3d Battalion, 11th Marines (3/11) Foundation

In order to better fulfill our mission to serve Marine Wounded Warriors, their families, and other Marines in need, the 3/11 Foundation aims to use existing funds to provide whatever is needed to make the Marine Wounded Warriors’ time at SAMMC more comfortable. At the same time, the Foundation supports their families in crisis situations, by providing temporary housing and food, and in an ongoing manner through holiday banquets and other activities until their Marine Wounded Warriors are discharged or returned to active duty. With additional funds, the Foundation will be able to help Marine Wounded Warriors of every generation when made aware of their needs.

The 3/11 Foundation has created a secure website and is working to draw more donors to the site through Key Words, tools like “Get Found,” etc. The Foundation also created a Facebook page and plans to use other social media like Instagram to give the Foundation exposure to a broader population. The Board of Directors hands out business cards that include the Foundation’s mission on the back, and we are working on a brochure to send to corporate donors and to non-profits that offer grants.

The 3/11 Foundation has an outstanding pro-bono Webmaster who continues to improve our website; an active, pro-bono Board of Directors and Advisers; a generous 3d Battalion, 11th Marines (3/11) Association that established and continues to support the 3/11 Foundation through donations; and no paid staff. Therefore, the Foundation has very little overhead except when it is necessary to engage a CPA. We are free to be creative and to find new ways to grow the Foundation.

Even before the 3d Battalion, 11th Marines (3/11) Foundation became a 501(c)(3) in October 2013, the 3/11 Association that established the Foundation provided a golf cart for the Marine Wounded Warrior Detachment at SAMMC to transport Marine Wounded Warriors to and from their appointments at Brooke Army Medical Center and at the Intrepid Center and other rehab facilities in a timely manner. The Foundation’s current Treasurer, who lives in San Antonio, provided shadow boxes at her own expense to recuperated Marines prior to their discharge, making them feel special rather than having them leave the Marine Corps with just their discharge papers in hand.
After the Foundation was established as a 501(c)(3), we continued to provide shadow boxes, as well as useful items such as a microwave and other kitchen items for the Marine Wounded Warriors to use in the Detachment Annex. The Foundation also provided meals for the Marines’ families upon arrival in San Antonio and created special events such as Thanksgiving dinners and Easter celebrations for the families and Marine Wounded Warriors during their recuperation and recovery. The Foundation’s mission was most dramatically demonstrated following a serious accident at Camp Pendleton in which several Marines were seriously burned and evacuated to Brooke Army Medical Center at SAMMC for treatment. During this crucial time, the 3/11 Foundation welcomed the families and provided them food and temporary housing when they arrived in San Antonio.
The Foundation also partnered with another non-profit to provide a playscape at the Detachment Annex for the children of the Marine Wounded Warriors, as well as a barbecue grill for the Marines and families to use. In 2019, the Foundation purchased a second golf cart to replace the aging one from 2011 to transport Marine Wounded Warriors to and from their appointments. After a severe storm damaged all of the trees that previously provided cover for the outdoor pavilion, it became exposed and unusable in summer and inclement weather. Therefore, the Foundation’s next project is to raise funds to provide a canopy over the picnic tables and grill so the pavilion can be used in hot and inclement weather. The Foundation has also formed a Board committee to consider a suicide prevention effort.