CARING FOR MILITARY FAMILIES THE ELIZABETH DOLE FOUNDATION
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation works to support and advocate with more than 5.5 million military and veteran caregivers and more than 2.3 million children and adolescents living in veteran caregiver homes. Too many caregivers, their veterans and their families remain isolated without systemic support and are among some of the most vulnerable populations in the U.S.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Dole Caregiver Fellows
The Dole Caregiver Fellows program gives our hidden heroes a national voice. Our Fellows, who are actively caring for wounded warriors, play a lead role in raising awareness and advocating for military caregivers nationwide. Now a 50-state initiative, this program engages family members and other loved ones as advisors and advocates, who activate their communities to address caregivers’ challenges on local and national platforms.
Hidden Heroes Caregiver Community (HHCC)
This online support group creates a positive and healthy place for military caregivers of all eras to connect with one another. Military caregivers moderate the HHCC and offer a secure, welcoming environment for others to share their stories, seek advice, and find a shared understanding.
Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties
With 150+ communities signed on, this program invites cities and counties across the nation to join the Foundation and its national partners in identifying caregivers in their midst and creating local networks of support.
Respite Relief Program
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have joined together to create a new program, Respite Relief for Military and Veteran Caregivers, which offers family caregivers of veterans or service members access to free, short-term relief with the help of in-home care professionals.
CareLinx provided a generous contribution to launch the first phase of this program and issued a call for others to join. AARP and other partners are responding to this call to support military and veteran caregivers during this challenging time. Thanks to a contribution from Wounded Warrior Project, the Respite Relief program is available nationwide.
Hidden Helpers Coalition
Hidden Helpers Coalition
The Foundation has teamed up with Wounded Warrior Project ® (WWP) and the Biden Administration’s Joining Forces to build the Hidden Helpers Coalition, a key element of the initiative, which will call on partners to pledge to take action that fills the gaps in support and services for military caregiver kids and youth. More than 60 organizations in the military and veteran arena have pledged their support to uplift the voices of America’s youngest heroes.
Upon reviewing the Hidden Helpers research findings, the Coalition members have committed to over 40 new programs and initiatives to better support the needs of military and veteran families. This list of commitments, which can be found here, will continue to grow.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of verified military and veteran caregivers registering with Hidden Heroes
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Family relationships
Related Program
Hidden Heroes Caregiver Community (HHCC)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of caregivers engaged in online community.
Number of communities (cities, states, counties) registered with Hidden Heroes Cities and Communities program.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Hidden Heroes Caregiver Community (HHCC)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
States, counties, and cities registered with Hidden Heroes by issuing an official proclamation.
Number of healthcare professionals completing training with the Academy for Inclusive Care.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Healthcare providers (VA and non-VA) completing the four modules on Inclusive Care, available on Public Health Foundation's TRAIN system and VA's private training platform.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn 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?
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation believes that the best way to support a healthy wounded, ill, or injured veteran is to support their caregiver. In the U.S., there are more than 5.5 million caregivers and more than 2.3 million children and youth living in these households. Too many caregivers struggle without support - without even recognizing the value and importance of their commitment to their veteran. In fact, without self-identification, which can bring caregivers into a community of peers, supports, and resource, too many caregivers struggle with isolation, financial strain, and emotional burden.
Through our efforts, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation aligns its work along these four long-term goals.
Caregiving families access programming and support that help families thrive
Systems of care recognize the value of caregivers and their amilies
Communities across America recognize and support caregivers, veterans, and their families
New products and services implemented based on research findings focused on caregivers and their families
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Provide Direct Support for Caregivers & Their Families
- Financial Assistance and Financial Wellness
- Mental and Emotional Health
- Information and Referral
Build & Support a National Network of Caregiver Inclusive Communities
- Dole Caregiver Fellows and Alumni Programs
- Hidden Hero Communities
- Hidden Heroes Online Peer Community
Transform & Improve National Systems of Care
- Campaign for Inclusive Care
- Hidden Helpers Coalition
- Policy and Awareness Building
Consistent Investment in Innovation and Research
- Research Investments
- Mapping Caregiver Journeys
- Special Projects
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
EDF continues to invest in understanding and responding to the needs of America's caregivers and their veterans. The Elizabeth Dole Foundation was founded in 2012, by Senator Elizabeth Dole with a mission to support military and veteran caregivers. Today, more than 25 full time and part time individuals work every day to support this mission. Our diverse staff includes four caregivers, including three former Dole Fellows. Our offices are located in Washington, DC.
