My Nonprofit Reviews

We don't normally write reviews, especially negative ones - but the GB Foundation keeps emailing me fundraising asks/requests for me to support them, donate to them, buy raffle tickets from them, etc. I get their emails asking for my money several times a month now, ever since asking them for help, and now they emailed to ask me to write this review, saying if we, "loved their work, to tell the world." Well, what if we don't love their work? Shouldn't the site Great Non Profits & the world know that, too?

Our experience has not been great. I contacted GB Foundation in summer 2022 for help with a critically ill GB husband - and while last told over a month ago they stand, "ready to help," unless I keep re-initiating contact, nothing has happened & it's almost November. Nothing pro-active from them - several emails & even a teary voicemail left in August asking for a call for emotional support (as we'd just gotten some bad medical news about my GB husband) went unanswered. No response. Nada. Nothing. Zilch to either the emails sent to 2 staff members in August or that teary voicemail.

So in late September after several more weeks and one more email with zero response, I went out of my way to meet them in person at an event where they had a vendor booth to promote their support to the GB community & to collect donations. Our assigned case manager wasn't there, but to her credit, a new/different person listened, apologized for the non-responsiveness, said our case would be transferred to her, and asked for the details to be shared again. So I re-emailed what I'd given to the first case manager & submitted on the website earlier in summer, hoping for more follow-through. Then nothing back from that person, but got an email from the first case manager, saying #2 had told her to respond to me, and that they're still, "standing by to help." I also contacted an executive & a high-ranking Board member - to ask why no follow-up for more than a month, and to personally ask for more direct help for my GB husband. The executive could not have seemed less interested to meet us, let alone help a fellow GB like my husband. He didn't shake his hand or even look us in the eye really - seemed un-interested or bored while we talked 1x1 with him, but promised to, "make a few calls." But now it's been over another month+, and still nothing. Once again - nada, nothing, zilch. No followup on that promise to make calls & be back in touch, this time, from an executive leadership level.

The Board member I spoke with said they're slammed, and instructed me if not getting help after hitting "submit," & talking to people now in person, to keep going back to the website & hit "submit" again. Apparently squeaky wheel gets the grease approach might work, but when you're caring for an ill person, and working full-time to keep the medical insurance to be able to pay the medical bills your family's paying for out of pocket, without any real help & with zero proactive, even emotional support being given - you seriously don't have the time or energy to keep pinging/asking/hoping/begging for help, even from a well-funded charity like this that's slick about claiming to help members of the regiment, but then seems short somehow on the actual response capability.

I guess the way this works is I have to keep initiating/re-initiating contact and asking for help, which is uncomfortable to do when the mission seems clear - help GBs and their families, because you've actually collected a TON of donations stating that's what you do. We're talking MILLIONS. So it leaves me wondering why does the follow-up to put the promises of help into action seem so hard? And why does the family have to keep initiating re-contact when we've been told our case is open, but months go by and no one responds to emails/calls, or proactively calls us to ask how we're doing?

Instead, someone else connected us to some smaller, all-volunteer charities who IMMEDIATELY responded, have offered ongoing/continuous support, who've been consistently reaching out to ask how we're doing, and what else we might need. Just those simple acts of kindness, with consistent communication & follow-up (from other charities/not GBF) have made a huge difference, even if they don't have the same resources like other, better-funded charities like GBF. The difference has been amazing, and we're grateful for these other groups who not only seem to genuinely care more, but who've put words into action in short order to actually deliver help (not just talk about it) to members of the SF/GB community. In less than 24 hours of initial contact, these other charities connected us with a few others, and within days they were arranging for the purchase of needed medical equipment that got shipped to the house for free, which was amazing. That's the only help we've taken so far - no $$, no repayment of medical bills or other legal or financial help offered like hotel bills or gas for the times he's been hospitalized hours away. Just the difference in how we've been treated is huge, because literally months later - still nothing from this bigger GBF charity that keeps asking me to give THEM money, and now they also want me to write them a positive review on your Great Non profits website?

So I had to take the time to tell the truth - the experience with GBF has been very disappointing, when I thought they'd do right & step up to help a fellow GB & family, or at least seem to genuinely care & check on us. Even if no help could be or has been given, I really thought they'd stay in touch & ask if he's alive or dead, and act like they cared for all his years of service. I guess I could probably press them & keep asking for direct help to be given - but that really puts the families in an uncomfortable position. GBs aren't exactly from the welfare/entitlement mentality where continually asking for anything is the norm. So know if you're struggling, too - there are other charities who engage & help more directly, proactively, without making the family feel like they need to ask repeatedly - and others who proactively communicate with a lot more responsiveness & sense of engagement/true caring. And, best yet - none of those smaller, all volunteer charities have hit us up to ask for us to give $$$ or donate to them. They've just helped, without the flash, without the glitzy or slick attention/advertising - they've just been great and given what was needed without making us feel uncomfortable like we were having to repeatedly beg, and 3 of them have stayed in touch WEEKLY for the past month since first contact, calling, texting, and emailing to see what more they can do without needing to be asked, and offering us more support, even if just emotional. Never got anything even remotely close to that from GBF, so if they truly want honest feedback to learn from & improve - that's why I'm risking posting this. Maybe they can apply some lessons learned & be in better position to help other GB families, as I know for sure they'll put 2 & 2 together to know who this is from, so we really won't expect any help from them going forward. It's unfortunate that's been the experience, but "far below expectations" is the lowest rating I can honestly give, as there is no option for zero stars. :-(

To donors, we can only recommend you seriously check out the financials of the charities you choose to give to. If their staff & officers take salaries, and they have $Ms in the bank - but claim to help - read with a critical eye and vet that. If others asked GBF for help & got it without the poor comms & lack of responsiveness/seeming disinterest (to our faces!), then that is great for them & maybe our experience is a one-off/bad timing or something. But if anyone else has had experiences closer to ours, and/or didn't get help from GBF yet beyond promises like us, that might be a charity to avoid giving to. Instead, find others where staff & people don't take salaries. They may not have as many millions in their bank accounts, but they sure opened the checkbook fast to provide actual help in hours vs. months, and truly seem to care/connect/and remain committed to SF families that need the emotional & pro-active offers of other ongoing support. Whether any other help is given isn't important - but maintaining your dignity while you're in the toughest situation of your life, and having people engage who truly seem to respect that, and care, and offer help with less hassle & a lot more responsiveness - as the mastercard commercial says, that is PRICELESS.