AS THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) SAYS ON ITS OFFICIAL WEBSITE, IF YOU WANT TO CHECK OUT A CHARITY, YOU CAN GO ONTO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE CHARITY OFFICIALS WEBSITE, WHERE YOU CAN LOOK UP AND CONTACT YOUR STATE'S CHARITIES REGULATORS FOR MORE INFORMATION.

 

Nationally Recognized by the United States Department of Defense as a Valuable Veterans’ Resource Organization:

 

On November 17, 2008 the Department of Defense launched the online only electronic National Resource Directory, at www.NationalResourceDirectory.org, a collaborative effort between the Department of Defense, and the Departments of and Labor and Veterans Affairs.  This massive directory, long overdue, now serves as the reference “Bible” in the United States of America for U.S. Government recognized organizations which provide veterans’ services.  According to the DOD:  To be listed in the NRD, an organization must support the DoD’s and VA’s Recovery Coordination Programs’ mission to provide an integrated contiguity of world class quality care and service delivery for service members, veterans and their families.  The NRD ensures that the Organization’s agencies or programs listed address the needs of service members, veterans, family members, Recovery Coordinators and Recovery Team members.  

 

Organizations listed may not exhibit hate, bias, or discrimination; share personal identifiable information with vendors or other agencies, companies or services without express permission from the service member, veteran, family members, Recovery Coordinator, or Recovery Team member who requested or received their services; or sell, rent, loan, or transfer to any unrelated third party information on service members, veterans, family members, Recovery Coordinator or Recovery Team members  who requested or received their services.

Organizations which provide misleading information or unsubstantiated claims are not included.  Organizations which are included must provide accessible and applicable services to US service members, veterans, family members, Recovery Coordinators, or Recovery Team members.  They must also provide relevant, useful and authoritative services for US service members, veterans, family members, Recovery Coordinator or Recovery Team members. The Organization must be run in a manner which is consistent with the United States Government’s privacy and security policies for the privacy of personal information.  They must be based in United States of America.  Veterans’ Organizations listed must also be registered with IRS as a 501 (c) organization, with evidence of service or assistance provided to needy or disabled veterans, with such status being confirmed either by the IRS or by the appropriate agency in government.

 

According to the FTC Consumer Alert “Supporting the Troops”, May 20, 2009, on www.ftc.gov : “The U.S. Department of Defense does not endorse any charity, but recommends this source of information about military relief societies: www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil .”  Www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil in turn refers to the National Resource Directory, www.NationalResource,Directory.org, as the premiere DoD resource for accessing information about “legitimate” nonprofit organizations in the United States, both governmental and nongovernmental, providing valuable assistance to the American veteran, service duty personnel, members of their families and the military and veterans’ community. 

 

The Association is proud to be included in the Directory as a Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs nationally recognized valuable veterans' resource organization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Organization’s conflict of interest policies are discussed in full each year in the IRS Form 990 filed, and the Organization therefore makes those publicly available each year upon written request pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code and pertinent Treasury Regulations and IRS Instructions.  The Organization as an whole (including its Central Organization and all its IRS Group 4301 subordinates) also publishes an Annual Report, which is also available upon request to members of the public by written request following IRC requirements and relating to the provision of publicly available documents, Treasury Regulations and pertinent IRS Instructions, and such is also posted online annually on www.NavyVets.org.  Governing documents such as, but not limited to, the Organization’s Articles of Association and Bylaws, which are provided with updates as a public matter to the IRS each year when and as updates occur, and which can also be found originally in the Organization’s Form 1024 Application, are also made available to the public upon request in writing in accordance with IRS rules pertaining to the advance payment of reasonable copying and processing charges (see below, How to Obtain Copies of the Organization's Internal Revenue Code Annual Information Returns).       

 

The Organization’s discussion of most internal governance matters can also be accessed by any member of the public by going on www.NavyVets.org and simply typing in the keyword or words that the member of the public is searching for, and be directed to each and every page upon which there is a discussion of that policy matter or by accessing the same information by utilizing the Table of Contents of the website, which appears on every page, or by accessing the Site Index of www.NavyVets.org. and, then, on the page or page in question simply by typing into the plain words search icon the name of the policy matter to be researched. 

 

How to Obtain Copies of the Organization's

Internal Revenue Code Annual Information Returns: 

 

The Organization makes its Application for Recognition of Exemption and its Annual Information Returns available for public inspection without charge at our principal, regional and district offices during regular business hours.  The Organization also makes each Annual Information Return available for a period of three years beginning on the date the return is required to be filed or is actually filed, whichever is later.  The Organization also will provide a copy without charge, other than a reasonable fee for reproduction and actual postage cost of all or any part of any application or return required to be made available for public inspection to any individual who makes a request of such copy in person or in writing.  The Organization also provides copies of required documents in response to a request being made in person at its principal, regional and district offices during regular business hours and provides these copies to such requesters on the date the request is made except for unusual circumstances.  In the case of an in person request, where an unusual request exists so that if fulfilled in the request on the same business day causes an unreasonable burden to the Organization, the Organization provides the copies no later than the next business day following the day that the unusual circumstances cease to exist or on the fifth business day after the date of the request, whichever occurs first. Unusual circumstances include requests received (1) that exceed the Organization’s daily capacity to make copies:  (2) shortly before the end of the regular hours that require an extensive amount of copying, or (3) on a day when the Organization’s managerial staff capable of fulfilling the request is conducting special duties, such as attending an off-site meeting or convention. 

 

The Organization charges a reasonable fee for providing copies.  Before this Organization provides the documents, it requires that the individual requesting the documents pay the fee.  If this Organization has provided an individual making the request with notice of the fee, and the individual does not pay the fee within 30 days, or the individual pays the fee by check and the check does not clear, this Organization disregards the request. 

 

This Organization does not comply with the request for a print copy of its Recognition for Exemption or an Annual Information Return if the Organization has made the requested document in its current form widely available. A copy of the Organization’s Annual Information Return can be accessed electronically, for free, and instantaneously each year, on www.guidestar.org.  

 

 Www.NavyVets.org clearly informs readers, on its Governmental disclosures page, of the prescribed methodology of ordering all such documents. 

 

The Organization reports to the Director, Exempt Organizations Examinations, all facts, which the Organization believes point to it being harassed as part of a campaign to reply for copies. The Organization disregards any requests for copies of all or part of any document beyond the first two received within 30-day period or the first four received in a one year period from the same individual or the same address.

 

How to Access Other Organization Policies

on www.NavyVets.org:

 

The Organization also has written policies on every subject covered in the IRS’s staff document “Good Governance Practices for 501 (c) (3) Organizations 2007”.  Written discussions of the these policies are transparently provided to all members of the public on www.NavyVets.org, primarily on the Homepage, the Homeport page, the Conventions, Contributions and Membership page, the Privacy Policy page, the Mission Statement page, the Annual Report page, the State and Overseas Chapters page  and the Governmental Disclosures page.  Particular policy can be accessed on the appropriate page by either going to the standard Microsoft provided “Edit” icon on most browser tool bars or by going to the standard Google "Find" icon.  The reader would then simply type in the plaint text keywords that he or she is looking for and be taken to the highlighted words throughout that particular page for a discussion of that policy.  A separate built in feature icon at the bottom of every page of www.NavyVets.org permits the typist to plain-word enter any word or phrase and see automatically every page of www.NavyVets.org on which the entered word or phase appears.