supporting our · · 2014-06-06• supporting the military community ... • san antonio area...
TRANSCRIPT
SUPPORTING OUR
MILITARY COMMUNITY:
ONE FOUNDATION’S PERSPECTIVE
Discussion outline
• Supporting the military community - research and observations… the who,
what, where, why, when, how
• Disconnects and challenges (NPOs & military community)
• Strategies for addressing these challenges
• Promising practices (and takeaways) around the USA
• San Antonio Area Foundation’s military initiative
• Background, goals, and strategy
• Expected outcomes and observed results
• Unanticipated results and ongoing efforts
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Research and observations … the who,
what, where, why, when, and how
Supporting the military community
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Define the population
• Army
• Navy
• Air Force
• Marines
• Coast Guard
• Those who have fallen
Nonprofits serving
this population
Active Duty
Reserve Components
Veterans *
Family Members
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Understand characteristics - military
Military (.5%) Servers,
protectors, providers
Mission-driven
Structure and rules
Disciplined
Trained leaders
Women veterans Unit cohesion
(we take care of our own)
Different Eras
OIF / OEF multiple
deployments
May have PTS, PTSD, or
TBI
May need a hand up
(don’t want a hand out)’
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Understand characteristics – supporting organizations
Support (frequently not in the
.5%) VSOs
MSOs
Component programs
National advocacy
groups
National collaboratives
White House, DoD, VA
Local government
Employers / Chambers
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Identify the challenges
Disconnects (awareness and communication)
Cultural (in)competencies, culture shock,
and stigmas
Complexity
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
“A scattered disorganized field”
94+% have budgets of under $1M
The typical veterans’ organization is
smaller than the typical nonprofit
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Most active grantmakers 2008-2012
• Wal-Mart Foundation
• Community foundations
• Silicon Valley
• San Diego
• DC National Capital Region
• Texas
• New York Community Trust
• Bank and other corporate
foundations
• USAA
• Bank of America
• Verizon
• Wells Fargo
• A few private family or
institutional foundations
• El Pomar
• Perot
In Texas, we have the Texas Fund for Veterans Assistance, which is run
by the Texas Veterans’ Commission © San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Know your community
Population growth of 16.41% since 2000
Cost of living is 14.30% lower than the U.S. average
Unemployment rate is 6.53%, compared to a 7.40% U.S. average
Bexar County:
Veteran population: 158,710
(2nd highest in Texas)
2011 VA expenditures: $1.48B*
In addition: DoD/VA medical, salaries, VA loan,
VA housing, Post 9-11 GI Bill, & job skills, etc.
help strengthen the region and provide an
economic buffer
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Health
CHALLENGES
• Invisible and visible wounds of war
• Disengagement
• Uncertainty (health and economic security)
KEYS TO WELLNESS
• A continued sense of purpose and competency
• Adequate “tools” to navigate transition
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Mental health recommendations
Increase cadre of providers who are
trained and certified
Change policies to encourage active duty personnel and veterans to seek needed care
Deliver proven, evidence-based care
whenever and wherever services are provided
Invest in research to close information gaps and plan effectively
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Backlog
The VA is trying to address the backlog
problem, but it still exists.
Communities can provide interim support.
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
(Un)employment
300,000 troops complete military service each year.
• Many find that their skills are not well understood by civilian employers.
• Many have never worked in the civilian workforce.
• More than 40 percent of reservists lose income when they mobilize. National
Guard is also hit hard.
• Reserve component small-business owners have been especially challenged by
deployments.
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Employment situation 2012
• Unemployment rate for Gulf War-era II veterans: 9.9% (2.2%)
• Jobless rate for all veterans: 7.0% (1.3%)
• 28% of Gulf War-era II vets reported a service-connected disability
compared with 14% of all veterans
• Among all vets, the unemployment rate for:
• men declined by 1.4% to 6.9% in 2012
• female veterans was little changed at 8.3%
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Negative impressions are harmful
• PTSD (everyone has it; it is untreatable; and it is permanent)
• Procedure-driven
Myths
• Rigidity
• Un(der) educated
• Poor investment
Stereotypes • Uninformed hiring
managers
• Higher unemployment rates
• Challenges navigating the civilian labor market
Realities
Change the conversation:
Veterans are a Sound Investment © San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Education
• 80% of student veterans drop out before completing a Post 9-11 GI Bill-
funded degree… or do they?