EDF is led by our CEO, Steve Schwab, who works with our 14-member board of directors. Senator Elizabeth Dole is the Chair of the Board.
EDF is funded primarily through corporate and private foundation grants, and the individual donations from more than 7,000 supporters. In 2023, our annual operating budget was $9M. EDF’s signature annual gala – History and Hero Makers is held annually in the fall in Washington, DC, raising much need funds and awareness of our work for and with caregivers and their families.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Provide Direct Support for Caregivers & Their Families
• Financial Assistance and Financial Wellness: EDF provides small grants to caregivers in financial distress. Funds are payable to vendors and have been used to pay down mortgages, dental and medical expenses for non-Veteran family members, car repairs, and appliance replacement. Recognizing the need to help caregivers understand how best to manage their finances, EDF also offers workshops, seminars, and resources for caregivers on budgeting, long-term planning, and retirement.
• Mental and Emotional Health: This is a group wellness workshop for caregivers. The workshops run for 6 weeks following a curriculum based on the mental wellness framework developed by EDF and caregivers.
• Information and Referral: Caregivers seeking assistance and information have access to a single point of contact for information and referral.
Build & Support a National Network of Caregiver Inclusive Communities
• Dole Caregiver Fellows and Alumni Programs: Dole Caregiver Fellows are community and peer leaders for their fellow military caregivers in their home states and across the nation. EDF trains and supports Fellows to share their stories, build supportive programs in their communities, and engage with leaders across all sectors of their states to increase awareness and systems change to support caregivers where they live. They also advise EDF, its coalition partners, and community leaders on the most pressing issues facing military caregivers and assist in the development of new programs.
• Hidden Hero Communities: To inspire participation, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation established the Hidden Heroes Communities a growing network of nearly 200 cities and counties dedicated to streamlining services to military caregivers and sharing best practices.
• Hidden Heroes Online Peer Community: To inspire participation, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation established the Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties program, a growing network of over 150 cities and counties dedicated to streamlining services to military caregivers and sharing best practices.
Transform & Improve National Systems of Care
• Campaign for Inclusive Care: The Campaign for Inclusive Care is a groundbreaking partnership with the Veterans Administration to educate and train VA clinicians to engage caregivers from day one as partners in the health, wellness, and recovery of our nation’s veterans. By making Inclusive Care the standard of care adopted and practiced throughout the VA, not only will veteran’s care improve, but caregiver wellbeing will improve, and healthcare provider job satisfaction will increase.
• Hidden Helpers Coalition: Like the structure of the Campaign for Inclusive Care, the Hidden Helpers Coalition work is assigned to an Elizabeth Dole Foundation staff member. Co-leaders of the Coalition (EDF and Wounded Warrior Project) oversee a diverse and growing coalition that includes participation from nonprofits, corporations, philanthropic
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 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 find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
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
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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
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CARING FOR MILITARY FAMILIES THE ELIZABETH DOLE FOUNDATION
Board of directorsas of 10/16/2023
Senator Elizabeth Dole
Sanford D. Greenberg
Chairman of the Board of Governors, Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute; Trustee Emeritus, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Stewart McLaurin
President, The White House Historical Association
Joel A. Kobert
Managing Partner, Lavery, Selvaggi, Abromitis & Cohen, P.C.
Michael Steel
Partner, Hamilton Place Strategies
Aristede Collins
Vice President, Chief of Staff to the President and Secretary of the University, The George Washington University
Phil Roe, MD
Retired, Former Congressman and Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee
Robin Portman
Board Member, Westat Corp; former CEO, Atlas Research LLC; former Executive Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton
Jeffrey Divney
Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Transactions, Privacy, ERISA, Environmental, IP, and Real Estate Law, Lockheed Martin Corporation
John Hughes
Senior Vice President, Government and Industry Relations, USAA
Patrick Mellody
Senior Advisor, Journalists for Human Rights
Kimberly Mingo
Vice President of Government Business & Strategy, Philips
Ali Zelenko
Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives at NBC News & Head of Strategic Partnerships at NBC News Studios
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? Not applicable
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
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/27/2022GuideStar 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 disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- 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.