Our Foundation | Bob Woodruff Foundation

Our Mission

We ensure that our nation’s veterans, service members,
and their families — those who stood for us — have stable
and successful futures.

Bob and Lee Woodruff’s Story

The Woodruffs seemed to have it all.

In 2006, Bob was reporting on the transfer of power between US and Iraqi security forces for ABC’s “World News Tonight.” Bob’s armored vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, and he sustained a life-threatening traumatic brain injury.

Due to quick actions of brave soldiers, medics, and military medical professionals, Bob’s life was saved. Within days, he was transported to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

There, Bob spent 36 days in a medically-induced coma. Lee got to know the families of service members dealing with the impact of hidden injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression.

As Bob recovered, the Woodruff family resolved to
raise awareness about the tough challenges veterans and military families are facing, and invest in solutions to help support them in the next chapter of their lives.

Today the Bob Woodruff Foundation complements our government’s work, and ensures that our veterans are thriving long after they return home.

Our 2023 Focus Areas

  • Community Building
  • Emergency Financial Assistance
  • Employment
  • Food Insecurity
  • Housing
  • Legal Support
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing

Our 2023 Focus Areas

  • Community Building
  • Emergency Financial Assistance
  • Employment
  • Food Insecurity
  • Housing
  • Legal Support
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing

Impact Stories

How does our work
ensure that our veterans and service members are supported and successful?

Mar 18
2024 Summit in Review: Collaboration, Community, and Solutions for Florida’s Military Community  
The 2024 Bob Woodruff Foundation Summit offered valuable insights on veterans’ challenges such as homelessness, military transition, brain injury awareness, and more.
Feb 27
Small and Mighty: East Carolina Veterans Coalition’s Work with Rural Veterans  
Learn how East Carolina Veterans Coalition (ECVC) is addressing food insecurity, housing, and supporting female veterans through partnering with other veteran programs in 18 rural counties in North Carolina.
Feb 23
Transforming Lives and Building Community for Veterans in Georgia   
The Veterans Empowerment Organization supports veterans and their families by addressing challenges related to housing and well-being.
Feb 15
What Exactly Is the Bob Woodruff Foundation Got Your 6 Network? 
Learn about our Got Your 6 Network across 50 states, and in American Samoa, Guam and Puerto Rico. Our footprint of services is accessible to over 20.6 million veterans and… Read More
Feb 12
Dallas Cowboys Are USA Wheelchair Football League Champions
In a thrilling showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Dallas Cowboys won the 2024 USA Wheelchair Football Championship 27-14!
Jan 30
Transforming Lives and Building a Supportive Veteran Community  
Since its founding in 1993, the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation of Indiana (HVAF) has provided housing and support services to homeless veterans.  
Jan 23
STRONG STAR-Strong Families: Helping Military Families Heal from PTSD 
STRONG STAR’s Strong Families Strong Forces Support & Prevention Program helps military and veteran families in the Fort Cavazos, Texas area.
Jan 11
Returning Veterans Project: Serving Those Who Served with Free Health Care
Carol Levine, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Portland, Oregon founded the Returning Veterans Project (RVP) in 2005. Levine envisioned a veteran support system that offered free mental health… Read More

The Got Your 6 Network

National Reach. Local Impact.

The Bob Woodruff Foundation’s Got Your 6 Network includes our best-in-class grantees and our national network of locally-based community veterans’ organizations. With partners across the country, our growing network reaches millions of veterans and their families where they live and work.

Our Ongoing Initiatives

We identify and champion areas of need that are most critical to the population we serve.

Our Ongoing Initiatives

We identify and champion areas of need that are most critical to the population we serve.

Our Team

Anne Marie Dougherty

Chief Executive Officer

As Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, Anne Marie Dougherty oversees and funds the nation’s largest nongovernmental network of veteran service providers, which, according to Forbes, helps veterans not only navigate the 40,000+ organizations that provide services to them, but also helps veterans heal from the physical and psychological wounds of war. With A-list celebrities and philanthropic institutions at our side – Bruce Springsteen, the NFL, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, MacKenzie Scott, Jon Stewart, Lee Ann Womack, Mickey Guyton – and our country’s highest-ranked military and national security leaders, we have invested more than $100 million in best-in-class veterans programming across the country. Our product is peace of mind – for veterans, for veteran-serving organizations, and for philanthropists looking to invest efficiently and effectively in veteran services.

