A new post from a military spouse bashing the Wounded Warrior Project is going viral in the military community. Many have agreed with her sentiments and describe their negative experiences with the WWP, while also lauding the efforts of the Semper Fi Fund as the quiet force of positive change.
Courtney Leigh Schumacher posted on Instagram and Facebook on November 2nd:
Dear Wounded Warrior Project,
Please stop sending us merchandise. We do not want the hats, stickers, magnets, clothing and backpacks you send us throughout the year. I don’t understand how you have the funds for these items, yet you can’t help the countless Veterans who need it. You can show us your programs and have a few Veterans testify for you, but it means nothing.
I’m not a person who read a negative article about you and is now deciding to speak out. I am a caregiver who approached you in my time of need and I was told no. I was 3 weeks away from delivering our second son when my husband was injured. I flew from California to Bethesda to be by his side. I asked for baby items and assistance with travel for our immediate family so I could recover. I was told no. These were two of my dozen of requests that were all denied. I asked then what can help us with and you said “whatever you need.”
Merchandise was the only thing we have ever received from you. Fortunately for us, an organization did support us and fulfilled our needs. They gave us a swing and a pack n play for my husbands hospital room so I could continue his care. They flew our family out in time for the birth and flew out our oldest son, who was 4, across the country to spend Christmas with us. This organization was the Semper Fi Fund. I will be sending an email today to be removed from your mailing list. I hate to see anymore of your donor’s funds wasted.
Sincerly, the caregiver of a triple amputee. @wwp @semperfifund #wwpgear #woundedwarriorproject #semperfifund
This isn’t the first time the Wounded Warrior Project has been under fire. In May, 2015 the Daily Beast published an article with stories detailing how the Wounded Warrior Project bullied other charities which used the words ‘wounded warrior’. Many thought it was contradictory to WWP’s mission to helping veterans — the waste of time, energy and resources suing and threatening other nonprofits.
Some charities believe that WWP’s goal is to drive these charities out of business so they can instead collect the monies themselves. One of the charities sued by the Wounded Warrior Project was Keystone Wounded Warriors, a charity which brought in just over $200,000. Considering that Wounded Warrior’s Project Executive Director makes $375,000, many are led to the same conclusions: that WWP is out for blood and money.
“The Keystone group was forced to spend more than two years and some $72,000 in legal fees to defend itself from the legal actions of the Wounded Warrior Project, which brings in annual revenues of close to $235 million, according to the outfit’s most recent tax forms.”
Many are confused by the tactics of the WWP. Veterans have shown outrage by the organization saying that they receive branded merchandise and no help – that’s it just a marketing gimmick. Complaints abound online with criticism from veterans, saying that they’ve received little to no help, despite WWP raising hundreds of millions in revenue.
Many charity watchdog organizations don’t rate the charity well, averaging a C+ in 2013 up from a D several years earlier.
What has your experience with Wounded Warrior Project been?
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i am so sorry to read this, i donate to them often and often think about how the funds are used, i will not donate further to them, i will donate to the semper fi fund, my grandson is an active marine, thank you and your husband for your service and i wish you didn’t have to go through anything like this, may God bless you and your family………….
I have given to them but will not give them any more of my hard earned money, it will instead go to the semper fi fund ;
I belong to a car club and every year we support a charity. Several years ago we sent a check for one thousand dollars to Wounded Warriors. Months went by and I did not receive acknowledgement from them, even though they cashed our check. I finally sent a letter to their director asking if they did receive our check, even though I knew they did. I did not receive the courtesy of a reply. So I encourage folks not to support them.
WWP actually forced a small non profit in Indiana to close about a year or two ago
I stopped donating to the Wounded Warrior Fund several years ago when I found out less than 50% of what they collect goes for benefits of the intended recipients. It seems to be in business to keep their staff on the dole.
They sponsor the “Great Golf Outing” every year which not only makes a bundle for the founder and CEO of the Fund but also drums up more donations from the golfers.
I’ve been a monthly contributor to the Semper Fi Injured Marine Fund since President Bush mentioned them in one of his speeches some time back. Unfortunately television personalities, like Bill O’Reilly, never mention the Semper Fi Fund but they do give WWF quite a bit of
free publicity.
I will be cancelling my monthly donation as of today. Someone needs to tell Trace Atkins about this, It’s disgusting
Good luck with trying to cancel. After many months of calling and writing to cancel, we contacted our Credit Card Company. There are not many auto payments the CC Company will block – but WWP was one of them.
I will no longer donate a dime to WWP, what they are doing is disgraceful.
i agree wounder warrior main interest money, just like aarp main interest make moneyjust like most charity main interest m ake money
even va pay 30,000 a year to vvet classified 100% disab le, even tho he work job for gov making 50,000 a year
even tho hei is 30 yr memver army guard making big bugks and full retirement from both, even tho he xan and does jog 2 to 3 time week 30 miles, does 1000 crunches every day for claim of aching back
i get no help and i cant walk well and i have aching back. aysstem is wrong pay him 30,000 yr full disable while also paying him n ear 20000 guard retirement a year, while paying him 40,000 cic serv retiredment a year and 400 a month soc sec too, heck he is near rich and no one see anything wrong with him oh maybe he some mental issue cus he always has argument for most anything yuck but true this is how our military pays the man too
Not only did WWP file a lawsuit and shut down the Indiana Vet who was REALLY helping disabled Vets, they filed another lawsuit against a 100% disabled Vietnam Veteran near Seattle (again actually helping untold numbers of disabled Veterans) for information he posted on his website https://asknod.wordpress.com/
In days of old it was TAR AND FEATHERS
The Semper Fi fund has helped me out a lot. They got me an Alpha Stem to help with my insomnia, anxiety, depression, and migraines. They are also getting me glasses that will help me with my headaches. They have helped me and many other Marines.