Semper Fi & America's Fund

Last updated
Semper Fi & America's Fund (CFC #11459)
FoundedMay 17, 2004
FounderKaren Guenther
Type501(c)(3) corporation
PurposeTo provide immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to wounded, critically ill and injured service members, veterans, and military families from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Headquarters Camp Pendleton, California
ExpensesSemper Fi & America's Fund has maintained an overhead of 7% since its inception. The organization earns the highest ratings possible from charity watchdogs Charity Navigator and Charity Watch.
Staff140+ (2023)
Volunteers100+ (2023)
Website thefund.org

Semper Fi & America's Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides a variety of programs to assist wounded veterans in all branches of the United States Armed Forces. The organization describes its mission as "providing urgently needed resources and financial support for combat wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured members" of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. [1] As of November 2023, Semper Fi & America's Fund (The Fund) has provided more than $312 million in assistance to over 31,000 service members and their families. [2]

Contents

History

Formation

Semper Fi & America's Fund began in early 2003 as a gathering of military spouses around a kitchen table discussing ways to help Marines who had been injured during the invasion of Iraq. Early efforts included the distribution of snacks and toiletries at hospitals [3] and a specialized van for a catastrophically injured Marine. [4]

Incorporation

The nonprofit was officially incorporated as the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund on May 17, 2004. [5] General Alfred M. Gray, Jr., who served as the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991, was named the chairman of the board of The Fund and served in this position until November 2014.

First donation

The first official donation to The Fund was made by the Lighthouse Christian Church in Oceanside, California. Throughout 2004, The Fund received more than $2 million in donations. [6]

Milestones

Fiscal year overviews

Operating overhead

The Fund has maintained an operating overhead of 7% on average since its inception. [26]

Programs and Assistance

The Semper Fi Fund provides a wide variety of assistance to wounded, critically ill and injured service members. These programs are categorized into three main programs:

Service Member and Family Support Program

Described on the Semper Fi & America's Fund website as providing "direct financial assistance and vital programming for combat wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured service members and their families during hospitalization and recovery," [27] the Service Member and Family Support Program includes:

Transition Program

Semper Fi & America's Fund describes their Transition Program on their website as a program that "makes it easier for wounded service members to thrive beyond injury to recovery. Education support and career assistance provides them with the tools and skills to successfully reconnect with their communities and build new, productive lives." [29] The Transition Program includes:

Integrative Wellness Program

Described on their website as "inclusive wellness programs [that] provide targeted services and resources to meet the specific needs of those we assist," [30] The Fund's Integrative Wellness Program includes:

Specific assistance

Specific assistance made in fiscal year 2023 and reported by The Fund in its 2023 annual report [25] includes:

Boston Marathon Bombing Survivors

In the aftermath of the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, The Fund paid for a group of veterans to travel to Boston to assist the survivors of the bombings with information and moral support. [31] According to Marine veteran B.J. Ganem, who lost his leg to an improvised explosive device in Iraq, the aftermath of the bombing, "looked exactly like something we saw in Iraq and Afghanistan." [32]

Notable Fundraising

Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation

Additional major donations

Charity Watchdog Ratings

Charity Navigator

Provided The Fund with thirteen consecutive four-star ratings (only 2% of rated charities achieve this level of recognition [25] ), reflecting scores of 100 out of 100 for accountability and transparency and 97.50 out of 100 for financial performance. These rankings placed The Fund at the very top of Charity Navigator's list of charities performing similar types of work. [46]

CharityWatch

Gives The Fund an A+ rating, one of only three of the 64 veteran and military charities reviewed to receive this highest ranking. [25] CharityWatch lists The Fund as a Top-Rated Charity in their Veterans & Military category. According to Charity Watch, "groups included on the Top-Rated list generally spend 75% or more of their budgets on programs, spend $25 or less to raise $100 in public support, do not hold excessive assets in reserve, and receive "open-book" status for disclosure of basic financial information and documents to CharityWatch." [47]

