WASHINGTON -- A federally chartered organization that helps veterans start and maintain their own businesses has had little success raising money from the private sector, falling short of one of its key goals.

The Veterans Corp. spent $230,000 on fundraising activities last year. But it raised $150,000, U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, said yesterday during a hearing of the House panel that oversees the U.S. Small Business Administration.

"That's obviously not a good return," said Mr. Altmire, the committee chairman. "In my opinion, this should be an easy sell. Everyone wants to help the veterans."

The issue is an important one for lawmakers, who want to ease the transition to civilian life for a rapidly growing number of soldiers returning from overseas. More than 1.4 million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.

Mr. Altmire's district, which covers parts of the northern Pittsburgh suburbs and Beaver County, already has one of the highest concentrations of veterans in the country.

Congress created the Veterans Corp. in 1999 to give former soldiers access to educational programs and investment opportunities. Its board members are appointed by the president, and it has the power to raise private money.

But most corporations and philanthropic groups have been reluctant to donate, viewing aid for veterans as the responsibility of the federal government, said Walter Blackwell, the corporation's president.

He's approached dozens of executives about financial help.

"Although all of them embraced the idea of what we were doing, none of them opened their checkbooks," he said. "Private sector funders believe this is not a private sector issue. This is a government issue."

The corporation also saw a 25 percent cut in its funding in 2006. It faces a congressional reauthorization vote this year, and its proposed budget for 2008 is $3.7 million.

Despite its limited resources, the Veterans Corp. has had successes, reaching more than 14,000 veterans with "face-to-face" services last year. Its Web site, veteranscorp.org, had more than one million hits.

In his prepared testimony, Mr. Blackwell cited the story of James Clair, a former Marine from Cranberry who now serves in the National Guard. Mr. Clair expects to deploy overseas in the near future, and the corporation is helping him prepare his business, the Ultimate Defensive Driving School, for his absence with a check list that covers banking and credit issues.

Still, some veteran groups aren't satisfied with the Veterans Corp.

Joseph Sharpe, deputy director of the American Legion's national economic commission, said the organization's resources are too meager, and he said the Small Business Administration should take the lead. The agency already has a development office for veterans.

"We'll look at all the options," Mr. Altmire said. "We want to raise awareness [of the Veterans Corp.] and we want to help them do what they're doing."