Category: Tee It Up for the Troops

Let’s start with the most pressing question people ask when donating to a non-profit charity organization. How much of my hard-earned money is going directly to the cause?

At Tee It Up for the Troops, 94 cents out of every dollar contributed goes directly to support our military veterans and their families. Ninety-four cents out of every dollar goes directly to the programs and services that our veterans truly need and appreciate—programs and services that help provide a life with a little less hardship.

Out of every dollar you donate, just SIX CENTS—one nickel and a penny—goes towards overhead and administrative costs!

According to bizfluent.com, the average non-profit typically spends between 15-40% of revenue towards administrative costs. We can proudly say that Tee It Up for the Troops administrative costs are remarkably low and we are very efficient with donations received!

We are a military fundraising organization here to help our military veterans with the support and services they so desperately need, and we maximize the value of our resources. Our golf fundraisers throughout the country boast dedicated event leaders, committees, and volunteers who put on fabulous events and work hard and efficiently to support veterans. Tee It Up for the Troops also works with generous charity sponsor partners creating deeper collaboration and financial support to positively impact veterans and their families. We do our absolute best to honor and steward the money going to our veterans and their families to make a greater impact across the nation. 

How Does the Public Evaluate Non-Profit Expenditures?

There are no set rules or guidelines that determine how much money a non-profit can spend on management, general administration, and fundraising. However, the government requires all non-profits to disclose their administrative cost on Form 990, along with their income tax return each year. These forms are public information.

Charitable watchdog groups then provide information, reviews and ratings for nonprofit organizations. A weak review or low rating from one of these watchdog groups will rightfully discourage potential donors.

You do not need to hesitate when making your charitable donation to Tee It Up for the Troops. We are extremely proud of what we can do with a nickel and a penny!

Watchdog Ratings for Tee It Up for the Troops

Tee It Up for the Troops has recently received high marks from several of these impartial watchdog groups.

Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator rates organizations on financial health, accountability, and transparency. Charity Navigator helps highlight what percentage of a monetary donation is going directly to the support of the nonprofit’s mission. Charity Navigator has given Tee It Up for the Troops an Encompass Rating of 100 out of 100! A score of 75 or above indicates that a nonprofit is effective and transparent based on Charity Navigator’s criteria. This means you can give with confidence!

GuideStar

GuideStar provides information on spending and income by providing access to Form 990, which is the basic Internal Revenue Service filing document. We are proud to have received GuideStar’s Gold Rating! Again, you can give with confidence knowing that your donation contributes substantially to our mission to support veterans and their families.

GreatNonprofits

GreatNonprofits is the leading platform for community-sourced stories about nonprofits. These are the stories submitted by people who have first-hand knowledge and experience with the non-profit: veterans, military family members, sponsors, donors, volunteers and supporters. We were named a “2020 Top-Rated Nonprofit” and received a five-star rating. There are over 57 current stories regarding Tee It Up for the Troops on their website. We invite you to read through a few of these uplifting stories. You can give with confidence.

From Tee It Up for the Troops President and Executive Director, Tim Wegscheid

“Our role is two-fold. One, we are providing critically needed services to veterans and their families to help them achieve a quality of life that they have earned and deserve. That is priority number one. To make that happen, we have to do our absolute best to be fiscally responsible with every dollar entrusted to our organization. Six cents on the dollar takes focus and effort, but without a doubt, our military veterans and their families are worth every bit of effort that we can provide.”   – Tim Wegscheid President and Executive Director, Tee It Up for the Troops.

Contribute to Our Mission Today

We are very proud of the efficiencies at Tee It Up for the Troops and hope that gives you confidence. Your hard-earned money is making a difference and going to programs that make an impact on veterans and their families.  Contribute today online, or take some time to find a local Tee It Up for the Troops event near you to contribute through. We promise to do our absolute best to be good stewards of your support!

Have you heard the numbing statistic that 22 veterans succumb to suicide every day in the United States? This staggering statistic does not even include the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, which has hit our veterans tremendously hard, intensifying their personal battles with the invisible wounds of war.

At Tee It Up for the Troops, we are making a difference and we are asking for your help. Through the nearly 550 golf charity events help since 2005, Tee It Up for the Troops has granted over $11 million to provide critically needed services to veterans and their families. This year, due to the coronavirus outbreak, we have had to cancel many charity events and are faced with losing critical fundraising dollars we would normally use to support our American heroes.

