The Bob Woodruff Foundation Prioritizes Military Children’s Mental Health in Spring 2023 Investments

Of the 21 investments made, additional focus areas include housing, food insecurity, social connection, employment, and legal assistance

The Bob Woodruff Foundation has invested over $2.9 million in 21 organizations that work to ensure that veterans, service members, and their families have stable and successful futures. In keeping with the Foundation’s November 2022 announcement of a $1 million commitment to military children’s mental health, the organization’s spring investment portfolio emphasizes military-connected children’s needs. This includes four programs that support clinical mental healthcare, and three that foster relationships between military children and mentors and increase access to extracurricular activities. In addition to the focus on military children’s mental health, the spring 2023 portfolio supports programs that address social connection, legal services, homelessness and housing services, food insecurity and employment.

“This year, in addition to our continued focus on ensuring service members and veterans have successful futures, we’re honoring our commitment to support the mental health of military children. With our significant investment in programs and services for military children, we are fostering resilience, providing crucial resources, and honoring the sacrifices they make every day,” said Anne Marie Dougherty, CEO of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “We are also grateful for the ongoing partnerships with the NFL and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, which allow us to further extend our reach and impact within the veteran and service member community.”

Through the National Football League’s Salute to Service initiative, the Foundation invested over $1.5 million in programs that focus on social connection, military and veteran children’s mental health, and homelessness and housing. Within social connection the programs include

• the expansion of Move United’s USA Wheelchair Football League from 11 to 13 teams;
• the Mission Continues Service Platoon Program that provides volunteer-led community service projects and social events; and
• Boston University School of Medicine’s Women Veterans Network (WoVeN), a system of peer support groups that connects women veterans from all conflict eras and service branches and provides them with information, education resources, and social connection.

In collaboration with Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the Foundation will continue to address veterans’ and military families’ urgent and long-term concerns, including food insecurity, employment, legal services, and housing and homelessness. To date in 2023, together, we have invested over $1,000,000, with $700,000 this cycle going to seven organizations that provide legal assistance to veterans to address issues that prevent stability; support veterans experiencing homelessness and those at risk of becoming homeless; and increase the capacity of community-based mental healthcare providers across the country to provide high-quality treatment for PTSD.

Visit the spring 2023 investment highlights for information on the funded organizations and their work. 

With this current investment cycle concluded, the Bob Woodruff Foundation is accepting applications for fall 2023. Applications submitted by June 22, 2023 will be eligible for Bob Woodruff Foundation’s fall funding cycle.  Learn more and apply here.