Better Business Bureau

Charity Contact Information BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments Programs

Tax Status Governance Fund Raising Financial

Name:	Wounded Warrior Project
Address:	4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300
	Jacksonville, FL 32256
Phone:	904-296-7350 877-832-6997
Web Address:	www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

The Backpack Program provides comfort items in male and female versions as the severely wounded arrive at military trauma centers in the United States. A compact version is provided in Iraq and Afghanistan. WWP benefits counselors identify government benefits and services for patients in their communities and to re-enter civilian life. The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project offers snow skiing, water skiing, canoeing, golf, cycling, and rock climbing to injured service members and their families, helping develop a positive self-image and outlook and combat depression and alienation. WWP Outdoors allows veterans to be outdoors and active while hunting, fishing, shooting, camping, and boating, so they build friendships and have a feeling of empowerment in their healing process. Warriors to Work finds occupational direction and possible employment based on injured service members’ skill sets, interests, and employment opportunities. With outside groups, WWP develops tools for disabled applicants and employers. Two-day “Coping with Combat Stress” seminars help disabled and able-bodied service members deal with the effects of combat stress while reintegrating into civilian life. The Wounded Warrior Service Excellence Scholar Program offers severely-injured veterans a stipend for living expenses during college while helping other injured service members. WWP Alumni provides assistance, communication, and camaraderie. WWP's policy and advocacy program monitors, creates, and pursues legislative and policy changes to benefit active duty service members and disabled veterans of current military conflicts. Some ($1,533,398 or 5%) of WWP’s program activities are carried out in conjunction with fund raising appeals.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008, WWP's program expenses were:

Public awareness	22,784,679
Adaptive sports	1,760,879
Benefit service	1,395,878
Alumni association	958,984
Soldier ride	955,984
Veterans policy	724,951
WWP packs	651,598
WWP outdoors	646,522
Patient/family support	596,969
Transition training academy	550,271
Combat stress recovery	510,384
TRACK	463,628
Warriors to work	340,780
Peer mentoring	278,672
Total Program Expenses:	$32,620,179

Chief Executive : John Melia, Executive Director

Compensation*:

$199,676

Chair of the Board: Ronald Drach
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Department of Labor/VETS

Board Size: 12

Paid Staff Size: 87

*October 1, 2007 - September 30, 2008 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, special events, print advertisements, television, radio, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, and cause-related marketing.

Fund raising costs were 11% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $41,665,588, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)

WWP incurred joint costs of $4,324,255 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs $2,440,366 was allocated to fund raising expenses, $1,533,398 was allocated to program expenses, and $350,491 was allocated to administrative expenses.

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on WWP's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008.

Source of Funds
In-kind contributions	23,164,881
Contributions	18,500,707
Interest income and dividends	91,719
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments	11,160
Loss on disposal of assets	-5,048
Total Income	$41,763,419

Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 82%  Fund Raising: 12%  Administrative: 6%

Total income				$41,763,419
	Program expenses			$32,620,179
	Fund raising expenses			4,729,112
	Administrative expenses			2,183,073
Total expenses				$39,532,364
Income in Excess of Expenses				2,231,055
Beginning net assets				6,052,155
Ending net assets				8,283,210
Total liabilities				1,550,509
Total assets				$9,833,719

Note: WWP's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008 report gifts of in-kind income of $23,164,881. This amount consists of public service announcements ($17,453,455), advertising ($2,794,000), investments ($1,193,251), other ($969,807), and equipment ($754,368).