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Move America Forward

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Move America Forward (MAF) is a nonprofit charity formed in 2005 and based in Sacramento, California, which supports front-line troops of the United States Armed Forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan by sending them care packages. However, the group has repeatedly misled donors and inflated its charitable accomplishments, while funneling millions of dollars to right-wing political consulting firms. Charity Navigator recommends against donating to the group, giving it 0 out of 4 possible stars.

History

Sal Russo, Melanie Morgan and Howard Kaloogian began working together during the campaign to recall California Governor Gray Davis. Russo, a Republican political consultant, served as chief strategist in the Recall Gray Davis Committee and Kaloogian, a former Republican assemblyman, as chairman of the committee. Morgan, Kaloogian and Russo formed Move America Forward in 2004.

In 2005, the organization took its first trip to Iraq called Voices of Soldiers tour. Soldiers were interviewed to share their stories in the success in the fight against terrorism during the trip. That August, Move America Forward sponsored a You don't speak for me, Cindy! tour to counter Cindy Sheehan's protest at President Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch and the vigils held in her support. The following year, Move America Forward sponsored Gold Star, the organization’s second trip to Iraq. The trip to Kurdistan, including Gold Star Moms, was for the parents of fallen American soldiers to see where their sons and daughters made the ultimate sacrifice. That year, the organization introduced its Care package for the troops program. The program sends care packages including coffee, cookies, beef jerky, Gatorade, and other requested items to troops year around.

Move America Forward held its first "Honoring our Heroes at the Holidays" national bus tour in 2007. The tour traveled to over 40 cities in the United States and collected over 200,000 Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday cards for American troops. That year, a third trip to Iraq was led by Debbie Lee. The Move America Forward delegation visited troops in Ramadi, at Camp Marc Lee named after her son, the first Navy SEAL to be killed in the war in Iraq. In 2008, Move America Forward sent a delegation to Guantanamo Bay to thank troops for their service. The trip was organized by Kylie Williams, the official ambassador for veterans' advocacy for the State of Florida. The second Honoring our Heroes at the Holidays national bus tour collected over 200,000 cards that year. That year, Move America Forward hosted the first Troopathon, an online fundraiser, to raise money to send care packages to troops.

K9 Care Packages, a program to support military working dogs and their handlers, was launched by the organization in October 2011. In December 2012, 25 care packages worth approximately $5000 were stolen from Move America Forward. The packages were intended to be shipped to soldiers in Afghanistan. Move America Forward was named "Top-rated Nonprofit" by Great Nonprofits in 2014. That March, the Rogers Family Company donated coffee and tea to Move America Forward for troops. Stag Arms partnered with the organization for the 2014 Troopathon in July.

Policies and Programs

In addition to care packages, they also hold an annual online fundraiser called “Troopathon”, which is and eight-hour event to help send packages to United States troops broadcast live on the web. Past guests have included Gary Sinise, Jon Voight, Tammy Bruce, Rush Limbaugh, Dennis Miller, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Ted Nugent, Duke Universities’ “Coach K” Mike Krzyzewski, Pat Sajak, Buzz Aldrin, Mike Huckabee, Gene Simmons, and John Ratzenberger.

The policies they promote include the removal of the United Nations headquarters from the United States, keeping the Guantanamo Bay detention camp open, the closing of the U.S.-Mexico border and the deportation of illegal aliens back to their countries of origin. MAF is known for vocally opposing politicians and political action groups and even media that it deems to be too liberal. At the same time, they advocate for conservative candidates and appointees.

Prominent Move America Forward campaigns have included the closing of the US-Mexico border (the MAF's "Secure Our Borders" campaign) and the ending of amnesty programs to illegal immigrants (through nomoreamnesty.com), support of John R. Bolton—an outspoken critic of the United Nations—to serve as the US representative to the United Nations, and restricting the distribution of the Michael Moore film Fahrenheit 911. In August 2005, Move America Forward sponsored a You don't speak for me, Cindy! tour to counter Cindy Sheehan's protest at President Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch (and the vigils in support of Sheehan that were held around the country). The organization also protested William Ayers when he made a speech at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California and has protested against the Lafayette hillside memorial.

