Your Collaborator of Choice
Many people walk through their day not believing they can change the world around them. They feel powerless to alter their circumstances or the broader societal landscape. But this is not the case at Veterans Collaborative or for our Veteran and military-connected communities. For us, service is a gateway to continuous growth, transformation, and value. It is a path to challenge ourselves, engage with and explore the world around us, access education or financial opportunities, and ultimately, leave the world a bit better than we found it.
Sometimes, in the midst of our daily routines and challenges, we forget the immense power we hold. We forget that we are capable of great things, good things, and even hard things. Every day, I am reminded of this potential and the opportunity that people have to make this world around us better simply because we can.
After years of seeing inequities in how resources and charitable opportunities lack reach into local communities, I knew we could do better. I knew we could be a voice of change and a catalyst to reimagine how philanthropy reaches our local communities at home. I embarked on the journey to establish Veterans Collaborative in 2022, knowing that our voices together were stronger, and we could make a difference.
Admittedly, I have a background that crosses nonprofit management, program design and implementation, executive fundraising, and grantmaking, but many don’t, just the belief that they can do something that will help those around them. That’s where we come in, and here’s what I mean:
1. Recently, I learned that a local company gives Free Fly-Fishing tutorials at their store. I paused for a moment and stared at their flier. Then I thought about our program, Veteran Reality- my first FSP, and how we are utilizing fly fishing as a mental wellness method. I thought to myself, this is too easy. I met with the Store Manager later that week, and we quickly partnered to bring a program to our Veteran community over coffee. They will bring the gear, instruction, volunteers, and we will bring the Veterans. It costs just a little more than our time to do something impactful and a win win for everyone. It was that easy.
2. We sponsor Ashes to Honor. This Veteran founded project discovered us online and needed a place to grow. They have a story and were impacted personally by the great fire in 1971 that lost millions of Veteran service records. The Executive Director’s grandfather served in Korea and was now in hospice care. They were able to verify his records before his passing and gave him the honors that he earned through service. They realized this need moved past one, and they could do something about it. We are advising them and serving as their nonprofit incubator.
There is no challenge too great for our Veteran and military-connected communities. Veterans and those who have served are uniquely equipped to respond to the call to heal and strengthen our society. This belief is realized every day through the efforts of our service members, Veterans, and families—their charitable initiatives, and the mission we champion each day at Veterans Collaborative.
We don't have all the solutions to the challenges encountered daily—no one does, but we do believe in you and what you are capable of achieving in hometowns across this Nation and around the world. We've seen it in action, and we want to be your collaborator of choice—amplifying your mission to positively impact our military and Veteran-connected communities.
What is Fiscal Sponsorship for Veteran-Founded and Serving Projects?
Fiscal Sponsorship Program is a type of partnership where our nonprofit organization provides fiscal management and oversight services to a charitable project or initiative that benefits Veterans, service members, and their families by allowing the project to access resources and charitable funding that might otherwise be unavailable.
Veterans Collaborative is proud to be the only fiscal sponsorship solely dedicated to our Veteran and military-connected community. Projects can be founded by and/or serving our community. Projects founded by Veterans enable access to charitable funding and capacity, and projects serving our community enable access to vital resources at the local level. Most of our projects do both.
In a fiscal sponsorship arrangement, Veterans Collaborative serves as a 501(c)(3) sponsor and provides administrative support, including:
Financial and organizational management
Compliance management
Grant management
Donor management
This enables the project to become immediately tax-exempt and to focus on its mission and generating support for the project while Veterans Collaborative manages everything else.
Some examples of Veteran-focused projects that might benefit from fiscal sponsorship include:
Veteran and family-led community initiatives
Corporate custom charitable initiatives
Support groups for Veterans and their families
Advocacy organizations
Research projects focused on Veteran well-being or a specific need
By providing a stable financial foundation, fiscal sponsorship can help corporate, family, and individual charitable work grow for a greater impact on the lives of our Veteran and military connected communities.
Take a moment to head on over to Veterans Collaborative Projects where bold ideas take shape daily. We are currently supporting projects such as a Veteran-led documentary, a project that brings awareness to PTSD and mental health through music and outreach, a Family Foundation that is supporting Veteran causes, and a Veteran-led STEM initiative in underserved schools, to name a few.
How You Can Make a Difference
What change do you want to see? Tell us all about your idea at Venture with Us! At Veterans Collaborative, we believe in the collective power of individuals to create change. Each action, no matter how small, contributes to a larger movement of support and empowerment for our Veterans at the local level. Together, we ensure that those who have served our country have the resources and support they need at home.
We are your Collaborator of Choice, the foundation to launch your bold idea into the world. Embrace your why and see the ripple effect it can create in your community. What are you waiting for?
Written by: Natalie Worthan, Founder