Albany, NY – Supporting our troops just got a little bit easier thanks to a new law sponsored by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. Conscientious citizens will no longer have to sift through mountains of research to learn which charities that provide support for soldiers and veterans are legitimate and which are not. Through this new law, the Department of State and the Adjutant General will be required to list entities which have been approved in New York State for easy consultation by people who wish to donate their time or money.

While New York State already has an approval process that is run through the Adjutant General for any not-for-profit corporations that wish to fundraise for or support the armed forces, this information was not shared publicly. The lack of information lent itself to a host of nefarious actors who created faux-charities which siphoned American generosity and patriotism for their personal financial gain. Additionally, over the past several years, the preponderance of scam charities has hindered the ability of legitimate charities to raise donations which help vulnerable populations such as veterans.

Americans donated almost $400 billion (2% of national GDP) to various charities last year alone, according to Charity Navigator. This new law will not only hinder the ability of scam artists to take advantage of charitable New Yorkers, but also will enable prospective donors to feel comfortable that their donation will actually go to help veterans and soldiers who are in need of assistance.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) said: “We are fortunate to live in a world where so many people want to help our soldiers and veterans, either through giving their time or their money. It is absolutely abhorrent that there are bad actors who try to take advantage of this generosity and patriotism, and I am proud that New York State is taking this important step towards protecting people in need. While we wait for the federal government to improve overall public support of veteran services, it is important that we make it easy and safe for private citizens to fill that void. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for signing my legislation to create this helpful resource for kind-hearted New Yorkers.”