They promise to help families of fallen officers. But they're mostly paying telemarketers.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Tue Dec 31, 2019, 11:56 AM - Edit history (1)

While we're on the subject, I have my doubts about all those TV ads for the Shriners Hospital for Children.

Great reporting. Donors gave to help fallen officers' families. The charity spent most of it on telemarketing instead.

Link to tweet

NEW: This charity says it exists to help the families of fallen police officers — but most of the money it raises never reaches those families. Powerful investigation by @SarahKleiner9 and @ZubakSkees of @publicintegrity, in partnership w/ @TB_Times

Link to tweet

MONEY AND DEMOCRACY
Published — December 27, 2019
THEY PROMISE TO HELP FAMILIES OF FALLEN OFFICERS. BUT THEY’RE MOSTLY PAYING TELEMARKETERS.

A union-backed police charity spends just a sliver of its money on those it purports to serve

They promise to help families of fallen officers. But they’re mostly paying telemarketers.

Sarah Kleiner
Reporter

Chris Zubak-Skees
Data Editor

This article is published in partnership with the Tampa Bay Times.

The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates betrayals of public trust. Sign up to receive our stories.

SARASOTA, Florida — A uniformed police officer rests his hand on a casket and bows his head in an image on the homepage of the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund.

Next to the picture there’s a button that invites you to “Donate Today” and help families of fallen or injured officers.

The website asks the visitor to consider that it takes weeks for families of officers who have been killed “to receive the benefits they duly deserve while funeral costs, household expenses and other bills accumulate.”

But just a sliver of the donations given to Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund helps those families, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of the group’s tax returns. Most of the money the nonprofit charity raises winds up with telemarketers paid to solicit donors.

The fund is one of several organizations related to the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO, itself a nonprofit based in Sarasota, Florida, that represents local chapters of police unions across the country. IUPA is one of about 70 affiliates of the national AFL-CIO and touts itself as “the only union for law enforcement officers.”

From roughly 2011 to March 2018, the union and the relief fund spent about $106.3 million, according to annual tax returns filed with the IRS. About $82.3 million of that amount — 77 percent — paid for fundraising services.

An associated political action committee, Law Enforcement for a Safer America, raised $4.5 million from donors across the country from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. About $4 million of that paid for fundraising and related expenses. Little went to political action or advocacy — the core purposes of a PAC.

Up until recently, the political action committee shared an office in Sarasota with the union and the relief fund, and its founding treasurer was Michael Crivello, vice president of the union.

The police union and relief fund have contracted with Courtesy Call, Donor Relations and a handful of other companies owned by Las Vegas telemarketer Richard Zeitlin. One of their many other fundraisers is New Jersey-based Outreach Calling, which has ties to beleaguered telemarketer Mark Gelvan.

{snip}

Help the Center for Public Integrity investigate telemarketers who claim they’re raising money for charitable causes. Did a telemarketer contact you about fundraising on behalf of a charity or political action committee? Let us know by confidentially texting us or leaving a voicemail at [phone]. You can also reach reporter Sarah Kleiner by email at [e-mail].

[gopiscrap]

1. no kidding

and those telemarketers make about 8.00-12.00 an hour and are constantly harrassed and threatened with losing their jobs

[Haggis for Breakfast]

2. P L E A S E

don't put these parasites in the same category with the Shriners !

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. I'm not knocking the Shriners. All I'm asking is, how much

of the money raised by those TV commercials is plowed back into making more TV commercials?

[csziggy]

4. The Shriners Hospital is given a 4 out of 4 rating by Charity Navigator

https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=6493

I have to say that they have done great work. My twin great nephews were born with problems and have had several trips to the Shriners Hospital in Tampa to receive operations and followup treatment. Because of this, the boys are walking normally and doing wonderfully. On Christmas Day I got to watch them run around their yard and play soccer, something I never would have thought they could do a few years ago.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Thanks. That's what I wanted to hear. NT

[csziggy]

6. Any charity you want to check out, Charity Navigator is a good source

They rate each charity on several areas and their score is the result.

Personally, I will never donate to any of the police, fireman, military "charities" - I tend to confound the callers by telling them that "Yes, they all do good work, but I would prefer to pay higher taxes and have the governments that employ the people support them properly."

At least that is what I say when I am in a good mood. Recently I just yell over their spiel "STOP calling me, Take my number OFF you list. DO NOT CALL ME AGAIN!"

Then I hang up. I don't trust any of those pseudo-charities and would not give them money - and certainly will not give them my credit card over the phone.