But then she started to worry, especially when she couldn't find the group listed as a charity anywhere online. 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. For more information, please refer to the IRS definition of Political Organization. The vast majority of donations since 2019 were under $200, meaning the funds came from tens of thousands of donors. How a donation will be used, or how much of the donation actually goes to the charitys programs. Political organizations including both the Democratic and Republican parties are nonprofits. 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. The recording says it is "Kenneth Allen from the National Police Support Fund" and they are asking for donations. 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. But as I learned, these callers are masters at evading any such disclosure. On 10/29/20 a man called to get pledges for national police support fund. IRS reports show that in 2011 alone, executive director Ken Howles drew an $87000 salary of the little money left over, only around 9-14% made its way into the hands of the troopers. The matter now heads to the Senate, where the disapproval resolution may pass if every Republican plus rebellious Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (W.Va.) support the effort. I started rifling through my mail as he gave me the same exact spiel this time saying he represented United Police support fund. I did satisfy my rather small donation at their website https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com . That means of a $35 donation, no more than $3.50 goes to their stated cause. 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. Our officers deserve our respect and support, the Super PACs website reads. With this in mind, the midterm election saw a new partnership between us, the National Police Support Fund, and the. Ive become suspicious after reading what they had to say . The source of the funding information was OpenSecrets, a database that tracks spending in U.S. politics run by the Center for Responsive Politics. A special program within the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO.Speaking With One Voice, Moving With One Purpose. @GunOwners. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. When I asked which state this drive was for, the caller could not answer and instead said it is for a national charity. Read Also: What Are The Steps To Becoming A Police Officer. The groups videos have received few views, but money has been pouring in. Phony Firefighters Scam. To raise awareness of Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty. 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. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one association, two coalitions and one support fund). The organization also has a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. Fake joke to start out. National Police Support Fund is a grassroots political organization that is committed to aligning the interests and needs of police officers with the publics issues and concerns within the national political process. I got a call from them saying it was the time of year to start up the donation drive, and the phone operator tries his best to kay in with a guilt trip to get you to "donate." Not authorized by any candidate or . A: The National Police Support Fund is a grassroots nonprofit political organization founded in 2017 under Section 527 of the IRS tax code. Also Check: How To File A Police Report For Id Theft, You May Like: How Do Police Deal With Homeless. We support police officers who risk their lives daily protecting our communities. That is equivalent to 2.7 percent of the $2.7 million the organization raised from donors that year, according to its federal tax return. Especially after a tragedy or military-related event, fundraisers and causes show up on social media and people create crowdfunding campaigns to help those affected. Whether the website is from the same sector as nationalpolicesupportfund.com or not, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission. . 2019 - The South African Department of Employment & Labour Disclaimer PAIA Tax filings also show that the union operates its own call center and that a company the union controls purchased a nearly 20,000 square foot office building valued at more than $2.5 million, where the union is now based. A union receptionist also confirmed to CNN that the super PAC is run by the union, but union leaders did not respond to repeated calls, voicemails and emails that laid out the concerns from other police departments and donors and asked why so little of the $10 million raised went toward political activities. Contact us: contact@knowyourpolice.net, SCAM: National Police Support Fund donation, How To Get Insurance Information From Police Report, Is National Police Association Legitimate, How Many Years Of College To Become A Police Officer, Do You Need A Degree To Become A Police Officer, What Are The Steps To Becoming A Police Officer, How Many Hours To Become A Police Officer, What Education Do I Need To Be A Police Officer, How Do You Know If The Police Are Investigating You. Go to their website and give there or call the number listed. What should we investigate next? Groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter have inspired people to assassinate cops on the street. proudly complies with state regulations and required disclosures. JW August is a San Diego-based broadcast and digital journalist. According to the complaint, DPSF conned people into donating more than $9.9 million. What they do: ThePolice Unity Tour raises funds and awareness for members of law enforcement who lost their lives during their service. It appears their lack of transparency regarding where the money goes was the reason for the BBB caution. The