Homes for Our Troops Added to "Top-Rated Charities" by American Institute of Philanthropy

Thursday, April 17, 2008

The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), one of the country’s premier charity watchdog organizations, has reviewed Homes for Our Troops’ finances and they have included Homes for Our Troops in their "Top-Rated Veterans & Military Charities" listing. Only 5 of the 32 Veterans charities listed in AIP’s most recent report are included in the Top-Rated Category.

AIP’ stringent review process focuses on the percent of costs spent on Program Service Costs and the efficiency of organizations in raising funds. Rather than just using the figures reported by charities in their Form 990’s, the AIP adjusts for direct mail, telemarketing and solicitation costs that are sometimes allocated to Program Service Costs, and they exclude the value of donated goods and services, which can be difficult to measure.

Because of their thorough review process, the AIP is described as "the pit bull of watchdogs" by the New York Times. Newsweek said "It's the toughest of the bunch. Because it disregards certain, potentially suspect, expenses and donations, it fails some nonprofits that the other raters approve."

"Homes for Our Troops is proud to be included in AIP’s list of top rated Veterans & Military Charities," said Tom Benoit, VP/CFO of Homes for Our Troops. "Our dedicated staff has worked tirelessly to efficiently raise the funds needed to build homes across the country for severely injured Veterans. The support we receive from our corporate partners and from individuals and companies across the country made it possible for Homes for Our Troops to spend only 7% on administration and fundraising in our fiscal year ended 09/30/2007 and to complete 11 homes in 2007. Our goal is to complete 30 homes in 2008".

About Homes for Our Troops

Homes for Our Troops (HFOT) is a non-partisan organization dedicated to providing specially adapted homes to our severely injured service members. Founded in 2004, HFOT has already provided 25 Veterans and their families with homes suited to meet the Veteran’s physical challenges after returning home from war with severe, life-altering injuries. Over the next few years, HFOT is committed to providing at least 100 additional homes for injured troops. You can learn more about Homes for Our Troops on their web site.

About the American Institute of Philanthropy

The American Institute of Philanthropy is a nonprofit charity watchdog and information service whose mission is to maximize the effectiveness of every dollar contributed to charity by providing donors with the information they need to make more informed giving decisions. You can learn more about AIP by going to their web site.