• These are nontraditional students with vast work and life experience
• Efforts are underway to translate work skills into certifications
• Student Veterans Associations are forming to help
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Challenges for military families
Military Family
Challenges
Well-being and mental
health
Quality education for
children
Educational and career options for
spouses
Quality and available child care
Caregiver / new reality
for wounded warrior families
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Characteristics of Successful Programs
Awareness
Cultural Competency
High Touch
High Intensity
• Enduring v Temporary
• Responsive v Bureaucratic
• Personal v Impersonal
• Adaptable v Cumbersome
• Discreet v Indiscreet
• Unique v Specialized
• Peer-to-Peer v Directed
• Honest v Regulated
• High quality v Good
Application Criteria
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Promising practices and programs • My Reboot Camp Coming soon: Veterans Outreach & Transition Center
• Wounded Warrior Project – TRACK Coming soon: Patriot’s Casa Transition
• Enrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities
• Workshop for Warriors ESGR & DoD’s Employment Information Program
• Heroes2Hire American GI Forum, National Veterans Outreach Program Employment
• Mission Continues San Antonio Coalition for Veterans and Families
• Team Rubicon Team Red, White and Blue
• Warrior and Family Support Center Engagement
• Student Veterans of America
• Posse Foundation Education
• USO Yellow Ribbon Fund
• Blue Star Families Operation Resilient Family
• Operation Homefront Easter Seals (various locations) Family
• Dallas Foundation with Scott & White Hospital
• Give an Hour
• Operation Homefront Health
• Fisher House Community Blueprint Network
• Returning Heroes Home
• CFI Public-Private Partnerships
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Strategies to address challenges
Set conditions for success so there is “No wrong door” for our service members and their families
Invest in learning
more
Conduct proper
due diligence
Convene and
connect
Require excellence
Reduce Complexity
Provide Technical
Assistance
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
DoD to Community Strategy
“Warm hand-off”
Transition Assistance Programs / DoD Support
Transition Information Program / Community Support © San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Recommendation: get involved
• Learn about military and veteran issues in your community
• Develop strategy to guide your work
• Invest in military/veteran-centered grant-making initiatives
• Collaborate with grant makers and other stakeholders
• Plan for sustainability
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Military Initiative © San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Program goals
Optimal Conditions for Transition
Awareness & Cultural
Competency
NPO Sustainability
NPO Capacity
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Program strategy
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Certification Program: 2014 Plan
1-Day Mini Conference: Certificate Orientation / Military Culture 101 & Military Benefits 101
Board Development & Effective Governance
Overview of the Sector and How to Build Strategic Partnerships
Organization Culture & Change Management
2-Day Sustainability Conference: Principles of Fundraising, Market Research, & Social Enterprise
Impact Assessment: Accomplishing What You Set Out To Do
Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations
Financial Management
Legal Oversight
Volunteer Management
Human Resource Development/Staff Recognition and Empowerment
Information Technology & Facilities Development
Evaluation
We are a brand new organization
with very few resources…By
learning how to manage a non-
profit… we are learning the basics,
legalities and logistics of how to
become and maintain a successful
organization for years to come…
We value this class more than
words could ever express.
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Expected program outcomes
Outcomes
Collaboration
Training
INCREASED:
• Benefits to diverse stakeholders
• Long-term results
• Effectiveness (including cost- effectiveness)
• Ability to learn and adapt
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Cohort assessment (before)
30
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
31
Cohort assessment (mid)
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
32
Cohort assessment (end)
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Program results
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Unanticipated transformation
Convening
Collaboration Collective Impact
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Military & Veteran Community Council Structure
Grants, Programs &
Services
SAAFDN Military Initiative
Bexar Area Agency on Aging
Alamo Service Connection
Points of Light VetCorps
Strategic Communications Committee (STRATCOM)
Volunteers & Peer Mentorship Transportation & Mobility Research
Health Family Support Education Housing & Homelessness
.
