Only one replied directly: 90 percent went to fundraising, and 10 percent went to police support. The vast majority of donations since 2019 were under $200, meaning the funds came from tens of thousands of donors. Fake joke to start out. Law enforcement has a tough enough job without having to put up with charlatans masquerading as heroes. The National Police Support Fund has a website and even a Facebook page to make them look legit, but hundreds of articles pop up from sources like the Better Business Bureau, The National Police Foundation and more warning people NOT to donate to this organization. An image from Law Enforcement For A Safer America PAC's Facebook page. The websites describe his career in law enforcement and his role as the creator of the police officers safety act legislation carried by former San Diego Congressman Randy Duke Cunningham. Below are a few tips for screening for legitimate charities. 2019 - The South African Department of Employment & Labour Disclaimer PAIA Pearl S Buck International's stated purpose is to provide opportunities to explore and appreciate other cultures, build better lives for children around the globe and promote the legacy of our founder by preserving and interpreting her National Historic Landmark home. Other policies that the NPA promotes include aggressive stop-and-frisk tactics and broken windows policingstrategies that have resulted in unconstitutional practices that undermine civil liberties. We are just passing along the information if you get a suspicious call asking for money for police officers.. For the record, on their website, it never calls itself a charity or non . Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription toAARP The Magazine. You read that correctly. All Rights Reserved. What should we investigate next? Sadly, it comes down to their choice of words during a pitch; its unlawful to misrepresent how the money will be spent. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. The Better Business Bureau says if anyone calls or knocks asking you to help the police, the best thing you can do is ask them for information before you agree to donate. National Police Support Fund is a grassroots political organization that is committed to aligning the interests and needs of police officers with the public's issues and concerns within the national political process. Many charities that help first responders like police officers and firefighters veterans, and active duty military, or their families, pay fundraisers to call donors or potential donors. Key battles deserve tight alliances. The union has recently claimed to have more than 100,000 members, but the IUPA has reported around 20,000 members in tax filings. He instead provided me with their national number. The organization also has a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. While several recordings uploaded online show that some callers have briefly mentioned the term PAC or have said that the group is supporting efforts to elect lawmakers to advocate for certain issues, the Montana attorney general wasnt the only person to say the group hadnt identified itself as required. We highly encourage our followers to verify who they are making donations to when contacted for fundraisers.. As Smarter Giving notes, what is actually supports is the bank balances of its chief executives. A: A 527 political organization is a party committee, association, fund, or other organization organized and operated primarily for the purpose of directly or indirectly accepting contributions or making expenditures for an exempt function. He initially solicited $95 and eventually said he would accept a $15 contribution as an offer of goodwill on my part. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. The National Police Association files amicus brief opposing Oregon's attempt to criminalize law abiding gun owners. AARP Membership LIMITED TIME FLASH SALE. He said his father served in the Navy for nearly two decades and was always proud of his service. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one association, two coalitions and one support fund). In about 7 years (through March 2018), the union and relief fund spent a total of approximately $102.3 million, of which $82.3 million went towards fundraising. This was up from roughly $1 million raised by the group, which was founded in June 2018, in the last six months of the prior election cycle. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try National Police Support Fund - Alexandria, VA. An elderly man in Trenton, Mi., received a dire letter that warned of the greatest threats to our public safety in our nations history. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. By choosing the . National Police Support Fund is dedicated to providing a united voice for true Americans who support our nation's law enforcement officers. Read Also: Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, 2021 KnowYourPolice.net Ways to contribute: You can contribute to the Police Unity Tour by donating through their website. At times, I thought they were maybe misguided, he said. The funds raised during their 4-day long ride are donated directly to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The I.U.P.A. 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. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. The Committee for Police Officers Defense, the telemarketers who called me, applied for tax exemption in California. Now, the last thing I want to do is discourage you from giving to causes you care about, like supporting police. Once it was blocked through my service provider, an additional phone number began to call my home multiple times a day. Bass, who set up several other super PACs, declined to comment. Recently, the District Attorney's office was made aware of calls from nearby area codes claiming to support local officers injured in the line of duty. Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. A 5 On Your Side viewer got one of those calls recently, asking him to support the National Police and Troopers Association.But before saying yes, he called us to ask if it was legit. Please note that many legitimate local (and unaffiliated) police foundations and organizations may solicit donations from local communities via telephone and mail. He said he ultimately left because he didnt feel like he was supporting the charitable efforts he had hoped to seeing a shift toward fundraising for PACs instead of charities and observing how little of the money went to the causes callers were touting. In fact, former employees of these types of fundraisers have testified about how they used soundboard technology to play prerecorded messages as responses, in part so they could talk to several donors at once. Stated that donations were not tax-deductible. While some donors believe they are donating to . We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. Required fields are marked *. Just as you sit down to dinner, the phone rings and the caller asks for a donation. I said I do not donate over the phone, he said I did not need to they would mail me a pledge kit. The application also included the name Police Officers Defense Coalition, as well as the Police Officers Defense Alliance. I feel they abuse their use of the name to maybe convey a false sense to the community about who they are and what they really do with the money.. On 11/4 another local call came it was the same man! It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. American Association of State Troopers claims to support retired state troopers. Has anyone else recently seen an uptick and calls from various police support organizations? 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. Wow! The union has previously come under fire for hiring allegedly deceptive telemarketers and costly fundraising efforts that benefited its own organization and a police charity it operates. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. Wendy Beckman got a call the other day from a man asking her to help retired police and firefighters. I told him that there is no such thing as a National Police Trust Fund. The International Union of Police Associations and its related organizations go by more than a dozen different names, including the Police Officers Support Association and the National Emergency Responders Coalition. The latter is the name of the PAC I found earlier that had raised $3.2 million in contributions. I asked for the number so I could call back after I made my decision and he gave me the 1-866 number and said to call with any questions and thanked me for my time. He was donating to anyone who asked him for money, he said. National Police Defense Foundation has earned a 81% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. After further investigation, they are not approved by the better business bureau and they have nothing but horrible reviews . Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. A secretive political group has been pulling in millions of dollars in recent months amid a growing Blue Lives Matter movement, with a cadre of telemarketers urgently telling Americans that now is the time to support the police and keep them safe. As the list of high-profile police shootings has grown in recent years and calls to defund the police have gotten louder, tensions between protesters and those who have rushed to the support of police some of whom have become part of a Blue Lives Matter movement have been building. Being a generous person, she agreed to mail them $50. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. Here are a few ideas to help you give safely: Con artists refer to what they do as a hustle. Many of the other complaints to the FTC about the political committee and its related groups said fundraisers used spoofed numbers and violated the law by calling them even though they were on the Do Not Call list, while others said they had been misled or even harassed by fundraisers. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Claire Reiss, 79, said she thought the more than $2,000 she donated would go to injured police and their families, but that she stopped giving away her money when the calls just wouldnt stop. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox posted on Facebook last year about a call he received from Roy on behalf of the National Coalition for Police and Troopers. FEC filings show that of the group's minimal political spending, most has gone toward pro-Trump advertising such as billboards. Local organizations that raise money on behalf of San Diego law enforcement include: Star/Pal for San Diego Police, which provides educational and recreational services for inner-city youth, and the San Diego County Deputy Sheriffs Foundation, which provides support services for sheriffs personnel and families. If you require additional information, then call us 1-800-247-4872 or email us at: [email protected] Your contribution is very much appreciated and although the International Union of Police Association is recognized as a non-profit by the IRS, due to its particular status (501 (c) 5), donations are not tax .