn around and give that money away and you never really know where your money went. You just assume you know. It isn't just the money you give directly to the charity but it is also the money you donate to businesses saying they are giving the money to the charity.

We've all seen the Brawny papertowels with the WWP logo on them. It is good PR for Brawny as folks think about helping veterans. The problem is when no one knows where that money ends up as well as direct donations.

Corporate Sponsors
BRAWNY: A WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT PARTNER The Brawny® brand is proud to partner with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). WWP helps wounded servicemen and women adjust to civilian life and persevere through the visible and invisible wounds of war. To date, we have donated over $2 million to WWP.

In 2015, the Brawny® brand will donate up to $300,000 to Wounded Warrior Project®.*

*Donation consists of a $250,000 direct donation and up to $50,000 based on consumer engagement from Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2015.

Under Armour is another corporate sponsor selling WWP clothing.

Under Armor: This is an Official Wounded Warrior Project Licensed product. Between August 2012 and December 2014, Under Armour® will make a donation of over $1 Million to Wounded Warrior Project™ benefiting injured service members and their families.

And so is Overstock.

Overstock™ combined efforts with WWP on November 1, 2009 to raise awareness and collect donations from our customers. Since then, we are proud to have donated more than $2,000,000 to help our returning service members.

Here are some more

Bank of America

Bank of America “Express Your Thanks” Campaign Connects Individuals to Military Service Members and Veterans

Expressions Will Generate up to $1 Million from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to Support Welcome Back Veterans and Wounded Warrior Project®

Acosta Sales and Marketing

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. and NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Acosta Sales and Marketing, a leading full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a non-profit organization devoted to helping wounded veterans, today announced the annual Believe in Heroes™ fundraising initiative. This year's program will raise funds on a national level with the help of more than 100 participating retailers and CPG companies throughout the country.

Acosta conceived and launched Believe in Heroes last year as a corporate social responsibility program with a single regional retail partner and 13 national CPG brands. The initiative raised $200,000 for WWP and increased awareness for the program among consumers and CPG brands. Acosta has since expanded the program to a national one, and has gifted the Believe in Heroes moniker to WWP, thereby allowing the organization to add partners outside the CPG industry. This year's Believe in Heroes fundraising initiative kicks off on 9/11 and will culminate on Veterans Day 2011.

Capital One
Cardinal Health
Cisco
Code, Call of Duty Endowment
Food Lion
Harris Teeter
Heinz
National Association of Collegiate Directors
NFL
PGA
Raytheon
Safeway
Survival Straps
Tough Mudder
TPC
U Haul
USAA

The movie American Sniper has been released by Warner Brothers and they have committed to donating another million to WWP from sales of it. The question is, why didn't they donate to the Chris Kyle Foundation since this movie was about his life?

Chris Kyle is the American Sniper.
Through four tours he served and protected his fellow military members and his country, becoming one of the most decorated Navy SEALs in US history.

He wrote his story with the 2012 New York Times Best Selling book, American Sniper,which was immortalized in 2014 by screen legend, Clint Eastwood in a movie of the same name. The movie received six Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor for Bradley Cooper.

Chris sadly lost his life in February 2013 while pursuing his post-deployment passion - helping fellow military members re-patriate after their service.

The legacy of Chris Kyle lives on through the Frog. The Frog logo is the convergence of two tattoos that Chris wore.

Help us keep Chris’ spirit alive through the Frog.

While you may think the money you spend on the DVD goes to helping veterans, since Warner Brothers is making the donation from what you spend, it may not be going to them. It may be part of the money going to UCLA or other charities. Then you don't know what they do with the money either.

If we donate to a charity knowing where the money is going, then that is fine but if we donate and just assume it goes to helping the veterans, then shame on us! Top that off with the simple fact that if you think all veterans should matter equally, WWP does not support all wounded or disabled veterans. They only help Post 9-11 veterans. In other words, Gulf War/Desert Storm, Vietnam, Korean War and WWII veterans are not among those worthy of help.

The issues veterans from all generations face everyday have gotten worse after all these claims made about helping them. The average citizen hears about them, donates a couple of dollars, then they get on with their lives feeling as if they just did a good thing. For the veterans and families, nothing really changes for us and frankly, we wonder when folks will notice when it comes to helping us, no one seems aware few are really helped by billions raised every year by a growing list of charities claiming they do.

As for the inpatient care, the VA already does that and you already paid for it with your tax dollars.

PTSD Treatment Programs in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs In a Crisis?

If you are in crisis dial 911 or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), press 1 for Veterans. No matter where you live, PTSD treatment in the Department of Veterans Affairs is available. Each medical center within VA has PTSD specialists who provide treatment for Veterans with PTSD and there are nearly 200 specialized PTSD treatment programs throughout the country.

Some large Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) also offer PTSD care. When there are no nearby facilities, smaller CBOCs provide needed treatment services by telemental health (using technology to communicate) or by referral to Vet Centers or community clinicians. This fact sheet describes the specialized PTSD programs and these other options within VA for getting PTSD treatment.

You can use this VA PTSD Program Locator to see if there is a specialized program near you. Who is covered for VA care?

VA services are provided to all Veterans who:

Completed active military service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard (or Merchant Marines during WWII)
Were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions

Were National Guard members or Reservists who have completed a federal deployment to a combat zone At times, the VA has special agreements to provide care to Active Duty service members and family.

What services are offered?
Each PTSD program offers education, evaluation, and treatment. Program services include:

One-to-one mental health assessment and testing
Medications
One-to-one psychotherapy and family therapy
Group therapy (covers topics such as anger and stress, combat support, partners, etc.) or groups for Veterans of specific conflicts or specific traumas

The VA provides treatments shown by research to be effective in treating Veterans. To learn about these treatments, see our Understanding PTSD Treatment page. Not all VA's offer the same programs, and some specialty programs require a referral. Your doctor can help you decide which program is best for you.

PTSD specialists
Every VA Medical Center has providers that have been trained to offer PTSD treatment. Services for PTSD are delivered by mental health care workers called PTSD specialists. For more information about types of mental health care workers, see our fact sheet: Types of Therapists.

In addition, all regions (called VISNs in VA) have specialized residential or inpatient care programs to address the needs of Veterans with severe symptoms or trouble functioning related to PTSD. Below you will find information about options for getting PTSD treatment within VA.