Unfortunately, the needs of our combat veterans have not been canceled. These men and women volunteered and fought for our freedom and they are not getting the services they need. We believe we can and should do better by them and are asking for your help to be able to do so.

As the end of the year approaches, we hope we can count on you to support Tee It Up for the Troops and military families. Especially during these difficult times, we hope you will donate now and help us fight for those who fought for us!

Donate before January 1 and Qualify for the CARES Act Charitable Contribution Deduction

If you are looking to support a cause that is near and dear to our military and veterans, you can support Tee It Up for the Troops and take advantage of this qualifying charitable contribution. This special pandemic tax deduction is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2020. Donate online today at https://teeitupforthetroops.org/donate

Thank you for your consideration and support!

Our nation is replete with military Christmas stories that changed the course of history and made a positive impact on countless individual lives.

For many of us, our thoughts of our military during Christmas often turn to December 1944, that terribly cold Christmas during the Battle of the Bulge. Our American troops were out-numbered, out-gunned, out-supplied, and being asked to hold a seventy-five-mile line in brutal freezing conditions. So dire was the outlook that the commanding German officer asked for a complete and immediate surrender. And we know the one-word reply returned by General Anthony McAuliffe: “Nuts!”

The written journals and interviews of American troops paint a profound picture of the reality of war during the siege of Bastogne, December 1944. With the line spread thin, and men being separated or momentarily lost during the fighting of Christmas Eve, these Christmas stories from the siege of Bastogne still speak to us today.

Corporal Frank D. Vari’s Christmas

“I spent Christmas Eve pressed against the walls of my foxhole as shells exploded around me all night long. We could hear their guns going off and the shells landing at the same time. They were close. They almost surrounded the whole place. I remember Christmas Day. I got up, and we had a real bad night, with artillery and everything. The first thing I saw was the steeple of a church down in the valley. It was a beautiful day, the sun was just coming up over a little village at the bottom.” – Cpl. Frank D. Vari

Christmas Carols with a Belgian Family

“We were out in the outskirts of Bastogne; we found this farmhouse. Inside was a man, and a little boy, and a little girl, and his wife. She gave us some soup and some black bread. We stayed there all night in this farmhouse. The war was going on fiercely outside, and for some reason the farmhouse never got hit. We were there Christmas Eve, we sang Christmas songs that night with this Belgian family. We sang Jingle Bells and Silent Night. The words were different, but the music was the same…”

–Keith Davis in an interview with the BBC Witness Podcast

A Christmas Meal with the Germans

A Belgian man narrated this story he experienced as a boy on Christmas Eve during the Battle of the Bulge. He and his mother were alone in their farmhouse in the war’s midst, surviving the unrelenting cold, and the reality of the unknown.

“It was Christmas Eve, and a very cold night. Many soldiers on both sides became lost from their units and were looking for a place to stay. Three American soldiers saw the smoke from the chimney. They knocked on the door and then came in. My mother had a small chicken cooking.

One soldier was wounded, and she tried to make him comfortable. There was a language barrier for a time, till one soldier found out she spoke French and German.  For a while it was quiet, and then suddenly a knock and push at the door. The Americans went for their guns. My mother quickly called out in German, ‘Welcome on Christmas Eve, I have guests!’.  Four soldiers quickly came in.

Four German soldiers, and three American soldiers in our small house, amid war and fighting. My French and German speaking mother says, ‘no killing on Christmas Eve,’ and tells them to lay down their weapons! They were all in the room together. Soldiers who a little while ago were bent on killing each other laid their weapons down. We all shared what food we had; we sang Silent Night in our native tongues. Later these enemies all went to sleep under the same roof. 

In the morning, the German soldiers built a stretcher for the wounded American and even gave them directions on how to back to their lines.

I often think of the gift these men gave to my family that night, the gift they gave to each other.”

Tee It Up for the Troops this Christmas

The Christmas stories of these military heroes demonstrate why Tee It Up for the Troops works hard to support America’s veterans. A veteran should never have to spend a Christmas cold again. As we read these Christmas stories from long ago, we are hopefully prompted and inspired to ask ourselves this Christmas season: What can we give to each other? What can we give to our military veterans and their families?

