FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION, INC.
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ANNUAL REPORT
LETTER FROM KEN FISHER Dear Friends: I am so proud of what we have accomplished together. Thanks to your support, by the end of 2018, Fisher House has opened 79 Fisher Houses and provided more than 8.7 million nights of lodging for more than 368,000 military and veterans’ families. In fact, on any given night up to 1,080 families
OUR MISSION
could be staying at a Fisher House.
Fisher House Foundation, Inc. is an international not-for-profit organization established to
we’ve awarded nearly $20 million in scholarships.
improve the quality of life for members of the military, retirees, veterans and their families.
Behind these numbers, however, are thousands of individual stories. When a family member tells me
Our Hero Miles program has provided more than 74,000 airline tickets since it began in 2004, and
that being near her husband saved his life and she could never have done that without a Fisher House,
The Foundation builds comfort homes at military and VA medical centers and gifts them
I am touched beyond words.
to the government. It assists with the coordination of private support and encourages
Of course, Fisher House Foundation didn’t do it alone. Through the years, hundreds of thousands of
public support for the network of comfort homes known as “Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Houses.” It works to educate and inform the military and veterans’ communities, their families and the general public about Fisher Houses and provides necessary support to individual Fisher Houses as needed. Other quality-of-life programs include scholarships, a grants program for organizations with innovative plans for quality-of-life programs, the
individuals, companies, foundations and NGOs have contributed to making these dreams possible. Whether it’s donating airlines miles, volunteer hours, or funds, I’m honored to lead an organization Ken Fisher’s family joins in the groundbreaking for the two new Fisher Houses at the Bronx VA.
whose success has been a unified effort of the American people. In fact, there are few things in my life that bring me more pride and satisfaction than Fisher House Foundation. I know I speak for everyone at Fisher House when I say we will be here for as long as it takes. We will find and devote the resources given to us to get the job done. Why? Because today’s military and their families have rekindled love of country, true patriotism and respect for citizen
Hero Miles and Hotels for Heroes programs and individual assistance to members of the
service. It is the very least we can do for them.
military and their families during a crisis.
I thank you for helping make this possible. Because of you, we’ll continue our mission—together. With heartfelt gratitude,
Kenneth Fisher Chairman & CEO Fisher House Foundation, Inc.
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HERO MILES
HOTELS FOR HEROES
TELLING OUR STORY
The Hero Miles program uses donated airline
The Hotels for Heroes program uses donated hotel
RADIO
frequent flyer miles and funds to bring loved
points and funds to provide hotel rooms to families
Fisher House Foundation maintains powerful partnerships
ones to the bedside of wounded, injured and ill
of wounded, injured and ill military service members
with the nation’s radio stations. Created in-house, Fisher
service members.
who are undergoing treatment at authorized medical
House Foundation’s three-hour radio shows for news/talk
centers when a Fisher House room is not available.
and country stations tell stories about families who have stayed at Fisher Houses and about people who support the organization. More than 400 leading country and talk radio
2018 IMPACT: Tickets: 3,407
2018 IMPACT:
Cost savings to families: $2,913,562
Nights of lodging: 2,915
stations ran the shows. Donated airtime for the shows and public service announcements (PSAs) was valued at more than $4 million.
Cost savings to families: $609,676 SINCE PROGRAM INCEPTION IN 2004: Dignitaries gather for the ribbon cutting at the Dayton Fisher House.
