Semper Fi Fund

Updated on Oct 04, 2024

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Founded May 17, 2004 Type 501(c)(3) corporation		Founder Karen Guenther

Purpose To provide immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to wounded, critically ill and injured post-9/11 service members and their families from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Headquarters Camp Pendleton, California Expenses The Semper Fi Fund maintains extremely low overhead: less than 6% on average since its inception. This is a large part of why the organization gets the highest ratings from charity watchdogs.

Semper Fi 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 “immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to post-9/11 wounded, critically ill and injured (service) members, and their families from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces, ensuring that they have the resources they need during their recovery and transition back to their communities.” The Semper Fi Fund provides relief of financial needs that arise during hospitalization and recovery.

Formation

The Semper Fi 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 and a specialized van for a catastrophically injured Marine.

Incorporation

The nonprofit was officially incorporated as the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund on May 17, 2004. 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 Semper Fi Fund and served in this position until November 2014.

First donation

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

Milestones

On April 25, 2005, Cookie Magazine announced that Semper Fi Fund Founder, President and CEO Karen Guenther and co-founders Wendy Lethin and Sondria Saylor, were recipients of the first-ever Smart Cookie Awards, which recognize and support mothers in the business, philanthropy, and celebrity worlds who are making outstanding contributions to women's and children's causes around the globe. Other recipients included Mariska Hargitay, Marcia Gay Harden and Cynthia Nixon.

In June 2007, the Semper Fi Fund announced that it had raised and given away more than $50 million in assistance to service members and their families.

On November 19, 2007, the Semper Fi Fund received the Spirit of Hope Award at a Pentagon ceremony in which all branches of the service were recognized. The award, which was established by the Hope Family Foundation in 1997 in honor of Bob Hope, is for patriotism and service reflecting the essence of Bob Hope’s dedication to those in the Armed Forces.

On June 9, 2012, the Semper Fi Fund announced the creation of America’s Fund, a self-funded program of the Semper Fi Fund created to direct urgently needed resources and financial support to injured and critically ill members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

In February 2013, Karen Guenther was named Marine Corps Spouse of the Year. (She had previously been nominated for 2011 Military Spouse of the Year.) In an interview on CBS This Morning on July 4, 2013, Guenther noted that since beginning the Semper Fi Fund in 2004 with $500, the organization had raised $101 million.

In fiscal year 2013, the Semper Fi Fund provided 15,545 grants totaling $14,559,793 to 5,472 service members and families while the America’s Fund program provided 578 grants totaling $1,151,777.

On September 20, 2014, Karen Guenther was named an Honorary Marine by General James F. Amos, 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps.

On November 17, 2014, Karen Guenther received the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award in a ceremony at the Pentagon.

On January 28, 2015, the Semper Fi Fund announced they had crossed the $100 million mark in providing assistance to wounded, critically ill and injured service members and their families.

In fiscal year 2015, the Semper Fi Fund provided 19,932 grants totaling $18,787,000 to 4,900 service members and their families., up from 160 reported in its 2013 annual report.

Operating overhead

The organization maintains an operating overhead of 6%.

Programs and Assistance

As of early-2016, The Semper Fi Fund provides more than a dozen types of assistance to wounded, critically ill and injured service members. These include:

Service member and family support assistance programs

Designed to help service members by making sure family members can be by the bedside to help facilitate recovery, helping with a wide range of assistance when the service member returns home and providing assistance when a service member suffers a recovery setback that means a return to the hospital. Grants for housing, transportation and adaptive equipment also fall into this category. In fiscal year 2014, the Semper Fi Fund provided family support grants to approximately 2,800 recipients.

Semper Fi Kids Camp

A week-long camp in which children of wounded, injured and critically ill service members are paired with high school student mentors. In its 2015 annual report, the Semper Fi Fund reported 171 campers and mentors participating in the program.

Transitional assistance programs

Designed to provide financial assistance during the transition from military to civilian life. They also include a variety of programs and services to address the long-term and sometimes lifelong effects of the service member’s injuries. In fiscal year 2014, the Semper Fi Fund provided transitional and long-term assistance grants to approximately 2,600 recipients.

Semper Fi Odyssey Camp

A six-day, holistic transition assistance program in which participants get help transitioning into civilian life by learning about life-planning skills, establishing goals, employment resources, and balancing mental, emotional, physical and spiritual needs. In its 2015 annual report, the Semper Fi Fund reported 318 service members participating in the Camp, up from 170 reported in its 2013 annual report.