Daniel Borochoff, founder and president of CharityWatch, has said this about The Fund: "They give 93, 94 percent of their spending toward bona fide real programs that help veterans, and their cost to raise money is very small. It's only like 3 or 4 percent." [48]

GuideStar

Provides The Fund with Platinum-level recognition, including the 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency. According to the GuideStar website, "GuideStar Platinum encourages nonprofit organizations to share their progress and results in important new ways—moving way beyond simplistic financial ratios—to reflect the changes organizations are making in the world." [49] As of March 2024, 48 personal reviews on GuideStar provided The Fund with an average rating of five stars. [50]

References

  1. "Semper Fi & America's Fund website" (PDF).
  2. "Semper Fi & America's Fund Winter 2023 Newsletter".
  3. "New York Times: "In Veterans Aid, Growth Pains"". The New York Times .
  4. "The Fund website".
  5. "The Fund's History".
  6. "The Fund's History" (PDF).
  7. "The Fund's History".
  8. "Stars and Stripes: "Marine wife's charity passes $50 million mark"".
  9. "The Fund's History".
  10. "The Fund's History".
  11. "Military Spouse website: Karen Guenther".
  12. "Military Spouse website: Karen Guenther".
  13. "Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System: "News: Semper Fi Fund founder nominated for award"".
  14. "Military Spouse website: Karen Guenther on CBS This Morning (video)".
  15. "Military Press: "Semper Fi Fund CEO and Founder Karen Guenther Named Honorary Marine by Commandant of the Marine Corps"".
  16. "Military Times: "Founder of charity for wounded troops receives joint-service award"".
  17. "The Fund's History".
  18. "The Fund's History".
  19. "The Fund's History".
  20. "The Fund press release".
  21. "The Fund 2019 Annual Report" (PDF).
  22. "The Fund 2020 Annual Report" (PDF).
  23. "The Fund 2021 Annual Report" (PDF).
  24. "The Fund 2022 Annual Report".
  25. 1 2 3 4 "The Fund 2023 Annual Report".
  26. "The Fund Info Sheet January 2024" (PDF).
  27. 1 2 3 4 "The Fund website".
  28. "Wounded veteran gets surprise backyard makeover: 'I had to pinch myself'". 9 February 2016.
  29. "Semper Fi & America's Fund website".
  30. "The Fund website".
  31. "USA Today: "War amputees to Boston's injured: 'Life's not over' "". USA Today .
  32. "Bloomberg Business: "Amputee Veterans Bring Message of Hope to Boston Victims"". Bloomberg News .
  33. "The Fund press release".
  34. "The Fund press release".
  35. "The Fund press release". 11 January 2021.
  36. "The Fund press release". 30 January 2019.
  37. "The Fund, Parsons Foundation Raise $20 Million for Veterans". Philanthropy Digest.
  38. ""The Fund & The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation & GoDaddy Announce "10 Makes 20 Matching Challenge"". NASDAQ Globe Newswire (Press release). 10 November 2015.
  39. "TBRPF Helps The Fund Raise $12 Million". Bob Parsons GoDaddy Tumblr.
  40. "Phoenix Business Journal: Parsons Foundation donates $1 million to The Fund".
  41. ""Go Daddy Goes "Gangnam Style" to Celebrate Spectacular 2012 Success"". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17.
  42. "Mission BBQ Check Presentation to The Fund". 21 May 2017.
  43. "Favorite Charities of Celebrity Apprentice Contestants".
  44. "The Fund press release". 22 May 2014.
  45. "The Fund website: "Bob Barker Donates $2 Million to Help Injured Members of U.S. Armed Forces and Their Families!!"".
  46. "Charity Navigator website listing: Semper Fi & America's Fund".
  47. "CharityWatch website: Top-Rate Charities".
  48. "NBC Los Angeles: "Donors Should Research Veterans Charities Before Giving Money, Experts Say"". 12 November 2015.
  49. "GuideStar website".
  50. "GuideStar website listing: Semper Fi & America's Fund".