Our vision is to help active-duty service members, veterans, and their families from all branches and all conflicts to heal, transition, grow and thrive.

There are many ways for you and your business to contribute to our mission of serving soldiers and their families. We encourage you to read the current-day stories of hope and resilience on our website. We invite you to see how we are investing your donations. We hope you find a way to support a veteran and their family today. You can donate immediately here: https://teeitupforthetroops.org/donate/

From all of us at Tee It Up for the Troops,

Merry Christmas

The first thought that comes to many people’s minds when Thanksgiving arrives is the Thanksgiving meal. There is of course the star of the show: the turkey. There are also all our favorite side dishes: stuffing and sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, and a whole lineup of pies!

When we sit at such a bountiful feast with our family and friends, there is a lot to see and to be thankful for—and a lot worth giving back for.

Giving Tuesday

Thanksgiving for many also signals the start of the holiday giving season, beginning with Giving Tuesday, which is the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. Giving Tuesday is a movement that provides the opportunity for people to contribute to charities that support local communities. Tee It Up for the Troops has been honored to receive Giving Tuesday gifts, and we ask for you to consider supporting our veterans-focused charity during this unprecedented holiday giving season.

Why Our Veterans Need and Deserve Help this Holiday Season

Our American military veterans are heroes. Every single veteran is an American hero. Ordinary men and women who answer the call, put on the uniform, and perform their duties with pride, honor, and dignity. Many of these duties are often unseen, unknown, and unappreciated. Like many of the things in life that keep us free to pursue life, liberty and happiness, our military men and women are often overlooked and taken for granted. We just assume that our military will always be there, fighting our battles and keeping us from harm’s way, and we thank God they are. 

However, sadly our nation’s reality is that many of the hardest battles our veterans will face are after they return from their military theater. There are wounds that we do not see like PTSD, brain injuries, and fractured families. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for us, so we ask you to take a moment this Thanksgiving to tell a veteran, “We see you!”

We also ask that you say thank you to our veterans by making an end-of-the-year charitable contribution to Tee It Up for the Troops. Tee It Up for the Troops uses these funds to sustain our unique REUNION program, which reunites combat veterans for four days of golf, relaxation, and healing. In addition, Tee It Up for the Troops helps organize fundraising events around the country for veterans. We encourage you and your family to create a new Thanksgiving tradition by saying thank you to our Military heroes and giving back on Giving Tuesday.

You can donate immediately here: https://teeitupforthetroops.org/donate/

How the CARES Act Helps Charitable Giving

To promote and reward charitable giving and to help our country’s not-for-profit agencies, the United States Congress passed the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act this year. The CARES Act has recognized the desires of individuals, foundations, and businesses to support not-for-profit organizations such as Tee It Up for the Troops. Incentive-based tax benefits can be gained if you make donations by the end of 2020. This is important because as of now, the United States Congress is not planning on continuing the CARES ACT into 2021.

The details of the CARES ACT can be found in an earlier article we posted.

We thank you for your support and contributions. When you give, you make a positive difference. It is as simple as that: giving helps.

We also take this moment to give a heartfelt thank you to all our military veterans, current service members, and their families. We acknowledge your service, commitment, and sacrifices.

We wish you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, since 2009, Americans have increased their online spending by 100 billion dollars.

According to a 2018 NPR/Marist poll, 69% of Americans shopped online during the year, and 43% regularly shop online.

That is a lot of money spent on shopping, and with the advent of Covid-19, the percentage of people regularly shopping online has dramatically increased.

What does online shopping and AmazonSmile have to do with Tee It Up for The Troops?  Four words: Fast, Easy, Life-Changing Donations.

Shop AmazonSmile to Raise Money for Tee It Up for the Troops at No Cost to You!

Amazon through its AmazonSmile initiative is donating 0.5% of all eligible purchases to the charity of your choice when you shop. That means it’s possible to send real donations to Tee It Up for the Troops at absolutely NO cost to you—just shopping at smile.amazon.com does the trick!

Designate Tee It Up for the Troops as your charity, and Amazon will send donations to benefit the organization every time you shop—every little bit counts!

Giving to Tee It Up for the Troops has never been easier. Let’s get started!

There are a couple of different ways you can sign up for the AmazonSmile program.

