Veteran Overland Foundation Inc
Hunt the Good Stuff
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We have found there is a wide range of Veterans in need. From post-traumatic stress to physical disabilities, to combat Vets who have no physical or mental issues at all. We also recognize there are Veterans who did not serve in combat but who are still feeling the void their service has left. There are also many children of Veterans or family members who are huge supporters of Veterans. All of them need connection. We feel connection is a powerful healer and understand the proven mental benefit of being outdoors. Overlanding provides us a platform where connection and being outdoors intersects.landing.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Vet Connect
A 1-3 day Overlanding one on one experience for a Veteran 4 times a year. This is our efforts to extend our reach outside Oregon by bringing a Vet to us, or us to the Vet.
Member Connection
4-7 times a year we will bring members together to connect with each other. This will include skill building, Overlanding, Outdoors and Healing efforts.
The Big Trip
Once a year we take 5-10 Veterans and their families on a 10-15 day Overlanding trip.
Toy Drive
Once a year we collect toys in support of Toys for Tots
Memorial Day Muster
A three day event over Memorial Day. Skill building, Overlanding, and healing activities provided.
Veterans Day
A two day camp over Veterans day
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Gerber Gear 2021
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of trips provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Veterans
Related Program
Vet Connect
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
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?
CONNECTION:
Veterans need to connect with like minded individuals. Veterans also need the support of civilian supporters. Otherwise we’d be alone.
The power of connection gives a reason to come outside, to send a text, to pick up the phone. To stay alive. Veterans need Veterans.
In most cases the power of connection is more effective than therapy or prescription drugs.
OUTDOORS:
The natural healing power of the outdoors has been proven to be an effective solution to metal health of all levels.
Documented advantages of outdoors and health:
Lowers blood pressure and reduces stress Improves mood
Improves focus
In addition: “H.R.2435 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans to report on and make recommendations regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for medical treatment and therapy for veterans.”
OVERLANDING:
The experience and platform to bring it all together.
The skills learned and maintained from First Aid, to technical vehicle recovery, to trip preparation are the very things Veterans are missing from military service, and in some cases missing from their life. This combined with an avenue to connect with their families make this a well suited activity for Veterans
Our five parallels of overlanding and military service: COMMUNITY - SKILL BUILDING - GEAR - ADVENTURE - RESILIENCE
RESILIENCE:
RESILIENCE IS THE STEP BEFORE SUICIDE PREVENTION
PSYCHOLOGISTS DEFINE RESILIENCE AS THE PROCESS OF ADAPTING WELL IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, TRAUMA, TRAGEDY, THREATS OR SIGNIFICANT SOURCES OF STRESS.
PROVEN WAYS IN BUILD YOUR RESILIENCE*:
PRIORITIZE RELATIONSHIPS | JOIN A GROUP | PRACTICE MINDFULNESS | AVOID NEGATIVE OUTLETS | HELP OTHERS MAINTAIN A HOPEFUL OUTLOOK
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
WELLBEING THROUGH RESILIENCE
CONNECTION + OUTDOORS + OVERLANDING =
RESILIENCE
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
10 events a year connecting Veterans and practicing Resilience. We have a staff of 5 unpaid volunteers (no salaries within the organization).
Most events that V/O organizes and operates are outdoors. Typical events are camping trips, overland style trips, "snow-wheeling" trips, off-roading day trips, overland rallies, and trail clean-up events. We do periodic indoor-ish events such as toy drives and "cars & coffee" type events.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
By far, they biggest wins are the small, often private conversations we have with members, participants, and followers that express the positive impact Veteran Overland has had on their lives. We love hearing about the connections that have been created and seeing those connections formulate and grow at our events. We have been surprised by the reach and impact the organization has had. We never dreamed V/O would become what it is and are very proud of the help it provides.
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, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, 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
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Veteran Overland Foundation Inc
Board of directorsas of 02/07/2024
MR. William Hardison
Veteran Overland Foundation Inc.
Term: 2019 -
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? Not applicable -
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
No data
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/07/2024GuideStar 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 analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- 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 disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- 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 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 measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- 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.