Wounded Warrior Project

[Classic]

I donate to many charities and I have one rule. I won't donate to an organization that is anti-gun in words or deeds. Wounded Warrior is now on my list of charities to avoid unless and until they publicly modify their policy. There are other charities that benefit veterans.

 

[jeremy]

WTH?!

 

[mrjarrell]

David Codrea, the National Gun Rights Examiner has a piece up on this, too. Frankly, if all they want from gun owners is our money then I am sure there are plenty of other good institutions that would be willing to take it instead. I'd much rather give it to someone who doesn't hate gunowners. My guess is they've just shot themselves in the foot. Too bad the wounded soldiers will be the ones impacted by their stupidity.

Wounded Warrior Project faces fallout after snubbing

 

[N8RV]

Facebook Post

I just saw this post from WWP on my Facebook page:

"We've had a lot of questions recently that started when we declined an opportunity to appear on Gun Talk Radio. We want to clarify and help answer some questions. We have seen through this process that the language on our website and our response to the invitation to appear on the show weren’t clear, and we are working on clarifying our approach. There is now much inaccurate information about WWP being anti-gun rights, an issue as an apolitical organization we do not take a stance on. We understand and appreciate that many of our Alumni are gun owners, and we facilitate multiple hunting and outdoor opportunities for our Wounded Warriors throughout the year.

In the past, we made our logo available to appear on wide variety of products, including guns. As an organization, we owe it to our donors and constituents to maximize the return on investment of our dollars and brand. We are always looking at our business practices and whether we should ...continue with them in the future. In the case of cobranding, we've decided that we're not going to offer our logo to appear on weapons anymore - whether they're guns, knives, bows, swords, or any other type of weapon. There are still a few of the guns around for sale that had licensed our logo years ago, but there aren't any new ones being made. This is purely a business decision based on a review of a return on investment, especially when compared with other types of cobranding ventures.

Regarding the question of donations and events, we do permit fundraisers that are shooting- and gun-related, such as gun raffles, shooting competitions, etc., and we're incredibly appreciative of those who are willing to give their time to host or participate in an event. Likewise, we gratefully accept donations from companies and individuals connected with the gun industry.

As indicated above, we know that hunting and shooting sporting events can be very therapeutic for many of the Wounded Warriors we serve, and we're happy to work with the community to make these types of events available to our Alumni. Hunting and shooting sport enthusiasts are an incredibly supportive and generous community, and we've been honored by how often folks have opened their land and homes, and volunteered their time to make these types of events possible for our Alumni. We're so sorry if it seemed that we didn't appreciate that support with our confusing communication of a business decision. It certainly wasn't our intention!

I hope this post provides some clarity and helps answer some questions. We welcome the opportunity to have a warrior on Gun Talk Radio to discuss how hunting or events of the like have supported their recovery. We responded too quickly to his request and should have delved a bit deeper."

Apparently the message has gotten back to WWP that some gun enthusiasts are concerned about their stance. Kudos for them posting something to help explain their position, regardless whether one accepts it or not.

As I responded to the post on FB, just as it's a "business decision" that WWP has made to not co-brand with weapons of any kind anymore, it's equally a business decision when gun enthusiasts disagree with their stance and withdraw their donations and support for WWP.

They still do great things for our Wounded Warriors, but I am dismayed at their PC stance to maximize the "return on their investments."

 

[beachhead40]

I buy items with WWP logos all the time. I served in the Navy. No matter their promoters attitude towards anything will get me to stop loving what they do for who they do it for.

 

[beachhead40]

PopSmoke. Thank you.

 

[TopDog]

This thread has made me re-exam my view of the WWP.

I am not happy about the backtracking they did. I still see a lot of good coming out of WWP but I have a different view of them now.

They seem very susceptible to politically correct views. They are a business none the less, their business is to help those that served. I can only hope that there will change in the leadership that will result in a more acceptable approach to a situation like this. In other words they took some heat and now are willing to go on the show. That tells me that their reasons for not doing the show in the first place were weak at best. The tone of the responses certainly changed from the first one to last response. Hopefully they learned something valuable from this exchange. I for one will continue to support WWP but with a focused eye on their business practices.

 

[thebishopp]

This thread prompted me to google a bit more on WWP...

Here is just one of the articles I found disturbing about how they choose to use the money donated to them:

Eve Samples: Wounded Warrior group doesn't offer bill-paying help to veterans » TCPalm.com

I find it kind of irritating/sad/etc. that a foundation which remotes raising over 70 million a year is referring thousands+ to a little organization that raises less than 800k a year and who seems to be trying to do more than WWP.

Of course the WWP generously offered to donate 100k to them if they would remove all use of the term "wounded warrior". Ridiculous.

