Introducing Veterans Collaborative: Empowering Change, One Initiative at a Time

On this day, as we honor Veterans and service across our country, I am proud to introduce you to Veterans Collaborative, a remarkable initiative dedicated to fostering support, camaraderie, and resources for our esteemed Veteran and Military communities. After over a year of impactful goodness, we are ready to expand our footprint. We are more than just a charitable organization; we are a community-driven force dedicated to making a tangible difference at the grassroots level. What sets us apart is our unique approach to philanthropy and our unwavering commitment to enable access by empowering local initiatives, advising and grantmaking excellence, and fostering innovative programs for holistic impact for our Veteran and military families.

Here’s what we’ve been up to:

1. Empowering Local Initiatives:

At the heart of our mission lies the belief that change happens on the local level through community-driven initiatives. We take immense pride in being the only charitable fiscal sponsor dedicated to supporting Military/Veteran-founded and serving projects. Through word of mouth, our impact has spread, allowing us to onboard 10 initiatives in our inaugural year alone. Operating under the umbrella of our c3 organization, we offer support that empowers these initiatives to thrive.

2. Advising and Grantmaking Excellence:

We extend our focus to the unsung heroes – 92% of nonprofit organizations serving Military, Veterans, and families have operating budgets under $1M—doing a lot with a little. These organizations often lack access to national charitable funding due to organizational size, but more likely restrictive grantmaking practices. That is where we come in and utilize our Radar and VETcheck programs. Through Radar, we identify, connect with, and vet these local NGOs. This due diligence allows greater collaboration with our dedicated Partners - corporations, organizations, and individuals who share our vision to enable access to charitable capacity for incredible organizations serving in numbers across our Nation. Together, we provide regranting services, ensuring equitable grantmaking practices and access to critical funding. In our first year, an astounding 96% of our gross revenue was granted back to impactful organizations and projects nationwide, fostering a true sense of community and achievement.

3. Innovative Programs for Holistic Impact:

We go beyond financial support by building program managers and fostering innovation through our Veterans Lab. Here, pioneering initiatives such as Veteran Reality, a VR program promoting mental wellness, and Academy X, a national STEM program led by passionate Veterans, are nurtured. These programs aim to create a holistic impact, addressing various needs within our communities and ensuring that no one is left behind.

We hope you will Join Us and stop by from time to time to:

-          Recommend impactful organizations to us through Radar,

-          Like and share our media pages and blogs,

-          Venture with us to be the change in your community, and

-          Support our Funds as aligned Partners and friends.

Together, we will continue to build goodness, providing access to resources, capacity, and networks within our Veteran and Military communities.