When billionaire philanthropists, celebrities, embassies around the world, and the National Football League want to extend a helping hand to America's veterans, they increasingly turn to one source: the Bob Woodruff Foundation. I've come to rely on it.
The organization, founded in 2006 to serve post-9/11 veterans and their families after ABC News reporter Bob Woodruff was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, is an annual comedy fundraiser. It has become popular with celebrities. Tracy Chapman and Bruce Springsteen — has raised $84 million since its inception and $14 million last year alone.
But the Bob Woodruff Foundation has a reputation that goes beyond its star-studded charm. Data-savvy and niche grant-writing, he has become the go-to grant maker for those looking to support veterans and military families through a membership network of over 100 veterans charities. I am.
“They know this field and can do the job much better and faster than I can,” says Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist. one of the most prominent countries in this country Philanthropists used the foundation to award $100 million in grants to veterans organizations last year.
Newmark is not alone in his enthusiasm for the organization's approach. Mackenzie Scott donated $15 million in 2022 with no strings attached. Since 2018, the Embassy of Qatar has donated more than $10 million to support veterans dealing with the effects of Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Harvey. The NFL regularly relies on the foundation to distribute millions of dollars to its Salute to Service programs, such as the launch of the Wheelchair Football League in 2020.
What is the secret of the Bob Woodruff Foundation? Is it just star power and knowledge? Not completely.
In 2018, the organization acquired Got Your 6, the nation's largest non-governmental coalition of veterans charities, significantly expanding its network. Originally founded by Army veterans in 2012, Got Your 6 (military term for “come back”) has 130 member organizations, including small workforce training centers and Veterans Affairs offices across the state. consists of and serves nearly every military family in the United States.
To understand the gap between what veterans need and how well local organizations can meet those needs, Woodruff's organization, many of which are also grant recipients, has worked with Got Your 6 members are regularly surveyed. We then use that information, combined with the expertise of foundation researchers, military families, and local philanthropic organizations, to pinpoint issues that government agencies and other grant makers may be leaving behind. be specific.
“We're always careful to make sure that what we invest in is complementary to what's available to the federal government. We don't overlap with the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense unless there's a capability issue. No,” said Margaret Harrell, chief program officer at the Woodruff Foundation. “We will not do what is already being done.”
among them latest researchThe organization says there are several gaps between what charities and government agencies can provide and what veterans need to protect their mental health, help their families and cope with financial emergencies. I discovered that. In recent years, the nonprofit has helped address family issues by paying for infertility treatment for veterans, many of whom struggle with infertility as veterans, and by funding mental health services for children. Particular emphasis is placed on
Data shows there is significant demand for child care, child mental health services, and spousal and intimate partner relationships among military families, but which charities currently have the capacity to meet that demand? rare.
Kathleen Enright, Chair of the Foundation's Board of Trustees, said that organizations, even small organizations, provide significant support to the people they serve by focusing on issues that others do not fund. He says it can have a significant impact. Their resources are in the best position to do that, and they are aligning them intentionally. ”
For example, the Craig H. Nielsen Foundation focuses solely on spinal cord injuries, while the Andy Warhol Foundation directs all of its resources toward experimental visual artists. This kind of specialization ultimately “helps charities listen more to their grantees and their causes,” says Enright.
To increase understanding of veterans groups, the Bob Woodruff Foundation frequently hosts gatherings of policymakers, military families, and experts on specific issues such as financial assistance and PTSD. These meetings often lead to new grant programs, but they also serve as crossroads for collaboration.
“I'm often surprised by how many people we bring to the table, when we think they should know each other, still don't know each other,” said Harrell of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. says.
About five years ago, when the NFL broached the idea of funding a football program for injured veterans, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, a member of Got Your 6 and the nation's largest provider of adaptive sports programs, joined forces with the Bob Woodruff Foundation. We contacted Move United. At that time, there was no competitive wheelchair soccer league in this country.
So “we went back to square one,” said Glenn Merry, executive director of Move United. He created a proposal for what later became the United States Wheelchair Football League, in which players from all over the country would compete under the banner of a local NFL. team. With support from the Bob Woodruff Foundation and his NFL Salute to Service partnership, more than 850 of his players and coaches, including 315 veterans, have joined the league since 2020.
“We harness the power of sport to push the potential of every athlete,” says Merry. The opportunity to “play as a team toward a single purpose” helps injured veterans build physical and mental resilience once they return home, he says.
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Sarah Hershander I am a reporter for the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership covering philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for its content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
