Hundreds of nonprofits, guided by talented and dedicated leaders, are stepping up to address the critical, unmet needs of military families across the spectrum of active duty, wounded and fallen, veterans and dependents. But, how do you as a donor discover and evaluate the finest, most effective nonprofit organizations serving the military?
The Patriots Initiative's Directory identifies those exceptional organizations that have engaged in 'best practices' and have proven themselves to be effective, efficient and reliable service providers. Each charity has completed a comprehensive questionnaire and undergone a thorough evaluation by TPI staff and a Board Review Committee to confirm their capabilities, expertise and effectiveness by focusing on eight criteria:
| Measuring Effectiveness |
| Financial Condition |
| Efficiency (the % of Revenues directed to the program) |
| Transparency, Accountability, Governance |
| Leadership and Staff Commitment |
| Legal and Organizational Status |
| Accreditations |
| Other Factors |
The result is a comprehensive list of the charitable organizations identified for doing the best work in their area of focus and expertise. The examination is rigorous and many charities do not qualify initially for inclusion in The Directory. However, TPI regularly updates The Directory of recognized nonprofits as new programs and unique causes arise, locally, regionally and nationally, or as reevaluations need to occur. TPI leaders and staff meet from time to time with these organizations to maintain a current understanding of their work.
The Patriots Initiative has been observing the actions and activities of The Wounded Warrior Project during the 10 months since the disqualification announcement. While WWP’s Board has since terminated its CEO and COO and is beginning to refocus personnel and programming to improve services, TPI has not discerned substantial, credible or sustained progress.
Today (June 14th) commemorates an important day in our nation’s history in which our unwavering military presence began. The United States Army was founded as the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, in order to defend against the British and unite the militias in the Revolutionary War. A few months later, the United States Navy was established in order to maintain militaristic advantage over the sea, and then in November, the Marine Corps was born out of the historic Tun Tavern. Once the Revolutionary War had been won, the Continental Army disbanded and later reformed as the United States Army in 1796. It would be many years later that the Air Force was created in 1947, branching from the Army Air Corps and the Navy.
As widely reported by the national media, Presidential Candidate Donald Trump claimed that the delays of grants to dozens of nonprofit military organizations were substantially the result of needing to fully vet the nonprofits being considered for the donations, a complicated and time consuming research process. Trump cited a total of $5.6 Million donated to 40 veteran groups, all of which have recently been named. Trump went on to say that he took none of the money for admin costs and that all donations went directly to these 40 charities.
The dinner crowd was sparse for a downtown steakhouse, a handful of families and couples lost in conversations. Ryan Lundeby, 32, an Army Ranger with five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, took in the scene from his table, seemingly meditative beneath his shaved head and long beard.
The Patriots Initiative (TPI) announced its latest round of grants to military nonprofits totaling $70,000 to support America’s wounded and disabled veterans. TPI has become widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading evaluators of nonprofits serving the nation’s armed forces communities. TPI compiles The Directory, a comprehensive list for donors of the most trustworthy and accountable nonprofits doing the finest work to support our military service members and their families. As of today, TPI has granted over $1.3 million from its four dedicated donors’ funds to high-impact military nonprofits that are meeting the critical needs of America’s active-duty warriors, veterans, and their families.