. . Solution Teams
Military Affairs Committee
Veterans & Family Support Subcommittee
Senior Enlisted Advisory Council
Office of Military Affairs
Veterans Affairs Commission
Veterans Service Office
Veterans Advisory
Committee
= Proposed
Mr. Carroll Schubert Ms. Melissa Beach Mr. Hector Villarreal Dr. Martha Spinks Mr. Bob Murdock Ms. Queta Marquez Brian Schroepfer Ms. Serafina De Los Santos Ms. Kimberly Myers
Chairman: Major General Alfred A. Valenzuela (USA, Ret)
Chair:. Ms. Mary Beth Fisk
Chair: Dr. Martha Spinks
Co-Chairs: Mr. Jim Cunningham;
Ms. Kara Hill
Co-Chairs: Ms. Katherine Sanchez-Rocha
Mr. Fernando Conejo
Co-Chairs: Mr. Jim Meadows; Mr. Van Mitchell
Chair: Mr. Sergio Gonzalez Co-Chairs: Ms. Siena Lindemann; Ms. Tish McCullough
Co-Chairs: Mr. Mark Frye; Mr. Brian Graybeal
Employment & Economic
Development
(Proposed) – TBD
Conclusion
Make the whole of veterans services in your community
greater than the sum of the disconnected parts
Connect / Engage / Inform
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Melissa Beach, San Antonio Area Foundation
p: 210-775-5713 c: 830-542-9564
Resources • Abt. Associates, Inc. “Employment Histories Report, Final Compilation Report,” March 24, 2008:
http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/Employment_History_080324.pdf.
• Belasco, A. The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11. Washington,
D.C.: Congressional Research Service, 2007.
• Belasco, A. Troop Levels in the Afghan and Iraq Wars, FY2001-FY2012: Cost and Other Potential
Issues.Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. July 2, 2009.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R40682.pdf
• Nancy Berglass of the Center for New American Security. April 2012. Investing in the Best: How to Support the
Nonprofits that Serve Veterans, Service Members and Their Families.
• Nancy Berglass and Margaret C. Harrell. April 2012. Well After Service: Veteran Reintegration and American
Communities.
• Bruner, E. F. Military Forces: What Is the Appropriate Size for the United States? Washington, D.C.: Congressional
Research Service, 2006..
• California Community Foundation: Vanessa Williamson. November 2009. Supporting Our Troops, Veterans and
their Families: Lessons Learned and Future Opportunities for Philanthropy: Highlights from a report on the Iraq
Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund (IADIF) of the California Community Foundation.
https://www.calfund.org/document.doc?id=359 . Download the full report at myccf.org © San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Resources • LTG William B. Caldwell IV, USA (Ret.) and Major Crispin J. Burke. America's Veterans: A Sound Investment, the
latest in CNAS' "Voices From the Field" series. http://www.cnas.org/americas-veterans-sound-investment
• Cohen, Rick. “Foundations and Joint Chiefs Meet on Challenges in Veterans Philanthropy.” NPQ Nonprofit
Quarterly. October 3, 2013. http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/philanthropy/22967-the-community-foundations-
response-to-veterans.html
• Community Foundation National Capital Region and Montgomery County Community Foundation. Study Team:
Hope Gleicher, Debbie Lindenberg, Sunny Sumter. October 2008. Troops and Family Care Fund Feasibility Study
• Congressional Budget Office, “The Effects of Reserve Call-Ups on Civilian Employers,” May 2005, p. 2:
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/63xx/doc6351/05-11-Reserves.pdf.
• Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Employment Situation of Veterans: 2012,” March 20, 2013.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/vet.nr0.htm
• Gulf Coast Community Foundation. March 1, 2011. Collateral Damage: Floridians coping with the Aftermath of War.
http://www.gulfcoastcf.org/news/2011/03/01/new-study-collateral-damage-of-war-on-florida-families/ . See also:
www.GulfCoastCF.org
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Resources
• Dr. Margaret Harrell and Nancy Berglass. 2012 Employing America's Veterans: Perspectives from
BusinessesHosek, J., J. Kavanagh, and L. Miller. How Deployments Affect Service Members. Santa Monica,
Calif.: RAND Corporation, MG-432-RC, 2006. As of March 13, 2008:
• IAVA and RAND. “Careers After Combat: Employment and Education Challenges for Iraq and Afghanistan
Veterans. January 2009. http://www.iava.org
• IAVA. “Red Tape: Veterans Fight New Battles for Care and Benefits.” February 2010. http://www.iava.org
• Institute of Medicine, Committee on Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Board on Population Health and
Public Health Practice. Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Assessment of the Evidence. Washington,
D.C.: National Academies Press, 2007
• Joining Forces (White House Initiative): http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces Joining Forces is a national
(White House) initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the
opportunities and support they have earned.
• National Academies. Two-Phase Report: Unanswered Questions, Lack of Data Hinder Agency Efforts to Meet
Needs of Iraq, Afghanistan Service Members, Veterans, and Families; & Preliminary Assessment of Readjustment
Needs of Veterans, Service Members, and Their Families. Released: March 31, 2010. http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12812
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Resources
• Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. White Paper. “Expanding Public-Private Partnerships.” September 2013.
• Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Warrior and Family Support). Maj. John Copeland and Col. Dave
Sutherland. July 8, 2010. White Paper. “Sea of Goodwill; Matching the Donor to the Need.“ White paper. Link:
http://www.jcs.mil/page.aspx?ID=57
• Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Warrior and Family Support. Capt. Chris Manglicmot and Maj. Ed
Kennedy and Col. Dave Sutherland. September 8, 2011. Channeling the “Sea of Goodwill” to Sustain the
“Groundswell of Support;” Transitioning from Concept to Application. White paper. Link:
http://www.jcs.mil/page.aspx?ID=57
• Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Public-Private Partnerships Supporting the DoD Mission.” Joint Policy Memo
signed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral
James Winnefeld, 25 April 2013.
• OurMilitary.mil (“Connecting You With Your Military”): http://www.ourmilitary.mil/learn/our-military-families/ A link
from Joining Forces site provides info regarding the families, services, history, lingo, ranks/insignia, location of
military around the world, bases and installations, and uniforms.
• Philanthropy Roundtable. (Vital statistics). Serving Those Who Served: A Wise Giver’s Guide to Assisting Veterans
and Military Families. Thomas Meyer. May, 2013. © San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Resources
• RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research. Terri Tanielian and Lisa H. Jaycox, Editors. 2008.
Study: Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and
Services to Assist Recovery. http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG720.html
• RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research. Testimony based on RAND results: 2009.
• Regan, T. Report: High survival rate for US troops wounded in Iraq. Christian Science Monitor,
November 29, 2004.
• Sperling’s Best Places: http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/military_retirement.aspx
• United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, “Kennedy Holds Hearing on
Veterans’ Employment Issues,” November 8, 2007: http://help.senate.gov/Maj_press/2007_11_08_b.pdf.
• Warden, D. Military TBI during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation,
Vol. 21, No. 5, 2006, pp. 398–402
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Resources
• Department of Veterans Affairs. Draft for Public Comment (May 1, 2012). 2012 Report: Strategies for
Serving Our Women Veterans. Department of Veterans Affairs Women Veterans Task Force.;
http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/Draft_2012_Women-Veterans_StrategicPlan.pdf
• Veterans Outreach Center Inc. of Rochester, NY, with support from NYS Health Foundation, February,
2012. Report: Coming Home to Caring Communities: A Blueprint for Serving Veterans & Families.
Phone: 585-546-1081 www.VeteransOutreachCenter.org. (Provides resources related to community
partnering, as well as blueprint resources and performance commitment measures).
• Veteran Support Initiative: A community based model to meet the needs of service members and their
families. Presented by the Lincoln Community Foundation for the Council on Foundations 2011 Fall
Conference and reiterated at the Council on Foundations 2013 Fall Conference for Community
Foundations.
http://www.cof.org/files/Bamboo/whoweserve/community/documents/veteran_support_initiative_report.p
df
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Resources • Website: The Wait We Carry. http://thewaitwecarry.org/
• Website: Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff: resources for military support. http://www.jcs.mil/
• Website: www.MyRebootCamp.com. Designed to provide support and resources for returning service
members who are transitioning into civilian life.