Numbers of tickets booked: 74,241 Cost savings to families: $108,085,725
CONSTRUCTION Construction is ongoing for homes at:
our homes for military and veteran families. In 2018,
o James J. Peters VA Medical Center—Bronx, NY (two houses)
AIRLINES
o VA Palo Alto Health Care System—CA (second house)
American Airlines
o Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center—Ohio (two houses)
Frontier Airlines
o James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital—Tampa, FL (second house) o Orlando VA Medical Center—FL o Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Hospital—AK (second house)
o Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center— Richmond, VA (second house)
o Dayton VA Medical Center—Ohio
o VA Maine Healthcare System—Togus
Nearly 12,000 news stories mentioned Fisher House Foundation in 2018. Stories ran on such shows
SINCE PROGRAM INCEPTION IN 2012: Nights of lodging: 17,911
and channels as CNN, Fox News, Defense News, American Golfer, MSNBC, NBC Sports Network, E! Entertainment, The Daily Show, Comedy Central, Travel Channel, Tonight Show and many other local TV and radio stations. Additionally, stories were published in The Washington Post, USA Today, Good
Cost savings to families: $3,123,091
At the heart of Fisher House Foundation’s mission are we opened Fisher Houses at the following locations:
NEWS STORIES
Families served: 898
Housekeeping, and Associate Press, to name just a few.
Families served: 5,790
PATRIOT AND E-PATRIOT
Alaska Airlines
The power of storytelling also has an impact on the Foundation’s bottom line.
HOTELS
Delta Air Lines United Airlines
Airbnb
La Quinta Inns & Suites
Best Western
Marriott
Choice Hotels
Wyndham
Twice a year, The Patriot is sent out to 120,000 people. Of those, nearly 5,000 returned the envelopes inside the magazine with checks totaling $1.225 million. The e-Patriot goes out each month to 170,000 people who signed up to receive our newsletter. The e-Patriot brought in more than $83,000 in 2018. SOCIAL MEDIA AND WEB
o Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center— Albuquerque, NM
Fisher House Foundation has a strong social media and web presence. On Facebook, for example, the Foundation has 133,000 followers, and, in 2018, more than 400 fundraisers brought in $242,000. The website remains our strongest outreach platform, with more than 22,000
2018 IMPACT: 4
32,130 Families served by Fisher House
1,080 families Daily lodging capacity
$44 million
93,000
Saved costs to families in lodging and transportation
Volunteer hours valued at $2.3 million
people visiting fisherhouse.org each month. More than 2/3 of donations made to Fisher House Foundation are made through the website.
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FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
OUR SUPPORTERS
WARRIOR GAMES
INVICTUS GAMES
TEAM FISHER HOUSE
At Fisher House, we strive to maintain the highest
For the 9th year, Fisher House Foundation supported
Since the inception of the Invictus Games in 2014,
2018 marked Team Fisher House’s 13th year. More
financial responsibility to the thousands of donors
the Warrior Games, a weeklong competition where
Fisher House Foundation has been a major supporter
than 250 dedicated runners raised $433,000 and
who support us each year. For the 14th consecutive
more than 200 wounded, injured and ill service
of the event. Most importantly, Fisher House has
engaged thousands of new donors. This year the
year, the Foundation received a four-star rating from
members and veterans competed in paralympic sports
played a critical role in the Family and Friends Program,
Team Signature Races included Big Sur International
Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent
in Colorado Springs, Colo. Additionally, the Foundation
ensuring that the families of our U.S. athletes could be
Marathon, Army Ten-Miler, Marine Corps Marathon and
evaluator of charities. The Foundation also holds an
helped run the Warrior Games Family Program and
there to cheer on their injured or ill service members.
the TCS New York City Marathon.
A+ rating from charitywatch.org, an online charity
Invictus Games Sydney 2018 in Australia was no
FISHER HOUSE GOLF CLASSIC
ratings guide distributed by the nationally prominent
exception. The Foundation flew 140 family members to
The 15th Annual Fisher House Golf Classic was held
Sydney and supplied them with shirts, backpacks, hats
on May 7, 2018 at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg,
and other gear. The Invictus Games is an international
Virginia. Wounded warriors, Fisher House families and
adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured and ill
Medal of Honor recipients joined corporate VIPs on the
military and veterans. The 2018 Games featured 500
golf course. The morning program included remarks
athletes from 18 nations who competed in 13 different
by Medal of Honor Recipient, 1st Lt. Brian Thacker,
sports.