Join AmazonSmile at smile.amazon.com. You can sign up to the AmazonSmile program at smile.amazon.com on your computer, tablet, or phone. There you’ll select the Get Started button and sign into your Amazon account. After you sign in, there will be a list of charities to choose from. Search for Tee It Up for the Troops in the search bar and select us! Once you’ve selected Tee It Up for the Troops, then you’re set up!

Here’s the all-important final step: make sure you shop at smile.amazon.com rather than plain amazon.com. Using the “smile.amazon.com” address will ensure that Amazon contributes part of the purchase price to Tee It Up for the Troops!

Get the app. Download or update to the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app on your phone. You can find the app in the App Store for your iPhone or Google Play for Android. Log in to your Amazon account on the app. Once you’re logged in, navigate to the Settings menu ( where you can also see buttons for Account and Your Orders). Below Settings, you’ll find an AmazonSmile button. Click the AmazonSmile button, and then proceed through the instructions provided, and you’ll be set!

You can begin to make a difference in our veterans’ lives with a smile and a click, here and now, today.

Please give to Tee It Up for the Troops through AmazonSmile. You can start today!

Because the needs of our American heroes continue to far exceed our nation’s ability to meet them, Tee It Up for the Troops benefits from generous business sponsors that help veterans and their families gain access to the critical services and support they need and deserve.

We have many national business sponsors that know the power of giving back to our military veterans and are truly dedicated to helping those in need:

National Sponsors

We also have Product/Service Sponsors, Event Sponsors, and many local sponsors not listed here that are critical partners and support American veterans.

Eight Great Benefits for Your Company When Partnering with Tee It Up for The Troops 

1. Be a stellar business example and honor, remember, respect and support the many brave individuals that have kept and continue to keep us all safe. Americans love, respect, and honor our troops and they love businesses that give back to our military veterans and their families.
2. Good and Free Publicity, Brand Awareness, and Reach a Whole New Audience. These are givens, however, when you encourage and make room for your employees to participate, they will be the ones continuing to talk about the event. It is an old school approach, but word of mouth is certainly effective and often carries with it the passion and purpose behind our events. When your employees are talking up your company of their own volition that is good business.
3. Corporate Tax Breaks.  Included in the new stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress is the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, which has recognized the desire of individuals, foundations, and business to support not-for-profit organizations such as Tee It Up for The Troops with incentive-laden tax benefits. Learn how with our detailed outline of the tax benefits for your corporate sponsorship.
4. Spending Power of Millennials.  Did you know that 70% of millennials report that they prefer to spend their money with brands that support worthwhile causes like Tee It Up for the Troops? In fact, Millennials possess 2.45 trillion dollars in spending power and that is a figure that is hard to ignore.
5. Great New Hires for Your Company.  A 2007 study by Deloitte found that 62% of new hires between the ages of 18-26 would prefer to work for a company that offers volunteer opportunities. Partnering with Tee It Up for the Troops offers many worthwhile volunteer opportunities at our events across the nation.
6. Boost Employee Morale.  Study after study shows that volunteering is good for you. It creates empathy, self-esteem, and confidence. And when companies carve out time for employees to volunteer or help at one of our military charity events during work hours, the employees feel as if they too are making a much needed and appreciated contribution. It is also a great team-building exercise.
7. Unlock New Networking Opportunities.  Our charity golf tournaments golf events fuel so much of what we do. Providing recreation, sport, and an arena to network away from the traditional business setting.
8. The Bottom Line. Your corporate sponsorship and participation help the men and women who have served, or who are currently serving in America’s Armed Forces.

We are grateful for all of our sponsors who have made the commitment to support those who have fought to protect our freedoms. Want to join our esteemed list of business sponsors? Partner with us today to help our nation’s heroes!

Now is a great time to donate to help our military veterans, who are heroes and have already given so much to us. Giving back to our troops is so much more than simply money. Your donation to Tee It Up for the Troops provides hope, restoration, and new beginnings for our American heroes to enjoy a life with good health, ample opportunity, and continued freedom—the same freedoms and opportunities that they so willingly sacrificed for each of us to have.

The CARES Act

Included in the new stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress is the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) Act, which has recognized the desire of individuals, foundations, and businesses to support not-for-profit organizations such as Tee It Up for the Troops with incentive-laden tax benefits. That’s good news for you and your business, and it’s good news for us too because we want and need your help.

