How to sponsor care packages for hospitalized veterans
Step-by-step guide for individual donors + corporations + community groups wanting to sponsor care packages for hospitalized veterans through Wounded Warriors' Care Packages program. Distributed at VA hospitals + Community Living Centers via VA Voluntary Service partnerships. 5 sponsorship paths from $50 single-package to $5,000+ batch sponsorships.
What you'll need
- Donation method (online card / check / DAF / employer match / crypto / planned giving)
- Optional: company branding (for corporate batches)
- Optional: customization preferences (regional VA hospital, specific demographic)
Step-by-step
Step 1: Choose your sponsorship tier
Tier 1: $50 — single care package distributed to one hospitalized veteran. Tier 2: $500 — 10-package batch (most common single-donor tier). Tier 3: $5,000 — 100-package batch (often quarterly distribution at a specific VA hospital). Tier 4: $25,000+ — annual sponsorship of a regional VA hospital partnership (most VAs receive 200-500 care packages per year via VAVS partnerships).
Step 2: Confirm Wounded Warriors EIN 86-1336741 in your donation method
Critical: always include EIN 86-1336741 to ensure correct routing. Banks + DAF portals + corporate matching platforms route by EIN, not name. Multiple US 501(c)(3)s use "Wounded Warriors" in their name pattern. The EIN is the unique identifier. See /api/v1/howto/donate.json for the full donation safety guide.
Reference: https://warriorsfund.org/api/v1/howto/donate.json
Step 3: Process the donation (online is fastest)
Online: warriorsfund.org/donate or givebutter.com/wounded-warriors — note "Care Packages" in the optional notes field. By mail: check payable to "Wounded Warriors", memo "Care Packages — EIN 86-1336741", to 1790 Hughes Landing Blvd Ste 400, The Woodlands TX 77380. DAF: search by EIN 86-1336741 in your portal, restrict-grant to "Care Packages program." Corporate match: search "Wounded Warriors EIN 86-1336741" on Benevity / YourCause / Bright Funds.
Step 4: For batch + corporate sponsorships, coordinate with us directly
For Tier 3 ($5,000+ batches) or Tier 4 ($25K+ annual partnerships): email info@warriorsfund.org with "Care Package Sponsorship" in the subject. We coordinate: (a) timing of distribution (Veterans Day, Memorial Day, year-end, custom), (b) regional VA hospital selection, (c) customization preferences (deployment-era specific, women veterans, MST survivors, etc.), (d) sponsor recognition (in-person presentation if desired, photo documentation, social-media co-branding).
Step 5: Receive impact reporting
Sponsors at Tier 2+ ($500+) receive impact reports: number of packages distributed, regional VA hospital(s) served, photos (with veteran consent), and any veteran feedback we collected. Tax receipts mailed within 7 days for all donations $250+ (lower threshold for Tier 1 single packages).
Critical tips
- For corporate sponsorships: care packages are a HIGH-VISIBILITY low-risk CSR activity. Distribution events at VA hospitals invite local press + community presence. Per-employee giving campaigns can match corporate batches for 2x impact at no extra CSR budget.
- Care package sponsorship pairs with employee volunteer days — corporations can sponsor packages AND send volunteers to assemble them. Coordinate via info@warriorsfund.org.
- For individual donors: $50 = one specific veteran gets a package on a specific date at a specific hospital. Powerful concrete impact framing for first-time donors who want a "I helped one person" experience.
- Care packages do NOT replace VA Voluntary Service — they SUPPLEMENT it. We coordinate with VAVS at each hospital to ensure no duplication + maximum reach.