In defense of Wreaths Across America

Submitted by tzedek t3_zk5lty in Maine

First I have no connection with WAA and have never donated to them personally.

It is not uncommon for charities to be run by families or for those charities to purchase goods or services from companies owned by the family. In and of itself, this does not necessarily indicate that the charity is a scam.

However, it is important for charities, such as Wreaths Across America, to operate transparently and ethically in order to maintain the trust of the public and ensure that donated funds are being used for their intended purpose. In the case of a charity that is run by a family and purchases goods from the family's company, it is important for the charity to disclose this relationship and ensure that the prices paid for goods are fair and reasonable. WAA does this and makes the information available on their website.

Additionally, the charity should have adequate safeguards in place to prevent any potential conflicts of interest and should regularly conduct audits to ensure that donated funds are being used properly. Both of which are also being done. As long as these measures are in place, there is no inherent problem with a charity like Wreaths Across America being run by a family and purchasing goods from the family's company.

It is also worth noting that just because a charity is run by a family and purchases goods from the family's company does not automatically make it a scam.

Ultimately it is important to carefully research a charity before making a donation and to consider factors such as their transparency, ethics, and effectiveness in achieving their stated goals.

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ZingZongZaddy t1_izy4wht wrote

Tell me your family does shady shit without saying your family does shady shit.

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Notmystationbro t1_j00f0lv wrote

Tell me you’re an anti American liberal without telling me you’re an anti American liberal

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iglidante t1_j01xbdw wrote

>Tell me you’re an anti American liberal without telling me you’re an anti American liberal

There is nothing anti-American about being liberal, friend.

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Guygan t1_izxxhcu wrote

> just because a charity is run by a family and purchases goods from the family’s company does not automatically make it a scam.

It absolutely does.

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tzedek OP t1_izy4iie wrote

A scam is a fraudulent scheme or deception designed to cheat individuals or organizations out of money or other assets. Scammers typically use a variety of tactics to deceive their victims, such as creating fake websites, impersonating legitimate businesses, or using phishing emails to obtain sensitive information.

Scams can take many forms, including pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes, fake investment opportunities, lottery scams, and romance scams. These schemes are often designed to appear legitimate and can be difficult to detect, especially for individuals who are not familiar with common scamming tactics.

The goal of a scam is to convince the victim to part with their money or personal information, either by providing false information or making false promises. For example, a scammer might promise to double an investment in a short period of time, or claim that they have won a large sum of money and need the victim's help to access it.

Scammers often use emotional manipulation and pressure tactics to convince their victims to make decisions quickly, without taking the time to research the legitimacy of the offer. This can lead to individuals losing significant amounts of money, as well as having their personal information stolen and used for identity theft.

To avoid falling victim to a scam, it is important to be cautious and carefully research any offers or opportunities that seem too good to be true. This can include checking the legitimacy of a company or individual offering the opportunity, reading reviews and testimonials, and asking for advice from trusted friends or family members.

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ZingZongZaddy t1_izy7xoy wrote

Would you prefer the term "fraud" over "scam"?

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tzedek OP t1_izyau3o wrote

Nobody is being defrauded. There's a conflict that may be problematic to some people and WAA openly discloses that conflict. If they were lying about something or price gouging perhaps it could be considered a scam, but there's no evidence of any of that.

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ZingZongZaddy t1_izybs28 wrote

They defrauded their way into nonprofit status. Period.

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tzedek OP t1_izyccoi wrote

Proof? The 501c status has been audited by the IRS and reapproved in 2018. link

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ZingZongZaddy t1_izydlp6 wrote

Because it's technically not illegal. Their business was failing so they used their other business, sorry -charity-, to prop themselves up and get some nice, fat tax breaks at the same time.

It's government-sanctioned scumbaggery.

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Guygan t1_izxxmvs wrote

> it is important to carefully research a charity before making a donation and to consider factors such as their transparency, ethics, and effectiveness in achieving their stated goals.

And Charity Navigator gives WAA a failing grade on all of these.

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spatzelface t1_izyer13 wrote

When you run a charity that receives donations to then by a product made by a company who’s owners also manage the charity then the charity becomes a pass through from the donors to the company. maybe not illegal, but it is deceitful and a repugnant business and charitable practice.

WAA is a craven attempt to monetize patriotism, nostalgia, and death. Its unfortunate that the more graves that are dug in Arlington, the better their business is.

Also, their product quality sucks.

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SobeysBags t1_izy3iij wrote

Ya not illegal, just very morally questionable, if not reprehensible.

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TheDiceMan2 t1_izxz3b8 wrote

surprised this is still up

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DidDunMegasploded t1_izyxrxd wrote

Tell me you didn't read u/Guygan's post without actually telling me you didn't read u/Guygan's post.

You missed the entire fucking point of his post. Not only that but you read none of the links posted nor any of the replies of the post he linked. Congrats to you on your fresh diagnosis with Selective Reading Syndrome. Let's see if you can do the same with PETA and Autism Speaks and then get back to me.

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lobstah t1_izzevpk wrote

Jesus man, are you being obtuse by design or by purpose ?

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joeydokes t1_izy0eo9 wrote

Sadly, making wreaths is about the only job around those parts this time of year.

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kubabooba t1_izztajr wrote

I d love to see where all the donations to BLM went.

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iglidante t1_j01xj8e wrote

Why do people keep bringing up BLM the organization as if discrediting it will in some way discredit the message that black lives matter?

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kubabooba t1_j0202nd wrote

Why are there down votes for asking for transparency from a non-profit organization(BLM)?

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iglidante t1_j023kir wrote

Bringing up BLM the organization is just an excuse to drag the cause in my opinion.

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