SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Face the Fight™ has released its first annual impact report demonstrating the effect that organizations and nonprofits together can have on saving veteran lives through suicide prevention efforts. The report also shares the initiative’s founding story and how the supporting research and insights led to the approach.
“What we’ve learned over the past year is just how powerful reaching out and connecting with someone can be,” said Wayne Peacock, president and CEO of USAA. “We’ve heard stories of those who’ve connected with old friends, battle buddies and loved ones; they’re building a sense of community and purpose – and actively breaking the stigma that asking for help is a weakness. Through Face the Fight, we’re raising awareness and answering the call for veterans who need us now more than ever.”
Launched in June 2023 by founding partners USAA, Reach Resilience and the Humana Foundation, Face the Fight has made strides by bringing together like-minded organizations to help reduce veteran suicide through a multi-pronged approach that includes charitable giving, public education and awareness.
More than $85 million has been pledged through 2027 from the founding partners and many other private organizations and donors.
“Face the Fight is different because it engages the private sector to grow efforts that complement work already being done by the VA, DoD and many others,” said Katy Dondanville, a clinical psychologist at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) and chief scientific advisor for the initiative. “Our teams put nearly two years of research and strategic planning into this initiative, and we continue to evolve our approach with insights from Face the Fight Scientific Advisory Committee that provides deep expertise around veteran suicide prevention.”
Through guidance from UT Health San Antonio, the nonprofits funded through the first round of grantmaking include Cohen Veterans Network, Stop Soldier Suicide, The Headstrong Project, the University of Washington Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery and The Ohio State University Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative for Veterans. These organizations have shown early impact by:
- Screening nearly 15,000 veterans for suicide risk.
- Providing more than 5,000 veterans with suicide-specific interventions.
- Training 130 mental health clinicians to deliver suicide-specific treatments.
- Training over 140 mental health clinicians and peers to talk with veterans about voluntary, safe and secure storage of firearms at times of distress.
- Provided 10 new expert, national trainers in suicide-specific treatment.
In addition to the five initial nonprofit recipients, 14 nonprofits received funding in September 2023 and six nonprofits were funded in April 2024, including Center for Deployment Psychology, Endeavors, RAND, Institute for Veteran and Military Families, University of Colorado and Worried About a Veteran. To date, Face the Fight has provided over $12 million in philanthropic grantmaking.
Amplifying the grantmaking is the coalition of more than 175 organizations and nonprofits that have brought a vast network of relationships with the military service organization ecosystem, as well as with corporate America, nonprofits and government. The Elizabeth Dole Foundation (EDF) has helped to manage and grow the coalition with their storied expertise. Additionally, EDF has helped provide critical guidance for how the organizations work together and act as a force to drive awareness of the crucial goal of Face the Fight, broaden the conversation about the problem and provide actionable ways to help prevent it.
To read the full 2023 Face the Fight progress report and learn more about the efforts, visit www.wefacethefight.org. Follow @wefacethefight on Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
About Face the Fight™
Launched in June 2023 by founding partners USAA, Reach Resilience and the Humana Foundation, Face the Fight has made strides by bringing together like-minded organizations to help reduce veteran suicide through a multi-pronged approach that includes charitable giving, public education and awareness. Face the Fight is committed to supporting every veteran, regardless of their unique needs and challenges, and aspires to reduce veteran suicide in half by 2030.
