SHEEP DOG IMPACT ASSISTANCE
"Helping Others Is A Way OF Life"
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The US Department of Veterans Affairs states that more than 6,000 veterans die by suicide each year, and other statistics show that twice as many first responders die by suicide than in the line of duty. These staggering statistics drive our mission to help Sheep Dogs (Veterans and First Responders) #GetOffTheCouch and reengage in living active, meaningful and productive lives through our Outdoor Adventures, Warrior PATHH training, and Continued Service programs.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Continued Service
Disaster Response is what SDIA was founded on and it continues to be our primary Continued Service opportunity. Other opportunities to serve are found within each community and include assisting with events, cleaning/maintaining parks, distributing food & water, and other local needs. Working alongside fellow Sheep Dogs and like-minded volunteers provides camaraderie, peer support and a sense of belonging often missing in their lives.
These continued service missions EMPOWER our Sheep Dogs to continue serving their communities and country in times of need.
When a natural disaster strikes, teams of skilled Sheep Dogs & volunteers deploy to provide immediate "impact assistance" to devastated communities through chainsaw work, tree & debris removal, muck-out operations, and other meaningful tasks.
Outdoor Adventures Program
To help our Sheep Dogs Get Off The Couch™ and stay active, SDIA offers Outdoor Adventures to ENGAGE them in physically challenging activities that foster camaraderie, peer support, and healing.
Our Outdoor Adventures include hunting & fishing trips, obstacle course races, skydiving, scuba diving, hiking and many more activities. For our sponsored Sheep Dogs (those injured in combat or the line of duty), these adventures help them “Get Off The Couch”, test their rehabilitation progress, restore independence and self-confidence, and support living an active lifestyle. These opportunities for camaraderie and peer support are vital to inspiring a positive state of mind and perspective.
Warrior PATHH
Warrior PATHH (Progressive and Alternative Training for Helping Heroes) is the nation’s first non-clinical program designed to cultivate and facilitate Posttraumatic Growth (PTG). PTG occurs when a person turns adversity, trauma and other challenges into positive psychological change, enabling them to THRIVE not in spite of, but because of their experiences.
This training program focuses on Combat Veterans and First Responders struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and other challenges associated with trauma, giving them the training necessary to make peace with the past, live in the present, and plan for a great future. This enables them to transform times of deep struggle into profound strength and lifelong growth.
Where we work
Awards
Hire Vets Gold Award 2023
U.S. Dept. of Labor
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsTotal number of organization members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Emergency responders, Veterans, Adults, Military personnel
Related Program
Continued Service
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Through our Get Off The Couch programming, SDIA provides charitable services benefitting the overall well-being of our nation's Veterans and First Responders
Number of sponsored veterans and first responders who participated in outdoor adventures
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Emergency responders, Veterans, Adults, Military personnel
Related Program
Outdoor Adventures Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Each year Sheep Dog Impact Assistance sponsors veterans and first responders, injured in the line of duty on life changing outdoor adventures to help them get off the couch and re engaged in life.
Number of people given assistance during disaster response missions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Emergency responders, Veterans, Military personnel
Related Program
Continued Service
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
During disaster response missions, people were assisted by volunteers clearing trees and debris from homes, covering leaky roofs, and so much more.
Pounds of meals, food items, and emergency supplies distributed to communities during disaster response missions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Emergency responders, Veterans, Military personnel
Related Program
Continued Service
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
During disaster response missions, volunteers distribute much needed meals, food items, and emergency supplies to residents impacted.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) exists to engage, assist and empower our nation's "Sheep Dogs" (Veterans, Law Enforcement, Fire and Rescue, and EMS personnel) to get off the couch and reengage in living active, meaningful and productive lives, and reduce suicides in Veteran and First Responder communities.
By gathering together Sheep Dogs who have suffered similar experiences and traumas for physical activities, camaraderie & healing (Outdoor Adventures), training to transform struggle into strength and posttraumatic growth (Warrior PATHH), and continued service opportunities (disaster response and local community projects), a Sheep Dogs’ innate desire to serve is again fulfilled. When Sheep Dogs #GetOffTheCouch together, their attitude and perspective are drastically improved, and many find healing and a renewed sense of purpose, which can lead to preventing suicides in the Veteran and First Responder communities.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
These heroes have an innate desire to serve and their service gives purpose to their lives. While our programs apply to all Veterans and First Responders, it is particularly impactful for those who have been injured in combat or the line of duty and/or cannot serve the way the did in the past. For these Sheep Dogs, their purpose has been taken away and they often lose the camaraderie and sense of belonging that is vital to their well-being.
By gathering together "Sheep Dogs" who have suffered similar traumas and experiences, SDIA has found that the camaraderie and peer support they receive fosters healing and is critical to their overall well-being. When Sheep Dogs #GetOffTheCouch, their attitude, motivation and perspective are drastically improved.
