Season’s greetings!
I hope you’ve been enjoying this holiday season. If you’re like me, you’re trying to tie up last-minute errands and gifts. One thing I always make sure to do before the end of the year is donate to a few charities that support our veterans, active-duty military members and their families.
If you’re running out of time to do the research on a potential charity, I recommend the Charity Navigator website as a very helpful tool. Instead of donating to the most popular or most advertised charity, you can look at ratings and transparency reports for any charity and see how their money is being used.
Here are the top five charities that support our current and former military members. These charities have a score of 97 or higher out of 100.
- Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund: 98.23
“To serve those who preserve our freedom,” is their motto. Founded in 2004, this Fund delivers immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to injured and critically ill service members, post-9/11 wounded responders and their families. - DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Charitable Service Trust: 98.23
This Trust provides support to both physical and psychological rehabilitation programs that directly serve ill and wounded veterans. Donations also help support providing food, shelter and other necessities to at-risk or homeless veterans, and other forms of direct service. - Project Sanctuary: 97.17
Project Sanctuary addresses the needs, challenges and distresses that our military families face daily. They work with active-duty service members, veterans and their families with counseling, education, self-development and recreational therapy to encourage well-adjusted families as they heal from the effects of war. - The Mission Continues: 97.17
The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit organization, supports veterans who are adjusting to life after the military and helps them find a mission through community impact. Veterans build new skills and networks through improving community education resources, mentorships with at-risk youth and more. - Honor Flight Network: 97.17
This charity focuses exclusively on honoring American veterans for their sacrifices. Heroes, including World War II survivors, Korean War veterans and more, are transported to Washington, D.C. to visit their memorials.
I enjoy sending out a new list of charities each year to my friends and colleagues. I hope you find this list helpful! Please let me know if there are any charities that you like to donate to. I’d love to check them out!
Happy Holidays,
Joyce