This blog was created by Steven Nardizzi, former CEO of Wounded Warrior Project and Al Giordano, former COO.
On March 10, 2016, we were fired by the board of the WWP in the wake of media reports about wasteful spending at the charity we had led for eight years. In the same press release announcing our firings, the Board of WWP issued findings of an independent investigation disproving the allegations contained in those media reports. Nevertheless, the media's false reporting has taken hold and we are forced to defend ourselves and the wonderful organization and people who have one so much to help our wounded veterans.
About this Blog
Military Times: Overlooked in the Wounded Warrior Project scandal: families who rely on its handouts
May 7, 2016
Thanks to Leo Shane III of Military Times for spending a lot of time talking to us and to wounded warriors and their families about how much the benefit from WWP. Here are a couple of excerpts.
While most of the group's damage control has happened behind the scenes, the group's strongest public advocate has been Nardizzi, who spent eight years running Wounded Warrior Project before his abrupt dismissal.
“If a warrior is reaching out to get help, there is no better place for them to get help than Wounded Warrior Project,” he said. “My personal situation is irrelevant. ... And I’d refer donors there too. I...
April 28, 2016
Great article today by John Roberts of WWP on HuffPost Impact. Roberts lays out in detail the difficulty America is having fulfilling its promise to wounded veterans and generously compliments the Wounded Warrior Project for its work in aiding wounded vets.
In particular, Roberts notes:
And while every case has its own wrinkles, stories of wounded service members struggling with health issues and struggling to secure benefits aren’t unique. That’s why WWP has invested strategically in its Benefits Service program. Since 2008, WWP has helped injured veterans secure $190,432,805 in earned benefits. In 2015...
April 22, 2016
We must thank reporter Ken Amaro of WTLV, First Coast News in Jacksonville for the great stories he did at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. last night. Ken gave us a platform to to discuss the factual inaccuracies of the CBS and New York Times reporting that led to our departure from Wounded Warrior Project, the board's mishandling of the crisis, and our concerns for the future of the organization.
April 16, 2016
Thank you to Dianna Cahn of Stars and Stripes for giving us the opportunity to expand on the decision-making process that went into growing Wounded Warrior Project. It was a great interview and the article explains the reasons behind the decision to invest in infrastructure of the the organization to meet the enormous and complex needs of our wounded warriors.
April 9, 2016
Thanks to David Bauerlein and the Florida Times Union for interviewing us. We appreciate every opportunity to respond to the misperceptions about Wounded Warrior Project and our time there.
April 9, 2016
Underlying much of the criticism of our time at the helm of the Wounded Warrior Project is a notion that other veterans charities perform better. This is simply not accurate.
April 9, 2016
Thank you to Fortune Editor Alan Murray for allowing us to respond at length to being unfairly included in its list of "The World's 19 Most Disappointing Leaders."
April 8, 2016
On March 18, Senator Charles Grassley wrote to the board of Wounded Warrior Project asking questions based on the issues raised by CBS News and the New York Times. While he waits for the board's official response, we feel the need to offer our defense as we led the organization for the past eight years, with the board's approval, of course. Today in The Hill newspaper we published our reply.
April 7, 2016
Glad to see that Wounded Warrior Project isn't shying away from advocacy under withering fire from critics. There is more to serving our veterans and their families than direct programs as this press release from WWP makes clear.