As a military spouse, Anne Marie’s connection to the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s mission is personal. She has lived experience as a Marine spouse during war time combat deployments and through multiple duty station moves. When she tells veterans, their families, and their caregivers that the Bob Woodruff Foundation has “Got Your 6,” she means it. She regularly speaks to media outlets ranging from ESPN, to NPR, TIME, CBS, and Fox to raise awareness for veteran needs.

Anne Marie is active with her two young boys in their local community, including through their sports teams and schools. She serves on the Board of Directors of the UN Women for Peace Association, as an Advisory Board Member for Game Changers Institute, and as a NationSwell Council Member. Anne Marie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communications from Drexel University.

Our Team

Bob Woodruff Foundation’s leadership team brings experience from defense, media, healthcare, philanthropy, business, and government.

Anne Marie Dougherty

Chief Executive Officer

Anne Marie Dougherty is the Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. She is an award-winning marketer, industry thought-leader, and passionate champion for our nation’s veterans and their families. Under her dynamic approach to leadership and management, the Foundation has grown from a small regional organization to a top-tier, nationally recognized brand and market leader. Dougherty has disrupted the traditional fundraising approach, leveraging metrics, relationships, and results to maximize the foundation’s $80 million investment impact. She utilizes an entrepreneurial approach in moving the foundation forward. She has established a standard of excellence that permeates the entire organization.

Since she took on the role in 2011, Dougherty transformed the Foundation’s annual Stand Up for Heroes event. Today, the event is a sustainable business model and growth engine that has raised over $66 million. Dougherty has broken new ground in programming and partnerships, establishing the Foundation as an innovative hub for collaboration among partners. These include the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Football League, the Embassy of the State of Qatar, and The Royal Foundation in the United Kingdom.

Dougherty was named The Nonprofit Times and American Marketing Association “Nonprofit Marketer of the Year” in 2012. She has received multiple awards on behalf of the Foundation’s industry-leading impact. She is a Leadership Council member of Nationswell, and is on the Board of Directors of the UN Women for Peace Association. Dougherty has appeared on broadcast outlets including ESPN, Cheddar TV, Fox News, MSNBC to discuss the Foundation’s work. She has been featured in articles in USA Today, CBS News, Forbes, TIME Magazine, the Military Times. Dougherty has been a keynote speaker at industry events on topics including veterans, military families, high impact grantmaking, philanthropy, and women in leadership.

Our Transparency and Accountability

Transparency is where confidence begins, the foundation of trust, where problem-solving starts.
– General Martin Dempsey, U.S. Army, Retired; Bob Woodruff Foundation Board Member

As a 501(c)(3) public charity, the Bob Woodruff Foundation relies upon the support of generous donors to fulfill our mission and we hold ourselves to the highest standards of transparency and accountability.

Bob Woodruff Foundation 501(c)(3) Letter
Top-Rated Charity
  • We will pursue opportunities to ensure that veterans and service members receive the same quality of support that Bob Woodruff and his family received.
  • We will meet veteran needs no matter how intractable a problem seems. If a solution doesn’t exist, we will create one.
  • We will remain steadfast in our commitment to meet veterans’ evolving needs through the impactful and effective programs.
  • We will devote as much diligence to raising funds as we do to allocating them. We will maintain the highest commitment to transparency and highest standards for stewarding the funds entrusted to us.
  • We will maintain industry-leading subject matter expertise on veterans’ needs and the programs that support them. In doing so, we will rely on local and national data and input.
  • We will share our expertise to do more good for more veterans.
  • We will emulate the generosity of spirit that our founders and military families demonstrate each day.

Press Room

Get the latest on how we’re investing to ensure our service members and veterans thrive.

