IAVA and Craigslist hate Blue Star Families

OK, they probably don’t hate Blue Star Families but that’s my pay back for Paul Rieckhoff’s “Miley Cyrus Hates Veterans” post. Anyway, pay attention here while I roll out this turd.

Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist had a contest to benefit veterans’ organizations…a worthy enterprise. According to someone who calls himself “Anonymous Friend” and sent me this tip, the competing organizations had to have at least four reviews on the “Great Nonprofits” rating website that helps keep nonprofits honest by disclosing what people think about them. I haven’t seen the rules for the contest, so I have to take the tipster’s word for it. Here’s IAVA’s page on Great Nonprofits. Notice they only have one review…and SURPRISE! it was written by Craig Newmark. (I have screen shots of all of this shit because Rieckhoff has a habit of altering shit when I write about it). So I went over and checked Guidestar, another nonprofit organization information clearing house and there was only one review there, too, and guess who wrote it;

Anyway, IAVA won the contest by getting the most donations and Newmark gave them $40,000 even though they didn’t even qualify by Newmark’s own rules. In fact, of the four competitors only Blue Star Families were qualified and they came in last place;

So, it’s Newmark’s money and he can give it to whomever he wants, right? Well, do you think that any of those other organizations would have participated or that the donors would have given money if they had known that Newmark is on IAVA’s Board of Directors?

So not only is Newmark writing reviews to help IAVA qualify for his contest, he has a vested interest in IAVA winning his money. Ever wonder why companies sponsoring contests have that disclosure about not allowing employees and families to participate? It’s to avoid embarrassing moments like this and not fostering the appearance of favoritism. It may not be illegal, but it certainly doesn’t look like some people who are thinking about veterans first. And it all looks purposely deceptive.

And by the way, if I were a member of IAVA, I’d be asking what all of this money is paying for. Has anyone seen IAVA under Paul Rieckhoff spend their money on anything besides ads that make promises they don’t deliver? You’re expected to heal just because you’re carrying a membership card. WTF has IAVA done for anyone besides Paul Rieckhoff? I think Reickhoff is becoming a liability to the organization and it’s time for someone less interested in himself and more interested in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans.

Category: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Shitbags