transparency and strengthen public trust in the charitable sector. According to the charity watchdog group, the American Institute of Philanthropy, the Disabled Veterans National Foundation is, "contractually obligated to allow another fundraising company it hired, Brickmill Marketing Services to keep 100% of what it raises from donors until the charity's debts to this company [Brickmill Marketing Services] are paid off." The institute found that the Disabled Veterans National Foundation has obscene fundraising costs, needing up to 98 cents to raise every dollar. Settlement with New York Attorney General New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman signed a settlement with DVNF and its professional fundraising consultants on June 30, 2014. The settlement included fines that the state attorney general called the "largest amount of financial relief ever obtained for deceptive charitable fundraising," and was widely covered in the news media. One consulting firm, Quadriga Art LLC, paid $9.7 million in damages, and another, Convergence Direct Marketing, paid $300,000. Quadriga also agreed to pay restitution to DVNF in the form of nearly $13.8 million in debt forgiveness. For its part, DVNF agreed to replace most of its fundraising consultants, to recruit new board members, and to prevent misrepresentations in future fundraising solicitations. Board members In April 2010, Precilla Wilkewitz, a Vietnam War veteran who served from 1966 to 1969, was named president of the veterans group. She replaced DVNF co-founder Delilah Washburn who died in April 2010. Wilkewitz is also the State Quarter Master Adjutant for the Louisiana Veterans of Foreign Wars. In 2005, Wilkewitz was reappointed by Louisiana Governor Kathleen B. Blanco to serve on the Louisiana Veterans Affairs Commission for a six-year term, ending in 2011. Under the direction of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, she helped them orchestrate the first Annual Women Veterans Forum to educate women veterans about VA entitlements. In December 2012, DVNF announced the addition of Steve Weyher and Mike McNaughton to its board of directors. Steve Weyher is a Vietnam veteran of the U.S. Army who served until 1971. Mike McNaughton, also a veteran of the U.S. Army, and served in the military until 2004. References External links Dvnf.org - official website Organizations established in 2007 American veterans' organizations Non-profit organizations based in Maryland 501(c)(3) organizations