Feb 16
Bob Woodruff Foundation and United Way of Broward County Host Veteran Support Summit March 5
The Bob Woodruff Foundation, in partnership with the United Way of Broward County and with generous support from craig newmark philanthropies, will host its annual Summit March 5.
Feb 13
Bob Woodruff Foundation Releases New Data That Shows Many Veterans Across the Country Aren’t Receiving the Services They Need
The Bob Woodruff Foundation’s latest publication “Quantifying and Addressing Veterans’ Needs in 2023” confirms that, for many communities, the military and veteran community’s needs exceed services available.
Feb 6
Bob Woodruff Foundation Offers Guidance on Complementary and Integrative Health Practices for Veterans with PTSD
The Bob Woodruff Foundation has published “Understanding the Role of Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) in treating PTSD.”
Dec 14, 2023
The Bob Woodruff Foundation Activates Natural Disaster Fund to Aid Military Families Displaced by Tennessee Tornadoes
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) has activated its  Natural Disaster Fund, established with support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, to help veterans and active-duty military families impacted by the devastating string… Read More
Dec 14, 2023
Molly Jahn, Ph.D. Joins the Bob Woodruff Foundation Leadership Council
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) is pleased to welcome Molly Jahn to its Leadership Council. As a Leadership Council member, Dr. Jahn will help ensure that BWF is best positioned to meet… Read More
Nov 30, 2023
The Bob Woodruff Foundation Invests $2.8 Million In Programs Addressing Housing Insecurity, Mental Health, Other Urgent Needs
The Bob Woodruff Foundation invests $2.8 million in programs addressing housing insecurity, mental health, other urgent needs.
Nov 30, 2023
The Bob Woodruff Foundation Calls for Collaborative Solutions to Veteran Homelessness
In its goal to reduce the obstacles many veterans still face in achieving long-term housing stability, The Bob Woodruff Foundation has published “Beyond Financial Assistance: Addressing Risk Factors for Homelessness… Read More
Nov 15, 2023
The Bob Woodruff Foundation Establishes a Natural Disaster Fund with Help From Craig Newmark Philanthropies
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) has established a $5 million Natural Disaster Fund for veterans and military families with the help from ongoing supporter, Craig Newmark Philanthropies.

Press Room

Get the latest on how we’re investing to ensure our service members and veterans thrive.

Feb 16
Bob Woodruff Foundation and United Way of Broward County Host Veteran Support Summit March 5
The Bob Woodruff Foundation, in partnership with the United Way of Broward County and with generous support from craig newmark philanthropies, will host its annual Summit March 5.
Feb 13
Bob Woodruff Foundation Releases New Data That Shows Many Veterans Across the Country Aren’t Receiving the Services They Need
The Bob Woodruff Foundation’s latest publication “Quantifying and Addressing Veterans’ Needs in 2023” confirms that, for many communities, the military and veteran community’s needs exceed services available.
Feb 6
Bob Woodruff Foundation Offers Guidance on Complementary and Integrative Health Practices for Veterans with PTSD
The Bob Woodruff Foundation has published “Understanding the Role of Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) in treating PTSD.”
Dec 14, 2023
The Bob Woodruff Foundation Activates Natural Disaster Fund to Aid Military Families Displaced by Tennessee Tornadoes
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) has activated its  Natural Disaster Fund, established with support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, to help veterans and active-duty military families impacted by the devastating string… Read More
Dec 14, 2023
Molly Jahn, Ph.D. Joins the Bob Woodruff Foundation Leadership Council
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) is pleased to welcome Molly Jahn to its Leadership Council. As a Leadership Council member, Dr. Jahn will help ensure that BWF is best positioned to meet… Read More
Nov 30, 2023
The Bob Woodruff Foundation Invests $2.8 Million In Programs Addressing Housing Insecurity, Mental Health, Other Urgent Needs
The Bob Woodruff Foundation invests $2.8 million in programs addressing housing insecurity, mental health, other urgent needs.
Nov 30, 2023
The Bob Woodruff Foundation Calls for Collaborative Solutions to Veteran Homelessness
In its goal to reduce the obstacles many veterans still face in achieving long-term housing stability, The Bob Woodruff Foundation has published “Beyond Financial Assistance: Addressing Risk Factors for Homelessness… Read More
Nov 15, 2023
The Bob Woodruff Foundation Establishes a Natural Disaster Fund with Help From Craig Newmark Philanthropies
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) has established a $5 million Natural Disaster Fund for veterans and military families with the help from ongoing supporter, Craig Newmark Philanthropies.

Get Support

Are you a veteran or family member looking for initiatives and assistance? Or are you an organization in need? We’ve got your 6.

Get Support

Give Support

Interested in supporting our work to ensure veterans and service members have access to the service and resources they deserve? Donate.

Give Support

Get Support

Are you a veteran or family member looking for initiatives and assistance? Or are you an organization in need? We’ve got your 6.

Get Support

Give Support

Interested in supporting our work to ensure veterans and service members have access to the service and resources they deserve? Donate.

Give Support