USA (Ret.). The program included special remarks
FAMILY SUPPORT
provided Hero Miles flights to families of participating athletes, to ensure they were able to attend the games. Fisher House is often present during a medical crisis, and we are honored to help bring families together during the triumphs as well.
by The Honorable Robert Wilkie, Acting Secretary of
SCHOLARSHIPS In its 18th year, the Scholarships for Military Children
(NMFA) to provide scholarships to military spouses. In
Program awarded 700 scholarships to sons and
addition to its own scholarship programs, Fisher House
daughters of active, retired or reserve military
Foundation hosts a free online scholarship search
members, for a total of $1.4 million. The Heroes’
engine on the Foundation’s website to help military
Legacy Program provided $1.73 million in grants to 433
families identify other scholarships, grants and funding
children of service members killed or severely disabled
resources for higher education.
the Department of Veteran Affairs and was emceed by Fisher House board of trustee and ABC News correspondent, Kyra Phillips and FOX News Chief
Platinum Status with GuideStar. In 2018, individuals contributed 53 percent of Fisher House Foundation’s total revenue. With 4 percent awarded by the government, 33 percent was received from organizations including foundations, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. In-kind contributions equated to 10 percent of total revenue. 2018 CONSTITUENT SUPPORT Individuals: 53%
In-Kind: 10%
committee, chaired by Jonathan Fishbeck and Judy McCoy, successfully raised more than $800,000. Foundation: 17%
$300,000 to the National Military Family Association
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of Philanthropy. Additionally, the Foundation holds
White House correspondent, John Roberts. The event
since Sept. 11, 2001. The Foundation contributed
SINCE 1990:
charity watchdog service, the American Institute
Corporate: 10%
368,000+
8.7 million+
Families served in Fisher Houses
Number of lodging days offered
$451 million Saved costs to families in lodging and transportation
79 Number of Fisher Houses
Government: 4% NPOs: 6%
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E L I Z A B E T H ’S C I R C L E PRESIDENTIAL DONORS ($1,000,000+) Anonymous (2) Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation Richmond Fisher House Foundation The Callum Foundation Suave Personal Care (Unilever)
PLATINUM DONORS ($500,000–$999,999) AbbVie Foundation, Inc. Delta Air Lines Fisher House Michigan The Otellini Family USAA Foundation, Inc. Vehicles for Veterans
GOLD DONORS ($100,000–$499,999)
Zachary Fisher and his wife, Elizabeth, are the founders of the Fisher House program. In the early years, Elizabeth and Zachary personally funded the first houses. Fisher House Foundation proudly recognizes the individuals and organizations who help to continue Zachary and Elizabeth’s legacy, including those listed on these pages, and the thousands more who gave in 2018. Thank you to our 2,260 members of Zach’s Club, too. Your monthly gifts help Fisher House expand programs to our military, veterans and their families.
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AUSA - Aberdeen Chapter Alorica, Inc. Anonymous (10) Billy Casper Golf - World’s Largest Golf Outing Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation Cardinal Health Foundation Shirley Cobb Don and Lorraine Freeberg Foundation Estate of Charles S. Rose Estate of Rita M. Cea Fisher House of Boston, Inc. Fisher House of Greater Cleveland, Inc. Friends of Travis Fisher House Healing American Heroes, Inc. Janet V. O’Brien Trust John C. Crowe & Family La Quinta Inns & Suites Lockheed Martin Corporation Mr. & Mrs. James McGinity Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Opoliner Oshkosh Corporation General Peter & Lynne Pace Pilot Flying J Reynolds Consumer Products Royals Charities, Inc. Ruby W. & LaVon P. Linn Foundation SAP Semper Fi Fund Sergey Brin Family Foundation William R. Shepard Shipley Foundation Sprint/United Management Company Mr. & Mrs. Steven Tallman The Carson Family Charitable Trust The Fisher / Nightingale Houses, Inc. The Karakin Foundation The Welch Family Trust United Airlines Foundation VietNow National Headquarters Wohlers Family Foundation
Kahlert Foundation, Inc. Richard & Kathy Koulouris Leonardo DRS Lockheed Martin - Rotary and Missions Systems Christopher Lord Motorola Solutions Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Robert Mudge Petersen International Underwriters Patricia Porges Saga Foundation Mr. & Mrs. John Shama Tee It Up For The Troops, Inc. Tennessee Fisher House Foundation, Inc. The Morningside Foundation The Palmucci/Needham Trust The Randi & Clifford Lane Foundation, Inc. The Wasily Family Foundation United Technologies Corporation Wildflower Foundation, Inc.