Veterans 2 Veterans

An integrated transition program that trains and empowers veterans (known as Veteran Leads) to help other veterans make a smoother transition back to civilian life.

Sports and competition support programs

Consolidated under the name the Peter Murphy Semper Fi Fund Sports Program, named for Peter Murphy, Semper Fi Fund board member and Counsel to the Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1984 to 2004, who passed away on November 15, 2013. These Recovery Through Sport programs are designed to provide encouragement and motivation through recreational sports and competitive events and give service members critical relationships that contribute to healthy recovery. In fiscal year 2014, the Semper Fi Fund provided sports and competition grants to 2,277 recipients through the Team Semper Fi program.

Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund

The Semper Fi Fund website describes Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund as follows: "Made up of servicemen and women who have overcome significant challenges in their service to our country, and have embraced the fighting, athletic spirit on their road to recovery. Service members dealing with life changing injuries, traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress, or critical illness are encouraged to join Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund. They are an inspiration to us all but, more importantly, they are an inspiration to their fellow service members who are also traveling down the road to recovery."

In its 2015 annual report, the Semper Fi Fund reported making 3,710 grants to Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund members, up from 2,277 in 2013.

Specific Assistance

Specific assistance made in fiscal year 2015 and reported by the Semper Fi Fund in its 2015 annual report includes:

1,602 grants issued for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury devices (up from 541 in 2013)

681 grants issued for critical illness support (up from 564 in 2013)

568 grants issued for Tim & Sandy Day Canine Companions (up from 198 in 2013)

546 grants issued for Alpha-Stim devices

489 grants issued for caregiver support

266 grants issued for therapeutic furniture

187 grants issued for adaptive home modifications and repairs (an example of the Fund's work in this area was featured in February 2016 on The Today Show)

86 grants issued for adaptive vehicles

Boston Marathon bombing survivors

In the aftermath of the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, the Semper Fi Fund paid for a group of veterans to travel to Boston to assist the survivors of the bombings with information and moral support. 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.” The organization began a separate fundraising effort, the Boston Marathon Relief Fund.

Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation

On November 10, 2015, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, with support from GoDaddy, announced the 10 Makes 20 Challenge, one of the largest matching campaigns in the history of veteran nonprofits. Through December 31, 2015, donations made to the Semper Fi Fund and America’s Fund will be matched by The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $10 million—meaning a potential $20 million can be raised for the Semper Fi Fund

On January 9, 2015, the Semper Fi Fund announced that a year-ending fundraising challenge in conjunction with GoDaddy and the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation had raised $12 million.

On January 7, 2014, the Semper Fi Fund announced that a two-month fundraising challenge in conjunction with GoDaddy and the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation had raised $5 million.

On October 10, 2013, the Semper Fi Fund announced that it had received a $1 million donation from the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

On December 8, 2012, GoDaddy announced that GoDaddy and The Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation presented the Semper Fi Fund with checks totaling $2 million.

Additional major donations

On September 27, 2013, the Semper Fi Fund announced that it had received more than $1 million from Ride430, a group of 54 bicycle riders who make an annual 430-mile fundraising ride.

On October 17, 2011, the Home Depot Foundation announced a $500,000 grant to the Semper Fi Fund.

On March 7, 2011, the Semper Fi Fund announced it had received a $2 million donation from television personality Bob Barker.

Former WNBA player Lisa Leslie is competing for this charity on The New Celebrity Apprentice.

Charity Navigator

Provided the Semper Fi Fund with a four-star rating for fiscal year ending June 2014 (the sixth consecutive year the rating was provided; only 3% of rated charities achieve six or more consecutive 4-star evaluations), reflecting scores of 100 out of 100 for accountability and transparency and 96.77 out of 100 for financial performance. These rankings placed the Semper Fi Fund at the very top of Charity Navigator’s list of charities performing similar types of work.

CharityWatch

Gives the Semper Fi Fund an A+ rating, listing the organization 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.”

Daniel Borochoff, founder and president of CharityWatch, has said this about the Semper Fi 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.”

GuideStar

Recognizes the Semper Fi Fund as a Silver-level GuideStar Exchange participant. According to the GuideStar website, this indicates that the nonprofit is “demonstrating its commitment to transparency.” As of February 2016, 36 personal reviews on GuideStar provided the Semper Fi Fund with an average rating of five stars.

References

Semper Fi Fund Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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