 

[pudly]

Regarding the question of donations and events, we do permit fundraisers that are shooting- and gun-related, such as gun raffles, shooting competitions, etc., and we're incredibly appreciative of those who are willing to give their time to host or participate in an event. Likewise, we gratefully accept donations from companies and individuals connected with the gun industry.

While we appreciate your interest in Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) you are correct that we decline the media opportunity.
...
WWP does not co-brand, create cause marketing campaigns or receive a percentage or a portion of proceeds from companies in which the product or message is sexual, political or religious in nature, or from alcohol or firearms companies.

They hope this makes things clear? They were invited to come on to a gun show for free publicity and to generate more contributions, not to promote the show. I call B.S. Their publicity director (who should be as aware of their policies as anyone) specifically said that their policy was not to accept contributions from firearms companies. That seem rather political to me.

Any "confusion" is caused by their actions and words, not any misunderstanding of those observing them.

 

[Booya]

One good sign is that, when you Google "Wounded Warrior Project," several pages of good stuff come up. Only when I added "scam" to the search terms did I start finding bad comments, and those were anecdotal.

Face it, in this world it's nearly impossible to try to do good and NOT end up pissing some people off, who then want the whole world to know how they got jilted. Angie's List comes to mind, but I digress.

If bad things don't pop up immediately when checking the authenticity and efficacy of a charity online, chances are good that they have most of their ducks in a row.

It seems to me that WWP probably does have their clients' best interests at heart, but may also be bending over backwards to please the PC crowd, most of whom are anti-gun.

It's kind of like the GOP -- they didn't have to work too hard to get the votes of most conservatives. Who else would conservatives vote for? So, they downplayed their alliance with the far right and pandered to the middle. That worked well.

I'm not throwing the baby out with the bath water. I'll see what else I can dig up ...

Most if what you find when you google something can be controlled for a price. If I could afford it I could basically buy the first 3 pages of google results for my company... Just saying.

 

[Birds Away]

This thread has made me re-exam my view of the WWP.

I am not happy about the backtracking they did. I still see a lot of good coming out of WWP but I have a different view of them now.

They seem very susceptible to politically correct views. They are a business none the less, their business is to help those that served. I can only hope that there will change in the leadership that will result in a more acceptable approach to a situation like this. In other words they took some heat and now are willing to go on the show. That tells me that their reasons for not doing the show in the first place were weak at best. The tone of the responses certainly changed from the first one to last response. Hopefully they learned something valuable from this exchange. I for one will continue to support WWP but with a focused eye on their business practices.

Read the response again. They are not willing to go on the show but are willing to allow a wounded vet to do so.

 

[Classic]

Not much of a walkback. More like carefully parsed lawyerspeak. There are many other ways to help wounded vets.

 

[BroodXI]

Charity Navigator Rating - Wounded Warrior Project

they spend alot on fundraising, thats for sure.

 

[drillsgt]

I just read this on a link over at AR15.com, they were auctioning a rifle to go to WWP but they would not accept the donation so they found a different charity. I'm glad the OP put this up.

 

[danimal]

I heard about WWP not being gun/2A friendly a while back. One night watching the Outdoor Channel, I learned about this organization through Shooting USA

HAVA - Honored American Veterans Afield

They seem to be right up the INGO alley.

I have yet to donate directly to them (although my wife is upset with how much I support the corporate sponsors listed on the right side of the homepage), but the wife and I agreed to toss $100 their way when I get my bonus next week among other charities.

 

[GBuck]

Charity Navigator Rating - Wounded Warrior Project

they spend alot on fundraising, thats for sure.

Does that link say what I think it does? That only 30 cents of every dollar goes to helping vets?

 

[drillsgt]

Charity Navigator Rating - Wounded Warrior Project

they spend alot on fundraising, thats for sure.

Great link, my respect for this org just went down even more.

 

[mrjarrell]

Apparently the CEO (the $300K man) of WW has decided he will go on the radio show and talk about the controversy surrounding their stupidity. I'm guessing there is such as thing as bad publicity and this hurt them.

After controversial refusal, Wounded Warrior Project CEO to appear on Gun Talk - National gun rights | Examiner.com

 

[sepe]

I just read this on a link over at AR15.com, they were auctioning a rifle to go to WWP but they would not accept the donation so they found a different charity. I'm glad the OP put this up.

I told one of the guys I follow on Facebook about their stance on taking donations from gun related raffles and the like. He assured me that it would be good to go and came back an hour later to say that he found out that I was correct. I'm fairly shocked that you guys didn't already know about their stance. It has been made fairly clear once they stopped allowing co-branding.

 

[flintman50]

Assumed WWP was always aligned with NRA and like brethren.....there I go again with Ass u me......sad
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