PATRIOT DONORS ($25,000–$49,999)
SILVER DONORS ($50,000–$99,999) 2018 Gingerbread Ball Anonymous (3) Beazer Homes Brigantine Polar Bears Bryan McDonough Military Heroes Foundation Capital One Services, LLC Barbara Cleland Costco Wholesale Dorothy H. Frisbie Irrevocable Trust Estate of Billie F. Kirk Fisher House of the Emerald Coast, Inc. In Memory of Robert Hecht, Sr. Pliny Jewell John M. & Alice M. Sebastian Trust Jumping Mouse Foundation
522 Foundation, Inc. Acosta Sales and Marketing Adventures of Rush Reverecle Anonymous (4) Axiom Resource Management, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Baybick Belvedere Vodka Bergen Foundation James Bie Black Box Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide Boyce Foundation Sandy Boyce Brown and Kunze Foundation Clarence J. Eggert Family Trust Cornelia Cogswell Rossi Foundation, Inc. CTW Foundation, Inc.
Davis Elkins Foundation DELTA Resources, Inc. Richard Dewey Dorothy D. Smith Charitable Foundation EcoMedia - A CBS Company Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation Estate of David P. Coco John & Shawn Faloon First Data Corporation Fisher Brothers Foundation Food Depository Friends of the VA Puget Sound Fisher House Dennis Gaugel General Dynamics Mission Systems H-E-B Harlan Family Fund of the Sacramento Region Community HUB Group Mr. & Mrs. Fritz Hausmann CDR (Ret.) & Mrs. Carleton Hoffner Isidore C. & Penny W. Myers Foundation Philanthropic Fund James M. & Margaret V. Stine Foundation Lamb Family Foundation Linden Root Dickinson Foundation Jeff & Jane McCurdy
Marine Corps League #741 Michael V. Janes NonGrantor Charitable Lead Annuity Trust NFL Players Association Mr. & Mrs. Jack Nickert O’Shea Family Foundation Procter & Gamble Company Bob Quinn Karlu Rambhala ReSound North America Dana Ryan Sevan Charitable Foundation, Inc. William Shufflebotham Ronald Soukup SpartanNash Foundation Patricia Stenzel Superfeet Sutter Health The Biella Foundation The Connor Family Charitable Fund The Hammergren Family Fund of the Ayco Charitable Foundation The Kopf Family Foundation, Inc. The Mark P. Norman Charitable Lead Annuity Trust The Michael P. Moffat Charitable Foundation for Disabled Troops The North Star Foundation The Price Family Foundation The Scoob Trust Foundation The Thompson Foundation Timken Foundation of Canton Troll Co. Clothing United Concordia VFW - Post 1156 Jock Van Patten Veteran Energy Veterans United Foundation Wainwright Terminating Trust Wargaming America Inc. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
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FRIENDS OF FISHER HOUSE COMMUNITY GROUPS
FINANCIAL STATEMENT EXCERPT
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
REVENUE & EXPENSES
FOUNDERS
JANUARY 1, 2018—DECEMBER 31, 2018
Zachary Fisher (1910-1999)
SUPPORT & REVENUE
Elizabeth M. Fisher (1913-2004)
There are 34 independent 501c(3) nonprofits across the country that work in concert with Fisher House Foundation, the military services, and Veterans Affairs to support the Fisher House at their local military hospital or VA medical center. These groups help assist Fisher House Foundation in raising funds for the construction of new Fisher Houses in their region, as well as provide assistance to their local Fisher House once it opens. COMMUNITY GROUPS SUPPORTING EXISTING HOUSES Andrews AFB Fisher House, Inc. Fisher House in St Louis Fisher House Inc. and Wilford Hall Fisher House of Boston, Inc. Fisher House of the Emerald Coast Fisher House Friends of Houston Fisher House Southern California, Inc. Fisher House Wisconsin, Inc. Fisher Nightingale Houses, Inc. Friends of Cincinnati Fisher House Friends of Fisher House Connecticut Friends of Fisher House Illinois, Inc. Friends of Fisher House, Inc. Friends of Fisher House Orlando Friends of Puget Sound Fisher House Friends of the Pittsburgh Fisher House Friends of Travis Fisher House
Gainesville Fisher House Foundation Greater Los Angeles Fisher House Foundation Nevada Veterans Foundation Rocky Mountain Fisher House Foundation Tennessee Fisher House Foundation The Fisher House of Foundation of Richmond, Inc. The Fisher House of Keesler, Inc. Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher House of Alaska, Inc.
