Billions Raised, Outcomes Unclear - National Advocate Demands Accountability

Eric in front of the Capitol

Eric Donoho

Canyon of Hope in Front of US Capitol.

The Giving Block reports $2.5B a year goes to veteran nonprofits. If the impact is real, why don’t we see hundreds of thousands of veterans thriving nationwide?

WASHINGTON , DC, UNITED STATES, November 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With Giving Tuesday approaching and millions of Americans preparing to support charitable causes, retired U.S. Army Sergeant, Purple Heart recipient, and national veteran advocate Eric Donoho is exposing what he says is a long-ignored truth inside the veteran community.

“There are more than 51,000 veteran nonprofits in America and according to Charity Navigator and The Giving Block, more than 2.5 billion dollars are donated every year to veteran nonprofits, and yet the core outcomes for veterans have barely changed in 15 years,” Donoho said.

Donoho, says the problem is not just the VA. It is the Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) who demand accountability from the VA while avoiding it themselves.

“Everyone blames the VA when veterans fall through the cracks. But the VA isn’t the only player in this space,” Donoho said. “The loudest voices demanding accountability from the VA are the same organizations taking in the money, shaping the narrative, and lobbying Congress, yet they’re never held to the same standards they expect from the VA.”

THE ACCOUNTABILITY TRAP

“They publish annual reports, dollar totals, ‘lives touched’ numbers, and polished impact statements, but none of it proves a veteran’s life has actually improved, especially over the long term.” Donoho said. “It's not secrecy. It's staging. It's not measurement. It's marketing. They count attendance, not outcomes. They track activity, not results. They collect money, not proof.”

RAND has already confirmed: most veteran nonprofits report outputs, not outcomes. That means they can hold events, hand out resources, and claim “veterans served” forever without ever showing that a single life is better because of it.

“If the impact was real, there would be real veterans in real communities whose lives are clearly better because of it,” Donoho said. “After fifteen years and billions raised, the fact that they can’t point to visible, lasting change in the hundreds of thousands of veterans they say they've served; says more than any report ever will.”

WHEN FAILURE BECOMES A FUNDRAISING STRATEGY

“When I became a veteran in 2009, the VA was estimating veteran suicide numbers at ‘about 17 a day.’ In 2025, with better data, the number is still about 17 a day. Fifteen years. Billions raised. Same outcome,” Donoho said.

“Roughly 60% of the veterans who died by suicide were never in VA care,” Donoho said. “That means the majority of those dying are from the very population VSOs claim to target and reach. If you raise the money, own the narrative, and say you serve all veterans, then you own the outcome. And the outcome hasn’t changed.”

“Because there is an entire industry built on the image of the veteran as permanently broken, broke, homeless, or hopeless,” Donoho said. “It's fundraising gold. It drives emotion. It keeps checks flowing. But it doesn’t fix anything. And it’s not even true.”

Donoho went on to say, “Veteran-owned businesses generate over $1.3 trillion a year for the U.S. economy and employ more than 2 million Americans,” Donoho said. “That's not a charity case. That's a national asset. But strength doesn’t sell pity.”

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE

“If an organization can raise millions in the name of veterans, it can be expected to prove its impact on veterans,” Donoho said. “The VA doesn’t get to say, ‘trust us,’ and neither should anyone else cashing checks in this space.”

He says veteran nonprofits must be required to publish verified outcomes, not just marketing statistics:
• Veterans who are now stable, housed, employed, connected, or alive
• Documented outcomes, not attendance lists
• Real problem-solving, not “awareness” events
• Independent verification, not self-reported claims

“After decades of operation and billions donated, there should be tens of thousands of veterans who can say, ‘My life is better because of this organization,’ and we are not seeing that on the ground in communities across America.” Donoho said.

MESSAGE TO DONORS

“Before you donate to a veteran nonprofit, ask them four questions,” Donoho said.
1. How many veterans can you prove, long term, are better off because of your work?
2. What problem did you actually solve, not ‘raise awareness of’?
3. Do you have independently verified outcomes, or just stories and slogans?
4. How much of my donation actually reaches veterans?

“Good organizations will answer. Bad ones will get offended. That tells you everything you need to know,” Donoho said.

MESSAGE TO VETERANS

“This is not an attack on our community. This is a defense of it,” Donoho said. “We don’t need more awareness. We have had twenty plus years of awareness. We need impact. We don’t need more organizations. We need accountability. We don’t need more speeches. We need integrity.”

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