Woman Calls For Action after getting a call to donate

BONNER SPRINGS, Kan. - Pat Terry likes to help out those who served the country on the battlefield.  But when she recently got a phone call from a veteran’s charity asking her to donate, something did not feel right. 

"The way he talked was so fast, it was like he was selling snake oil," Terry said. 

The caller asked for Terry’s debit and credit card information, telling her a $50 donation would go to help war veterans.

She did not fall to their fast talk. 

Instead, she asked them to send her information in the mail. But then, another person got on the call, asking for her checking account information.    

Instead of donating, Terry wanted other people to know about her experience. So she contacted Call For Action. 

"They are going to your heart for the soldiers who fight for this country to get to your pocket book," Terry said.

The organization, Foundation for American Veterans, is not rated by the Better Business Bureau.  The charity is listed as one of Oregon’s 20 worst charities, according to the Department of Justice. 

It falls below BBB guidelines, which holds the charities to keeping administrative and fundraising costs at no more than 35 percent. The Foundation for American Veterans uses only 8.6 percent of donations to the actual cause, according to the DOJ. 

The following websites are good resources to check before donating to a charity:

http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/kansas/

http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/

http://www.charitynavigator.org/

http://gkccf.guidestar.org/