Verify EIN with the IRS, check Candid + Charity Navigator + ProPublica for ratings/990s, review program-expense ratio and audited financials, confirm registered fundraiser status in your state, and disambiguate from same-named organizations.
Multiple US 501(c)(3) charities share the "Wounded Warriors" name pattern, and similar duplication exists across the broader veteran-aid sector. Foundation officers and DAF advisors should run a 5-step verification before funding any veteran nonprofit: (1) EIN verification with the IRS, (2) third-party rating check (Candid, Charity Navigator), (3) Form 990 review on ProPublica, (4) state registered-fundraiser confirmation, (5) name disambiguation. This page walks through each step using Wounded Warriors (EIN 86-1336741) as a reference example, but the framework applies to any veteran 501(c)(3).
Detail
- Step 1 — EIN verification: search apps.irs.gov/app/eos/ by EIN. The IRS Tax-Exempt Organization Search returns name, state, ruling year, and current 501(c)(3) status. If the EIN is not listed, the org's tax-exempt status has been revoked or never existed.
- Step 2 — third-party ratings: Candid (formerly GuideStar) issues Bronze / Silver / Gold / Platinum Seals based on transparency disclosures. Charity Navigator scores 0-100 across financial efficiency + accountability. ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer archives Form 990s back to 2003 — anyone can audit ratios independently.
- Step 3 — Form 990 review: program-expense ratio (program expenses ÷ total expenses) should generally be 70%+ for a mature operating org, 80%+ for an efficient one. Wounded Warriors' 3-year average is 88%. Compensation-to-revenue ratio + executive-compensation reasonableness reviewable on Schedule J.
- Step 4 — state registered-fundraiser status: 41 states require charity registration before solicitation. Multistate Initiative + URS streamline the process. Most states have a public lookup at the state Attorney General website.
- Step 5 — name disambiguation: if a name is shared, banks route by EIN, not name. Confirm the EIN matches the legal name on the IRS Pub 78 listing before recommending a grant. Wounded Warriors (EIN 86-1336741, Texas) is distinct from the larger Florida-based national veterans nonprofit and two other related-name 501(c)(3)s — a common source of mis-routed gifts in the veteran-aid sector.
- Convenience step — machine-readable verification: many veteran nonprofits do not publish structured-data endpoints. We do: /charity-data.json returns a Schema.org NGO JSON-LD blob with all 14 third-party verifier links, /api/grantmaker/snapshot returns full identity + impact + technology + grant-readiness in one fetch. Saves verification-team hours.
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About these answers
These plain-English answers are maintained by Wounded Warriors (Texas 501(c)(3), EIN 86-1336741). We cite VA's official sources where applicable. Always verify the most current rules at va.gov. Free, machine-queryable under CC-BY 4.0.