How the CARES Act Helps You Donate to Veterans

A portion of the new bill provides individuals who and corporations that itemize their charitable giving to deduct greater amounts of their contributions. Individuals can elect to deduct donations up to 100% of their 2020 adjusted gross income (AGI), which is up from the previous limit of 60%.

The new CARES Act also allows corporations to deduct up to 25% of taxable income, up from the previous limit of 10%. You may not be aware, but many employers and foundations are offering to match donations. We encourage you to check with your employer to see if your donation qualifies for a matching gift. 

Also, anyone who donates up to $300 for an individual, or $600 for a married couple, can get an easy tax break under the CARES Act. This charitable giving deduction is available for those who take the standard deduction, meaning you do not need to itemize your deductions to enjoy the tax break. This is a wonderful provision written into the CARES Act, and it makes it even easier for you to donate to veterans today.

Know that your charitable giving is so much more than a tax deduction; it is life-giving change to veterans who have already given and sacrificed for you.

You can be the difference in a veteran’s life. Donate to veterans today through Tee It Up for the Troops.

Military families are some of the bravest and most enduring families in our country. While we often only think of the deployed person as the one who sacrifices or struggles, the family left behind also faces many difficulties. Some struggles for family members are due to separation, constant moving, added responsibilities put on them while their loved one is away or adjusting to the mental or physical health of a returning servicemember.

COVID-19  Supportive Resources for Military Parents and Children

We know this is an especially difficult time for our military families, veterans and children during our current COVID-19 crisis. Here are some resources for parents and military children that may be helpful from the  Military Child Education Coalition. From different activities you can do with your children, to resources to help discuss what is happening and hopefully ease some of the challenges you’re facing.

The Challenges That Military Children Face

Family separation can be a very difficult lifestyle for children and spouses/partners of military families, particularly when the separation time is commonly 9-12 months. Spouses/partners, even when not deployed, may be separated for a month or more while completing required training or in the case of injured veterans, when receiving care or rehabilitation.

Family separation also takes a significant emotional toll on children. Military children may worry about the safety or health of their deployed parent or their returning from service parent. Missing their family member can cause children to become anxious, sad, or even clinically depressed, or to begin lashing out in unexpected ways. With very young children, deployment of their parent could even set back developmental milestones like potty training, talking in sentences, or sleeping through the night.

Military life entails moving a lot due to different duty assignments. Relocation can add considerable stress to a family unit due to the necessary transition to another house and community. The family now has to adapt to new schools, jobs, and even friendships. Schools can be a very tough challenge for military children due to the different teaching styles and state school curriculums. Military children may enter a class where they are expected to know a material that they have not been taught. Friendships can also be very difficult for military children who are forced to move frequently because it is challenging to pursue new friendships and “put yourself out there” again and again, especially if another move is likely in the near future.

Finally, there is the added household responsibilities military children may take on when a parent is deployed, which can force a shift in the family dynamic, causing children’s roles and responsibilities to shift as well. This increase in responsibilities for school-aged children, while not innately bad, can result in added stress for military children. Such additional pressure can cause children to feel anxious and even resentful because of the strain they are put under.

The mental health of a returning servicemember also affects children. Combat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be transmitted to children from their parents in cases where a parent suffers from combat PTSD. Secondary PTSD can drastically impact a child’s behaviors. Symptoms of combat PTSD in children can range from hyperactivity to extreme withdrawal.

Anxiety is certainly one of the most common symptoms and can be brought about through many of the symptoms experienced by the parent. For example, if a parent re-experiences the trauma, particularly to the point where it feels like it truly is happening again, this is accompanied by fear and anxiety that the child also feels. Children don’t understand what is happening and they may fear the parent cannot take care of them. Being on edge, angry, or aggressive much of the time can make a child fearful and wonder whether the parent loves him or her.

Tee It Up for the Troops Gets Involved – Join In!

At Tee It Up for the Troops, we strive to give back and help even the youngest members of our military families. Our proceeds go to organizations like Beyond the Yellow Ribbon that create meetings and service support opportunities for military members and families. The proceeds also fund recreational and social events for military families and spouses/partners. Plus, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon provides services to military members and families like daycare, counseling, and household repairs.

Visit our website to learn how you can get involved with a Tee It Up for the Troops event in your area.