Watchdog Groups Exonerate Wounded Warrior Project, Corroborate Independent Report by Doug White
NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of the nation's most recognized charity watchdog groups, the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (BBB) and Charity Navigator, recently awarded Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) their highest ratings. The assessments directly contradict news coverage from last year alleging that the organization was mismanaged and misspent donor dollars. They also confirm the findings of Doug White, a noted author and nonprofit expert, who last September issued a comprehensive independent report about WWP's operations and governance.
"The positive assessments by the BBB and Charity Navigator confirm what I learned through my investigation," said White. "Prior to early last year, when the allegations were reported, Wounded Warrior Project performed well by any standard, result, or metric. WWP's finances were sound and its impact strong. The media reports simply got the facts wrong."
After its own review of the organization's finances, policies and operations, the BBB found "no evidence of lavish spending" and recognizes WWP as meeting its 20 rigorous standards for charity accountability. Charity Navigator, cited as the source for some of the more critical allegations against WWP – particularly, the amount WWP spent on programs for veterans – reviewed information it had neglected, and upgraded WWP to its highest rating of four stars. But White blames the watchdog groups for fueling the negative media coverage with their "simplistic rating systems that misleadingly highlight administrative costs and ignore impact. Unfortunately, these quietly issued reports are too little, too late to undo the damage."
White estimates that "WWP will lose over $200 million, and perhaps closer to $300 million, in donations due to the unwarranted negative publicity" and notes that the organization has already closed offices, discharged employees, and cut programs for veterans. "The first casualty in war is truth," said White, "and in this controversy, just as in war, veterans and their families will ultimately bear the cost."
About Doug White
Doug White, a long-time leader in the nation's philanthropic community, is an author, teacher, and an advisor to nonprofit organizations and philanthropists. He has written four books, the most recent of which is "Abusing Donor Intent," on a family's lawsuit against Princeton University, and is currently writing a book about WWP. He is the former director of Columbia University's Master of Science in Fundraising Management program, where, in addition to his extensive management responsibilities, he taught board governance, ethics and fundraising.
SOURCE Doug White
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