COMMUNITY GROUPS SUPPORTING FUTURE FISHER HOUSE CONSTRUCTION Fisher House Michigan Fisher House of Columbia, SC Inc. Friends of FH Southern Louisiana Friends of Fisher House Charleston, Inc. Friends of Fisher House Greater New York Friends of Lexington Fisher House Friends of Mid-Missouri Fisher House, Inc. Friends of New Mexico Fisher House The Fisher House of Greater Cleveland
Grants and Contributions
50,140,093
Special Events (net of expenses)
1,093,722
Donated Goods, Services & Media Time
5,993,274
Interest & Dividend Income
750,697
Total Support & Revenue
57,977,786
EXPENSES Programming Services
51,442,659
Management & General
2,121,892
Fundraising 1,985,347 Total Expenses
55,549,898
Loss on disposal of fixed assets
(1,373)
Change in Net Assets
2,426,515
NET ASSETS Beginning of 2018 End of 2018
80,629,129 83,055,644
2018 EXPENSES Program Expenses 93% Administrative 4% Fundraising 3%
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OFFICERS Kenneth Fisher Chairman and CEO Arnold Fisher Vice Chairman Audrey Fisher Vice Chairman Winston Fisher Vice Chairman Nancy Edelman Vice Chairman John W. Lowe Vice President & Secretary David D. Fox CFO and Treasurer TRUSTEES Gerry Byrne Paul W. Bucha General Michael P.C. Carns, USAF (Ret.) James W. Carrier Cecily M. Carson Patricia L. Courter Lieutenant General John A. Dubia, USA (Ret.) Martin L. Edelman Tammy Fisher Crystal Fisher Barbara Gentry “Ranger” Mark Jones
Lieutenant General Charles S. Mahan, USA (Ret.) David J. McIntyre, Jr. Bruce Mosler General Richard B. Myers, USAF (Ret.) Mary Jo Myers Lynne Pace Kyra Phillips Captain William Reynolds, USA (Ret.) Suzie Schwartz Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele, USMC (Ret.) Montel Williams ADVISORY COMMITTEE Lynne Pace, Chairman Erin Moseley Jack Nickert William Pope Denzel Washington Pauletta Washington Mrs. Togo D. West, Jr.
FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP For the 14th consecutive year, Fisher House Foundation was nationally recognized as a premier nonprofit with a
★★★★ Charity Navigator rating, as well as a continued A+ from CharityWatch.
David A. Coker President Mary B. Considine Chief of Staff Kerri Childress Vice President, Communications Brian Gawne Vice President, Community Relations Tish Stropes Vice President, Strategic Partnerships Denise Dolan Chief Advancement Officer James Weiskopf Vice President, Consultant
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Dover Air Force Base, DE
Fisher House Foundation, Inc. 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 410 Rockville, MD 20852-1650 (888) 294-8560 info@fisherhouse.org
www.fisherhouse.org