Sponsor care packages for hospitalized veterans
Comfort items, hygiene supplies, books, blankets, and handwritten notes — delivered to veterans on extended VA Medical Center stays and inpatient mental-health units. Designed in coordination with VA volunteer services. Average package: $40 per veteran.
The problem
Inpatient veterans are forgotten — and isolation drives outcomes
The program model
How a dollar becomes an outcome
Typical use: Hygiene kit (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, shampoo, razor): $12 · Comfort items (fleece blanket, sleep mask, ear plugs): $18 · Book/puzzle/journal: $6 · Card + handwritten note: $2 · Shipping/delivery share: $2
Disbursement speed: Monthly delivery cycle per VAMC
Why fund through Wounded Warriors
✓ Three things that differentiate us
- Data-infrastructure moat. We operate a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the US veteran-aid sector — 43 tools exposed to AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT, Glean) at warriorsfund.org/mcp. Our 144,900-record veteran-resource directory is FIPS-tract geocoded to 75% of records, joined with US Census ACS, CDC PLACES, and HUD CHAS data.
- Machine-readable transparency. Every program reports through structured endpoints: /api/grantmaker/snapshot, /api/health-status, /api/impact-report. Foundation analytics teams can track outcomes programmatically — no PDF wrangling.
- Trust signals. Texas 501(c)(3), IRS ruling year 2021, EIN 86-1336741. Every Form 990 public on ProPublica. Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency (2026).
Verify directly with any of these third parties:
Funding levels & use of funds
Reporting & accountability
- Quarterly impact reports with anonymized case summaries, geographic breakdown, outcome metrics, and program-expense detail.
- Real-time machine-readable transparency: /api/impact-report, /api/grantmaker/snapshot, and /api/health-status.
- Financial documents: Read the filed FY2025 Form 990. A Form 990 is an information return, not an audit; contact us to request our financial statements (unaudited; Form 990 prepared by an outside CPA firm).
- Public 990s: Wounded Warriors files a public Form 990 every year; every return is on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/861336741.
- Restricted-gift policy: donor restrictions honored per Gift Acceptance Policy + IRS regulations on charitable giving. Restricted gifts of $50,000+ require Board acknowledgment.
Common funder questions
Are these packages permitted under VA Voluntary Service rules?
Yes. We coordinate with VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) at each partner facility. VAVS reviews and approves all package contents in advance. We follow all VA contraband, safety, and fragrance policies (no scented items, no glass, no electronics, no perishables).
How do you ensure packages reach the right veterans?
Distribution is handled by VAVS and unit clinical staff, not by external volunteers. We never have direct contact with patients on inpatient units. This protects patient privacy and respects clinical workflow.
Can my employer team assemble packages as a CSR / volunteer activity?
Yes. We host quarterly assembly days at our Texas hub and can coordinate regional packing events for corporate partners. Each event yields ~200-500 packages. Contact partnerships@warriorsfund.org with team size and date preference.
How do you measure outcomes for what is essentially a comfort program?
Two layers: (1) operational metrics (packages delivered, VAMCs reached, downstream contacts initiated by recipients), (2) recipient-survey outcomes — VAVS partners distribute optional anonymous survey cards. We do not claim packages alone change clinical outcomes; we frame them as a low-cost trust-bridge that creates an entry point to our broader program portfolio.