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Roger Chapin is a businessman turned fundraiser living in San Diego, who calls himself a "nonprofit entrepreneur", according to Forbes magazine. more...

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He has launched more than 20 charities, and is currently the president of Help Hospitalized Veterans, an American charity, whose stated purpose is, "Making time live for America's hospitalized veterans."

Background

Roger Chapin is a graduate of Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont and a veteran of the U.S. Army Finance Corps.

Among Chapin’s private accomplishments, he was a successful real estate developer in San Diego County, founder of “Fun Art� creative coloring sets, founder of USAopoly – creator and distributor of the very popular special editions of the board game Monopoly. Chapin is married to Elizabeth and they have four children and two grandchildren. They are long time residents of San Diego, California. Chapin founded Help Hospitalized Veterans after a successful business career to give back to those that have served the nation. Chapin has also founded Citizens for a Drug Free America and is active in other advocacy endeavors and community works.

In a recent Forbes magazine article by William P. Barrett, "Shell Game", dated September 3, 2007, Roger Chapin and his wife Elizabeth are accused of spending the money raised by their non-profit organizations to fund their own lifestyles, vehicles, and real estate investments -- rather than to benefit troops or wounded veterans at the 97% efficiency rate that the charity claims.

Later Forbes reporting in regard to the HHV organization claims that of every dollar given, only nine cents went to therapeutic arts-and-crafts kits for wounded GIs (a primary purpose of the charity), while another five cents went towards associated overhead and for counselors to visit hospitals and nursing homes. Forty-seven cents of spending was for direct-mail expenses, with the remainder going for the salaries of the charity staff, etc.

"The charities seem to do a much better job of keeping Chapin comfortable than helping amputees. And that 97% fundraising efficiency is, to put it politely, misleading."

Another article called "Charity Case", also from Forbes magazine, makes similar claims.

Excessive salary

On November 9, 2007, ABC News reported that Roger Chapin and his wife, as founders and employees of the charitable organization, Help Hospitalized Veterans, paid themselves more than half a million dollars a year in salary. The American Institute of Philanthropy claims that of the $70 million that HHV received in contributions last year, only 31% went to the charitable cause, leading to a grade of "F" from the watchdog group.

Read more at Wikipedia.org