Veterans of Foreign Wars

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
030149413
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2017
Forms available
Form 990 2017
Location
Burlington, VT, USA
Phone
8028646532
Rating
42
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$155,210
Expenses
$172,746
Assets
$222,134
Liabilities
$42,169

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2017. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

People named in this filing

  • ALLSTON J GILMOND (QUARTERMASTER)
  • NICOLAS THORNBRO (SR VICE COMMAND)
  • MICHELLE CAVER (COMMANDER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2017. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The purpose of the veterans of foreign wars of the united states is to preserve and support the patriotic and historical interests in our country, our communities and our veterans, to strengthen the common bonds of the men and women who have served and who are currently serving in our military, to assist them and their families, to enhance their quality of life, and to maintain true allegiance to the constitution and laws of the united states of america and defend her from all enemies. We accomplish our mission by perpetuating the memory of our dead through public and private acts of remembrance, preserving and defending the honor, integrity, and rights of all veterans and those currently serving in the military, fostering patriotism through education and volunteerism with the community, and avocating to a strong national defense.

What it reported doing in 2017

To assist disabled and needy war veterans and members of the armed forces of the united states and their dependents, and the widows of deceased veterans

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 61% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 0
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Program expense ratio: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -11.3%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.29; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: -0.6% per year; rating input score 0; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -4.6% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 0% of revenue deployed · 0% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 11 of 12 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2013 to 2017
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Functional expense sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 49/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 25/100.