May 25, 2011; Source: The Florida Times-Union | The Wounded Warrior Project, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., is dedicated to helping seriously injured service people and it has many supporters including, it appears, Florida Senate President, Mike Haridopolos who took it upon himself to put the organization forward for a $3.2 million grant out of what is in this article called his ”bill pot” – money left unallocated after the finals pending proposal was crafted.
He did not, apparently, consult WWP about the gift/contract. But, looking this gift horse square in the mouth, the nonprofit decided to turn it down, albeit with a lot of grateful language. In a press release WWP Executive Director Steve Nardizzi said, "Wounded Warrior Project has long had a policy, set by our Board of Directors, to neither seek or accept government funding of any kind as we are first and foremost a conduit for the general public to support our nation's wounded veterans.
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"While we are humbled and grateful that the Florida Legislature thought enough of our commitment to honoring and empowering wounded warriors, this appropriation would compromise the independence from government funding that has long been a tenet of our guiding principles."—Ruth McCambridge