result: a rise in super PACs that use sympathetic-sounding causes primarily to line their own pockets (the FEC has called this subset scam PACs). But their website and solicitations are designed to look and sound like Make a Wish. In telemarketing calls, DPSF fundraisers told people that donations would be used for grants to disabled officers and to the families of officers slain in the line of duty. If your phone rings, it's not us. This comes at a time when some community activists have been calling for "defunding" the police. During the pandemic, a plethora of fraudulent websites came out like a plague. It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. This Florida-based union touts its federal lobbying efforts on behalf of local members. The fund is a real nonprofit organization, but it is a political group created "primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates to federal, state or local public office. Simple web searches can show that the 'charitable organization' calling either 1 . The Better Business Bureau is warning about an organization that calls itself the National Police Support Fund which, despite soliciting contributions from St. Louis-area donors, isn't . An employee who said he previously worked for two companies that raised money for Law Enforcement for a Safer America said that at his more recent job, callers were instructed not to disclose that they were calling on behalf of a super PAC. 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. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Asking for donations to the National Police Support Fund. The Better Business Bureau conducted an investigation and found . She said she was told the group was a charity benefiting police and troopers. 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. I was contacted in Wilton, CT by representatives of the National Police Support Fund. . The FTC and charity regulators and law enforcement officials in every state have teamed up on more than 100 actions against dozens of fake charities, which have collected tens of millions of . It sounded like the solicitor was calling from a boiler room, where individuals dial from a list of working phone numbers. I said I do not donate over the phone, he said I did not need to they would mail me a pledge kit. As Smarter Giving notes, what is actually supports is the bank balances of its chief executives. The man on the other end of the phone is asking for money for the protection of police officers. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. I told him that I had some questions for him before I would donate. Please reload the page and try again. Here is the BBB caution: https://www.bbb.org/stlouis/news-events/bbb-warnings/2017/national-police-support-fund/, https://www.bbb.org/stlouis/news-events/bbb-warnings/2017/national-police-support-fund/. 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. We are just passing along the information if you get a suspicious call asking for money for police officers.. The VIRGINIA POLICE FUND is an advocate on behalf of law enforcement to ensure they receive adequate funding for proper training and equipment and to inform the public about the issues facing law enforcement.. Virginia's law enforcement officers are some of the best trained officers in the world, however, with the limited resources of local communities, outside professional training is . It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one "association," two "coalitions" and one "support fund"). This organization spends the vast majority of its donations on children. Email us: watchdog@cnn.com. Across the industry, calls are computer-generated before being routed to telemarketers, something Politicause and TPFE employees said allowed their firms to maximize the number of calls and to pester people repeatedly. And it's very easy to catch the eye of someone.". Stated that donations were not tax-deductible. Law Enforcement for a Safer America officials did not return repeated requests for comment. She remembers news stories two years ago, about 67-year-old Jerry Hinkle, a Cincinnati man who raised thousands of dollars for the Shop with a Cop program, then admitted in court that he spent it on personal expenses (the case ended with a plea agreement). The I.U.P.A. Hispanic Federation (New York City) Abandoned Children's Fund. If a charity is forced to move its headquarters to a new state on account of the dodgy dealings and underhand practices its been getting up to in its old home, anyone with any sense should know to keep well away, Unfortunately, the United States Deputy Sheriffs Association is well versed enough in manipulation to convince even the most well-meaning of folk that its still a cause worthy of their support. Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. In a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, another woman, whose name was redacted, said she received multiple calls from the National Coalition for Police and Troopers, one of the super PACs various aliases. Its made up of series of regular steps timed to the beat of the music that can be improvised as needed. Also worth noting is that while his organization is based in Virginia, and gets its mail in Stafford, TX, Fotis lives in Lake Worth, FL. The Wilmington Police Department has no association with this organization and we have never even heard of them, stated a May release from the department. Simple: less scrutiny. If you require additional information, then call us 1-800-247-4872 or email us at: 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 5), donations are not tax deductible pursuant to IRC 170(c. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to: The International Union of Police Associations, 5632 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 200 Sarasota, FL .