• Website: http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/ss_texas.pdf
• White House, “Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq,” Speech by President Obama at Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina, February 27, 2009; http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/iraq/ ;
• White House, “Statement by the President on Afghanistan,” February 17, 2009;
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-by-the-President-on-Afghanistan/ ; Joint Staff,
Joint Chiefs of Staff, “Boots on the Ground Reports.”
Great sources for statistics:
• http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/ss_texas.pdf
• http://www.rorc.research.va.gov/atlas/Chapter_1_Veteran_Population.pdf
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Articles worth reading
From Pew Research Center:
• For Many Injured Veterans, A Lifetime of Consequences (8 Nov 2011) :
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2126/injured-veterans-post-traumatic-stress-civilian-life
• The Military-Civilian Gap; War and Sacrifice in the Post-9/11 Era (5 Oct 2011):
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2111/veterans-post-911-wars-iraq-afghanistan-civilian-military-veterans
• The Military-Civilian Gap; Fewer Family Connections (23 Nov 2011):
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/11/23/the-military-civilian-gap-fewer-family-connections/
• Women in the U.S. Military; Growing Share, Distinctive Profile (22 Dec 2012):
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2156/military-women-veterans
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
New release
• Tuesday October 1st at Brookings, the Center on Children and Families hosted an event tied to the
release of the Fall 2013 volume of the Princeton-Brookings The Future of Children journal and its
accompanying policy brief, both about military families.
The journal addresses a range of issues, including the demographics of military families, resilience,
economic well-being, child care, and others. The policy brief examines the impact of combat deployment
on family functioning and the well-being of parents and children. Several empirical studies show
elevated levels of child neglect and a range of behavioral and emotional problems among veterans,
service members, spouses of deployed service members, and their children. The brief proposes a
national agenda to test, improve, and expand current treatment and prevention programs to ensure the
nation is providing its military families and children with the help they deserve.
Read the brief, “Keeping the Promise: Maintaining the Health of Military Families and Children”:
www.brookings.edu/KeepingThePromise
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Community Blueprint Network
The Community Blueprint Network (CBN) is a set of promising practices that address the critical issue areas
affecting veterans, active military and military families.
• Initiative is administered by Points of Light and was developed by an expert group of over 55 veteran
and military-serving organizations.
• The CBN drives collaboration, innovation, best practice sharing and more effective delivery of services
among organizations that serve military personnel and their families.
• Development of tools and resources that are being deployed and implemented across communities.
• Includes a “Community Action Planning Tool” – document is like a how-to tool-kit.:
http://www.handsonnetwork.org/community-blueprint
• Community Blueprint Network’s Community Blueprint Toolbox:
http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/military-initiatives/community-blueprint/toolbox
• Find Promising Practices at: http://www.handsonnetwork.org/community-blueprint#tabset-tab-3
• Find Useful Resources and Tools at: http://www.handsonnetwork.org/community-blueprint/resources-
and-tools
© San Antonio Area Foundation 2013
Melissa Beach is Director of Training and Nonprofit Services at the San
Antonio Area Foundation where she also oversees military initiatives. She
formerly administered the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s
military initiative. Melissa extensively researches challenges facing the
military community; awareness and cultural gaps between military and
civilian communities; and, ways funders can most effectively help
organizations accelerate and enhance services for transitioning military personnel,
wounded warriors, Veterans, and their families.
Melissa draws on a background in strategic planning, visioning, mission development,
facilitation, and Masters in Policy and Public Administration for her convening and
sector-strengthening work that includes large-scale collaborations between nonprofit
organizations, foundations, corporations, and policy makers.
A military spouse with two teenage children and a Marine Corps husband who is
currently stationed at Randolph Air Force Base, Melissa has remained actively
involved as a volunteer with the military community and family readiness programs for
over twenty years.