Since September 11, 2001, 2.77 million service members have served on 5.4 million deployments around the world. While the majority of service members transition back to civilian life without event, persistent traumas during the longest period of war in American history have given rise to wellness, education and employment challenges for many veterans and their families.
Philanthropy is one sector that has stepped up to ensure veterans and their families are getting what they need, as we have so often reported. Consider the Philanthropy-Joining Forces Impact Pledge, which launched in the Spring of 2014, spearheaded by people like Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. Two years later, at least $283 million had been committed in private funds through grants and other forms of support. A few years ago, the hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen pledged nearly as much as that to fund a network of clinics to address the mental health challenge of veterans. Any number of other players in philanthropy—including other billionaires like Howard Schultz, top community foundations, and major corporations like Home Depot—have also focused on veterans.
