The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. The application also included the name Police Officers Defense Coalition, as well as the Police Officers Defense Alliance. Kids Wish Network, however, spends only 3 cents of every dollar collected on kids. Consumer Protection. Many donors say they believed they were supporting a charity that helps local officers. Has anyone else recently seen an uptick and calls from various police support organizations? Concerns of Police Survivors. Hope Cancer Fund The Tampa Bay Times and The Center for Investigative Reporting broke the charities up into five main categories: children, cancer, police/law enforcement, veterans, fire and other. Groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter have inspired people to assassinate cops on the street. AARP Membership LIMITED TIME FLASH SALE. Continuously redirected to the toll free number provided which cut out each time it was listed. "Being that it was a recording right off the bat . But none of the money being raised actually goes to police departments, according to government records. At the end of 2021, robocalls raising money for police groups were the highest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets, according to Nomorobo, a robocall-blocking company that works with AARP on fraud prevention. Can the police officers count on you?. Another charity that should come with a "donator, beware" sign is the Police Protection Fund. Join AARP for just $9 per yearwhen you sign up for a 5-year term. There have been calls circulating from a Police Officers Support Association asking for credit card donations. Another useful fact: Organizations that file reports with the FEC have to list a treasurer. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. 2019 - The South African Department of Employment & Labour Disclaimer PAIA They improvise and evolve to stay one step ahead of unsuspecting donors. Why does this matter? On 10/29/20 a man called to get pledges for national police support fund. Among the other warnings: The Miami Township Police in Ohio issued a scam alert in June referencing calls circulating from a Police Officers Support Association asking for credit card donations. The Reading Police Department in Massachusetts described the Police Officers Support Association as a scam charity last year. Write the names of the shady businesses in the comments section below, too. . The IRS has pretty broad rules for being a nonprofit organization. It spent $103,700 on behalf of House candidates about 3% of the total, and it has contributed nothing directly to veterans groups. Also worth noting is that while his organization is based in Virginia, and gets its mail in Stafford, TX, Fotis lives in Lake Worth, FL. Registration with any of these state agencies does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by any state. One Daughters Fight Against Charity Fraud, Exclusive Walgreens Cash rewards for members, AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia: Vacation Packages, Members save when booking a flight vacation package, AARP Identity Theft Protection powered by Norton, Up to 53% off comprehensive protection plans, AARP Online Fitness powered by LIFT session, Customized workouts designed around your goals and schedule, SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. In this case, the pitch was for money for helping police officers in the continuing war against cops.. Videos on Law Enforcement for a Safer America's website show cities in flames and say that officers have been injured during what the group describes as riots. With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. Leaving politics aside for a minute, how do you know if those calls are legitimate? The call came to Get Gephardt to investigate who exactly it is that's making those calls. I confronted him that if they were legit, why it was that they are labeled as a scam operation. The recording says it is "Kenneth Allen from the National Police Support Fund" and they are asking for donations. The cause sounds worthy: Please support your local firefighters (or police officers), the caller implores. Find out now: How much do I need to save for retirement? Wow! Contact us: contact@knowyourpolice.net, SCAM: National Police Support Fund donation, How To Get Insurance Information From Police Report, Is National Police Association Legitimate, How Many Years Of College To Become A Police Officer, Do You Need A Degree To Become A Police Officer, What Are The Steps To Becoming A Police Officer, How Many Hours To Become A Police Officer, What Education Do I Need To Be A Police Officer, How Do You Know If The Police Are Investigating You. Read Also: Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, 2021 KnowYourPolice.net That means of a $35 donation, no more than $3.50 goes to their stated cause. Terms & conditions/privacy policy apply https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/terms-of-service/, Contributions to the National Police Support Fund are not tax deductible. BREAKING The House just voted to block Biden's woke ESG rule, which would let Wall Street use your retirement savings to fund left-wing political causes. