What would make American Legions and Veteran of Foreign War posts more appealing to join for you?

Why bother?

The American Legion post I belonged to was a playhouse and run by SAL (a group of partying 4-5 people). No one did anything about them and they were disrespectful to me and another legion member. I reported it and nothing was done. The inmates are running the asylum and I now belong to a good post that doesn’t steal or misuse funds

Sounds like sh*t organizations if they're dismissive and exclusionary. It likely not end well if some old coot told discounted my service after 24 years of sacrificing and putting in the work. Not really conducive to expanding membership by crapping on new members. Perhaps they need to die out.

I know that in our VFW post 10010 that we do not have that problem, nor have I seen it any where in our State. (Montana)

I’m not gonna lie. I joined the American Legion because I want to support their work, and while my post is very tight knit with a great commander who cares for the Legionnaires, there is a certain air of “No GWOT-era veterans allowed” among some members. A younger member base (25-45ish) would help me feel like I was among peers more often.

I used to belong to the Marine Corps League and would have to drive home law enforcement Officers, who were carrying fire arms, back to their homes as they got so drunk.. Had enough of that. Also came the guilt of. having to keep secrets. It is a felony in the state in which this occurred, for even a Police Officer to posse a firearm while partaking of alcohol...

Vietnam Vets were treated the same way when they returned home. The VFW was especially harsh with us "baby killers". Am. Legion not quite so bad. I found that the Marine Corps Association was much more welcoming.

I have had great luck if you will with the VFW and became a lifetime member while still on active duty having qualified seven times, well more if you count the new data. Anyway, Fort Campbell was very welcoming to the tune that we stopped in there on the way home from flying to grab a pitcher of beer for the crew in uniform, the post had a card entry so we could not be found out in uniform. The post let our active duty unit rent and use the post for lots of events like hail and farewells. Fast forward to Harker Heights at Fort Hood, we were included as an active duty unit, invited to all the BBQ and events, which we did. When we returned home from deployment, we held our post deployment party there with now 250 possible new members.

Now I reside in Enterprise, we are a family oriented place, no pub or cantina as it is referred in bylaws. It is service oriented for the community for flag ceremonies, events downtown and with the military affairs council. The only drawback is politics and feelings getting hurt at post where folks feel priviledged and that runs off new folks. I think as folks get older and the post clean up, that members will come, however it is just not these post that are in trouble, all our professional organizations are down, AUSA, AAAA, and many more are really lacking participation and membership.

I have been a member of both organizations and have not had an unwelcoming experience by either. In any event there are so many organizations for veterans or even for those that are not. If any organization were to reject me for not fulfilling their criteria then so what it just means its not for me, i am not going to waste my time or thoughts on it. I am just fine with or without.

My local VFW post is very welcoming to me even though i can't join because I never served outside the US technically. I am a USCG and USAF veteran.
But my local AL Post is a "insiders club". Sure you can pay for a drink there, but you'll never hold any leadership position if your not related to any current leaders !!! I quit after my first year.
Also the National AL and local post are very Nazi like with all emphasis put not on Americanism but on America First and pro Trump (would be Nazi Fuhrer). Being a Patriot and being a Nazi are 2 different things.
My local post and all over the state they do not do anything like help the local VA, or sponsor a little league team (let alone have their own league like my hometown did). Help in time of emergency like fire or flooding. assist any charity (other than themselves).
I'll stick with supporting my local VFW even if I can't be an actual member