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Smart, safe giving

Some small charities that support troops and their families are having a bit of heartburn over new vetting rules handed down by Defense Department officials.

Now, any charity seeking to be listed on the Pentagon’s “America Supports You” Web site must be rated by at least two independent charity watchdog groups, such as Charity Navigator or the Wise Giving Alliance.

Such ratings give potential donors a breakdown of how much money a charity spends on administrative expenses, overhead and fundraising, and how much actually goes to help those in need.

Until now, the more than 350 charities nestled under the America Supports You umbrella have received no scrutiny at all. That has made it impossible for donors to know for sure how their money is being used.

While most of these groups —many of them shoestring operations with minimal staffs — are completely above board, some are not. And they should not be allowed to gain a veneer of respectability from an apparent Pentagon endorsement.

Only last year, a congressional inquiry found that two groups run by the same people, Help Hospitalized Veterans and the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, were spending three-quarters of their donations on fundraising and lavish administration salaries and perks, and only one-quarter to help veterans.

Both groups were booted from America Supports You.

If the Pentagon is going to promote charities that profess to support the troops, it has an obligation to ensure that those groups deserve its support. These new rules are a significant step in the right direction.