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Alexandria, VA. National Police Support Fund and United Police Fund came together this November to urge Northern Virginians to get out the vote in, National Police Support Fund, Inc.Office/Mailing Address:2800 Eisenhower Drive Suite 220Alexandria, VA 22314, Donation Processing Center:PO Box 26248Alexandria, VA 22313-2648, Phone: (571) 364-6520Email: info@nationalpolicesupportfund.com, By providing your phone number, you are consenting to receive calls and SMS/MMS msgs, including autodialed and automated calls and texts using prerecorded voice, to that number from the National Police Support Fund. Email Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken. It appears their lack of transparency regarding where the money goes was the reason for the BBB caution. "As Pennsylvanians look to support [] Once it was blocked through my service provider, an additional phone number began to call my home multiple times a day. Busse said he and his sister took over their fathers finances last year. Gifts to actual charities are donations to PACs, which sometimes sound like charities, are not. Never disclose personal information. Or follow the simplest rule: Never give to anyone over the phone, said Margot Saunders, senior counsel for the National Consumer Law Center. For more information, please refer to the IRS definition of Political Organization. Each organization says it is spending money for police officers being abused and unfairly targeted. Phony Firefighters Scam. Key battles deserve tight alliances. A union receptionist also confirmed to CNN that the super PAC is run by the union, but union leaders did not respond to repeated calls, voicemails and emails that laid out the concerns from other police departments and donors and asked why so little of the $10 million raised went toward political activities. Marine Toys for Tots Foundation (Triangle, Va.) Committee for Missing Children (Lawrenceville, Ga.) Prevent Child . National Association of Police Athletics/Activities League. Below are our favorite charities for law enforcement: National Police Foundation. Use a search engine to look for " your state + charity list ". The first thing I noticed was that I wasnt talking to live people; the answers all sounded scripted and recorded. Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps"). Being a generous person, she agreed to mail them $50. The National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. Quoting from its website, the Committee for Police Officers Defense is a 527 Committee designed to seek out radical prosecutors, judges and district attorneys. Another organization is named on the website as well The Police Officers Defense Coalition. This organization spends the vast majority of its donations on children. One woman received a call from the . The super PAC said on Facebook in September that it had placed this billboard in multiple locations throughout Wisconsin and that more would be coming. On 12/30/2018, I received a call from (862) 333-2411 from a man with a deep voice and a southern accent, who identified himself as Dan, if I would like to make a donation to the National Police Trust Fund. Up to June 2020, only 2% of the groups spending went toward political activities mainly for advertisements supporting President Donald Trumps reelection, according to data filed with the FEC. You read that correctly. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one "association," two "coalitions" and one "support fund"). And cops are facing increasing disrespect on the streets as criminals have become emboldened by the wave of anti-cop rhetoric in the news media and by many politicians. Three other IUPA executives earned more than $100,000 apiece during fiscal 2017-2018. Another telemarketing employee reached by CNN in the Philippines confirmed this, saying he solicited money on behalf of the super PAC and the IUPA using audio recordings of someone who sounded like they were actually calling from America, and that most of the people they reached were elderly adding he felt it was a scam because they didnt realize what they were actually donating to. In the first half of 2021, this organization reported donations of $4.3 million; expenditures were just under $4.2 million, the bulk of this going to overhead fundraising, lawyers, lead lists and so on. He initially solicited $95 and eventually said he would accept a $15 contribution as an offer of goodwill on my part. Law Enforcement for a Safer America does not disclose on its website who is running the super PAC, but public filings reveal that leaders of one of the countrys largest police unions are pulling the strings. proudly complies with state regulations and required disclosures. The filings dont show how much the groups officials are directly benefiting from the political committee it created, and it is unclear why the group deemed it necessary to create so many different aliases to use for soliciting donations. Oh, god, she said upon being contacted by CNN and learning how the money was spent, Im supposed to be smart, but boy was I a dope.. We don't engage in telemarketing. Trump billboards along a desert stretch of highway near the border of California and Arizona were paid for by a small business that received a federal loan. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Asking for donations to the National Police Support Fund. by Michelle Diament, April 2008. I've asked them repeatedly to stop calling this typically results in additional calls back to back from different numbers. It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. He could not answer. Gotten calls like this? Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, How Long Does It Take To Get Into Police Academy, How Many People Were Killed By Police In 2020, Where To File A Police Report For Car Accident. Also worth noting is that while his organization is based in Virginia, and gets its mail in Stafford, TX, Fotis lives in Lake Worth, FL. If your phone rings, it's not us. Trade groups like those that represent the fast food or soft drink producers operate as nonprofits. That link will take you to Illinois, where I live. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. After further investigation, they are not approved by the better business bureau and they have nothing but horrible reviews . If the potential donors suspected they had given to the group before, the callers were instructed to say: I have no way of knowing because we feel that donations are given from the heart, not the hand, so we keep all donation records confidential, according to the FAQ. They count on local press coverage and a quick website.
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