In a partnership with the Jelly Belly Company, MAF introduced a program where soldiers would receive specially wrapped 2 oz. bags of jelly bellies to use as gift to the native people they were in contact on a daily basis with. Each specially marked package displays these words in English, Arabic, and Pashto: “A gift from the America People in hope that your country will one day enjoy the freedom and opportunities that we have in the United States"

Controversy

Ratings

Move America Forward received a 0 out of 4 star rating from Charity Navigator and recommends against donating to the organization. Guidestar rated the organization 4 out of 5 stars.

In 2014, ProPublica, a left-wing media outlet, released a report accusing Move America Forward of giving a percentage of its donations went to for-profit companies run by people affiliated with Tea Party Express. Move America Forward responded to each allegation in the piece.

See also

References

  1. "Mission". Move America Forward. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  2. "Care Packages for the Troops". Move America Forward. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  3. ^ Barker, Kim (August 5, 2014). "Pro-Troop Charity Misleads Donors While Lining Political Consultants' Pockets". ProPublica.
  4. Weigel, David (August 5, 2014). "The Pro-Troop Charity That Happens to Pay Millions of Dollars to "Tea Party" Consultants". Slate (blog).
  5. ^ "Calif. Gov. Davis Faces Recall Effort". 17 June 2003. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  6. "Working Together To Help Move America Forward". 27 July 2005. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  7. John Stauber (20 July 2007). "Pro-War PR Front, Move America Forward, Caravanning to DC". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  8. ^ "The Final Chapter of My Trip To Iraq". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  9. Mark Walker (30 June 2005). "Kaloogian headed to Iraq". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  10. Jim Robinson (18 August 2005). "Supporters of U.S. Involvement in Iraq Plan Caravans to Texas". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  11. ^ Nora K. Wallace (23 January 2006). "Lompoc mom hopes to honor son's memory in trip to Iraq". Santa Barbara (Cal.) News-Press. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  12. ^ Ed Morrissey (5 August 2014). "Move America Forward responds to Pro Publica report". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  13. John Heiner (12 August 2009). "Move America Forward". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  14. "Depot Park Hosts the 5th Annual Troop-A-Thon". 30 July 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  15. "Want to support our troops?". 28 March 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  16. ^ Christie Garton (27 May 2011). "Honoring our heroes this Memorial Day". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  17. "Troopathon 7 2014" (PDF). Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  18. ^ "Pro-Troop Group Brings Holiday Cheer to Gitmo Troops". 19 December 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  19. "MAF Honoring Heroes". 17 December 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  20. Jonathan Salazar (10 June 2014). "MOVE AMERICA FORWARD AND BREITBART NEWS TO TEAM UP FOR 7TH ANNUAL TROOPATHON".
  21. "Local Hero – Supporting the Troops' Best Friends". 1 December 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  22. ^ Joshua Gardner (19 December 2012). "Grinch Steals Christmas Care Packages Meant for Troops in Afghanistan". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  23. "Care packages for deployed troops stolen from California warehouse". 19 December 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  24. "Town replaces US soldier's $5,000 of Christmas gifts after they were stolen two days before his return from third tour of duty in Afghanistan". 23 December 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  25. "Move America Forward". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  26. "Rogers Family Company donates gourmet coffee and tea to troops in partnership with Move America Forward". 31 May 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  27. "Stag Arms Helps Raise Funds For Overseas Troops During Troopathon 7". 31 July 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  28. "Mission". troopathon.org. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  29. Save Gitmo Move America Forward.
  30. "Merry Christmas, and pass the ammunition". shanghaijill.wordpress.com. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  31. "Jelly beans fill an urgent need!". timesleaderonline.com. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  32. ^ Kim Barker (5 August 2014). "Pro-Troop Charity Misleads Donors While Lining Political Consultants' Pockets". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  33. "Move America Forward". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  34. David Weigel. "The Pro-Troop Charity That Happens to Give Millions of Dollars to "Tea Party" Consultants". Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  35. Leon Wolf (11 August 2014). "Move America Forward Responds to ProPublica Allegations". Retrieved 1 November 2014.

External links

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