PROGRAMS:
• OUTDOOR ADVENTURES - To help our Sheep Dogs Get Off The Couch™ and stay active, SDIA offers Outdoor Adventures to ENGAGE them in physically challenging activities that foster camaraderie, peer support, and healing. Our Outdoor Adventures include hunting & fishing trips, obstacle course races, skydiving, scuba diving, hiking and many more activities.
• WARRIOR PATHH is the nation’s first non-clinical transformative, Posttraumatic Growth (PTG)-based mental wellness training program designed to ASSIST Sheep Dogs in learning how to use their past trauma and experiences to achieve PTG and launch themselves into living their best lives. PTG offers hope that they can THRIVE, not in spite of but because of their experiences.
• CONTINUED SERVICE - disaster response is what SDIA was founded on and it continues to be our primary Continued Service opportunity. Other opportunities to serve are found within each community and include assisting with events, cleaning/maintaining parks, distributing food & water, and other local needs. These missions EMPOWER our Sheep Dogs to continue serving their communities and country in times of need.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
SDIA was founded by a Marine, SgtMaj Lance Nutt, in 2010, and he continues to be the driving force behind all we do. The National Office Staff consists of 12 people - all Sheep Dogs themselves or spouses of Sheep Dogs. We have 27 Teams & Chapters across the United States, all led by Sheep Dogs who volunteer their time. In addition, we have more than 50,000 members, volunteers, and like-minded supporters nationwide, and continue to grow annually.
In our 11 years, SDIA has impacted nearly than 18,000 Sheep Dogs through 190 Outdoor Adventures and 329 Disaster Response Missions. With SDIA facilitating the Warrior PATHH training program, we will improve the lives of hundreds more Veterans and First Responders each year.
SDIA recently purchased 50 acres of property just over the Arkansas border in Pineville, Missouri. This property - named Heroes Ranch at Rush Springs - is being used to conduct Outdoor Adventures and is the new home for our Warrior PATHH training program.
Heroes Ranch at Rush Springs has two existing Lodges (LCpl Anthony Darbonne Lodge & Senior Chief Joseph Paul Engleman Lodge) and Heroes Ranch Stables. The Darbonne Lodge is used for Outdoor Adventures (OA) participants, and Engleman Lodge houses the Warrior PATHH offices as well as lodging for instructors/staff, a yoga/fitness studio, and meditation room.
On Veterans Day, November 11, 2021, we officially broke ground on the Warrior PATHH Training Facility on the hill overlooking Heroes Ranch. The Warrior PATHH Training Facility will be a multi-use building with a classroom, large kitchen and dining area, a lounge and dorm rooms to house students and participants. The grounds also include an archery range, labyrinth, and hiking/walking paths, with Heroes Garden planned for the spring of 2022.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
SDIA was founded in 2010, and since that time we have grown from solely deploying on disaster response missions as a way to continue serving. We now also help Sheep Dogs #GetOffTheCouch through our Outdoor Adventures program, and in 2021 began facilitating the Warrior PATHH training program to help them transform their struggle into strength. To date more than 31,000 Sheep Dogs (Veterans and First Responders) have seen improvements in their daily lives through their interaction with SDIA and their participation in our programs.
Outdoor Adventures: 2,494 Sheep Dogs have been engaged and sponsored on 190 Outdoor Adventures, including 12 major/national trips.
Warrior PATHH Training: 8 courses completed in our first year (2021), assisting 111 Sheep Dogs in learning to turn their struggles into strength through posttraumatic growth and launching themselves into living their best lives.
Continued Service: 5,411 SDIA Volunteers were empowered and have deployed on disaster response/community project missions, assisting 64,980 people. Volunteers helped by tarping 361 structures, clearing 2,744 trees and tons of debris from 1,230 properties. Volunteers also distributed: 335,921lbs of food, 7,373 cases of water and 18,852lbs of hygiene, cleaning and miscellaneous supplies.
Through other assistance/resources, more than 9,100 Sheep Dogs in need and their families, including 1,000+ First Responders, received Thanksgiving meals, Christmas gifts and/or gift cards. Resource referrals and other assistance was provided to 900 Veterans, First Responders, and their families.
TOTAL DONATIONS: $9,956,062+ ($6,502,296+ Cash Donations, $3,453,766+ Product/In-Kind Donations)
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
SHEEP DOG IMPACT ASSISTANCE
Board of directorsas of 02/19/2024
SgtMaj Lance Nutt
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance
Term: 2014 - 2025
Andy Bossler
SDIA/Broadway Contracting
Tammy Engle
SDIA/Arvest
Josh Smartt
SDIA/Carolina Concrete Designs
Dr. Richard Becker
SDIA/Bio Innovations
Daniel Boone
SDIA/ Legendary Headwear -President & General Manager
Joe Donaldson
SDIA/ Owner / President at Sam's Furniture
Michael Harris
SDIA/ Veteran Industrial Supply
Jayme Lingo
SDIA Event & Fundraising Director
Aaron Mankin
Tracy Default
Walmart
Noah Galloway
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/12/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.