ANNUAL REPORT
2016 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS A Message from Our President What We Do Who We Work With We’ve Been Busy Financials Donors & Supporters Our Board of Directors Where We’re Going
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At The Mission Continues, “Reporting for Duty” is more than a tagline, it’s a call to action. Today, with nearly 15,000 volunteers in 49 states, The Mission Continues touches more veterans and more communities through our fellowships, service platoons, events and partnerships than ever before. Each of these points of impact is only made possible because of supporters like you.
of service at organizations including urban farms, schools, community centers and parks. We do this work because we believe in the incomparable value and the ability of veteran service to tackle our communities’ most pressing challenges.
Empowering veterans to serve again is an ongoing effort and there’s more work to be done. We can all report for duty in this shared mission and help Together, we’ve deployed veterans across the country to create meaningful change - one veteran and one to achieve lasting community impact and inspire community at a time. future generations to serve through their actions. Empowerment is at the core of all our efforts as we work to support a sense of wellbeing and continued purpose for our nation’s veterans. In the past year, we made great strides as an organization. We launched robust new programs and events including the Mass Deployment Program and the Women Veterans Leadership Summit, and developed new partnerships to strengthen our growth and success of our programs. Our veteran force of volunteers generated over 200,000 hours
SPENCER KYMPTON, PRESIDENT
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“Serving with The Mission Continues forces me to keep things in perspective. It allows me to do something that is bigger than myself. Without a doubt, I know that with my help and help from the community, we can fundamentally change and empower these communities. We can alleviate some of the challenges they face.” — SHANNON THOMPSON ST. LOUIS 2ND PLATOON MEMBER
KEY: Ser vice Platoon Fellowship Orientation Site National Event
SEATTLE, WA: Bravo 2016 Orientation
70 SERVICE PLATOONS: Our active platoons completed over 700 ser vice projects.
“I continue to serve because as long as I have the capacity to help people in my community, I will continue to do so. The amazing part about helping others is that you not only meet new colleagues and friends, but you also learn something new from every person you meet. Sharing those moments is what strengthens and positively expands a community.” — HERMIE CASTILLO, CHARLIE 2016 FELLOW
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“It may not seem like much to some, but to the volunteers that attend, and to the children and staff of the schools, it means everything. Being able to be a part of The Mission Continues and to complete projects like these is what keeps veterans like me going. It is reenergizing and reminds me that I can make a difference. — CRYSTAL LAFLEUR, SAN ANTONIO 2ND PLATOON LEADER
MINNEAPOLIS, MN: Charlie 2016 Orientation
DETROIT, MI: We launc hed the first Mass Deployment Program with Operation Motown Muster.
PHILADELPHIA, PA: We hosted the 3rd Annual Platoon Leadership Summit.
“With blue shirts on, my brothers and sisters are out there working for a better chance for every citizen of this country - this is why we fight, this is why I’m still serving with The Mission Continues.”
NEW ORLEANS, LA: We hosted the inaugural Women Veterans Leadership Summit.
SAN ANTONIO, TX: Delta 2016 Orientation
— ROSE FEROAH, WASHINGTON, DC 4TH PLATOON LEADER
ATLANTA, GA: Alpha 2016 Orientation
“I used to do artillery in the Marine Corps. Now, I’m able to build, give back. It’s kind of like healing to the soul for me. If you’re doing positive things in the community, it makes it a little better.” — EDWIN VASCO, BRAVO 2014 FELLOW MIAMI 1ST PLATOON LEADER 5
WHAT WE DO “When I retired after 24 years of service, I knew I wanted to cook for others. I earned a fellowship with The Mission Continues to serve at Johnson & Wales University. The fellowship helped me connect with the veteran community and use my experience to help others navigate the challenges of coming home - challenges I knew all too well. I dedicated those six months of my fellowship to supporting student veterans and helped them stay the course to graduation. After I completed my fellowship, I knew that my journey of service was not over. I know now that it will never be over. This is who I am for the rest of my life. I continue to serve with The Mission Continues by serving as the official chef for the Denver 1st Service Platoon. I feel that sense of camaraderie and connectedness again, especially as I have made close friends with the other volunteers.”
—PRINCE THOMAS ALPHA 2016 FELLOW, DENVER 1ST SERVICE PLAOON MEMBER
The Mission Continues empowers veterans who are adjusting to life at home to find purpose through community impact. We deploy veterans on new missions in their communities, so that their actions will inspire future generations to serve. SERVICE PROJECTS COMPLETED IN COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE:
700+ HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITIES IMPACTED
FELLOWSHIPS SERVED IN 2016:
300+ 17,500+
VETERANS ENGAGED NATIONWIDE
OUR COMBINED 193,563 HOURS OF SERVICE EQUALS
$4,672,610.00 WORTH OF SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITIES* * Based on the Independent Sector’s estimate of the average value of a volunteer hour ($24.14 in 2016)
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In January 2017, The Mission Continues launched our first annual survey to see the impact of our combined service efforts on our program participants. Of those who responded to the survey:
92%
88%
85%
97%
of volunteers feel they can make a believe they are pursuing a meaningful positive difference in their community. mission with The Mission Continues.
feel motivated to inspire future generations to serve.
would recommend The Mission Continues to other veterans.
“I served in the Army as a multimedia illustrator, creating educational flyers to prevent the spread of Cholera in Niger, Mali, and Mauritania. After separating from the military I eventually became a Licensed Master Social Worker in Texas. Now my job is to help other veterans with the difficult transition into civilian life I once faced. Operation Motown Muster came at a perfect time for me -- I had just finished my master’s degree and was looking for ways to get involved with The Mission Continues. Mass Deployment was my first experience with The Mission Continues, and it was then when the magic of working with veterans rekindled my desire to serve. A month after Operation Motown Muster I stepped up as the Platoon Leader for the Houston 5th Platoon. I now serve in my childhood neighborhood where I have a significant bond with the community. Mass Deployment kickstarted my commitment to give back to the community that raised me.”
— MONIQUE RODRIGUEZ HOUSTON 5TH SERVICE PLAOON LEADER
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WHO WE WORK WITH
NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION In order to increase the impact of our programs and our national footprint, we build strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations and funders committed to improving the communities in which we operate. We’re proud to share the ongoing story of one such collaboration—creating opportunities for veterans to serve with national parks, including many in cities as well as the more famous parks.
To help mobilize post-9/11 veterans in the service of America’s national parks, Boeing provided seed funding to The Mission Continues and the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. This complemented its broader, multi-year investment in Mission Continues Fellowships and Service Platoons across the country. Together, The Mission Continues, the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation and Boeing are creating opportunities for veterans to serve in volunteer fellowships and service platoons with national parks across the country, a mutually beneficial experience that provides veterans with handson training and career networking opportunities and addresses mission-critical projects across the National Park System. Thanks to this strategic partnership, our veterans will ensure that many of our nation’s most cherished treasures will always be vital and transformative places for Americans— today, and for the next 100 years.
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The partnership’s ability to create positive change is seen first-hand through 9/11 service project at Ellis Island, a national park and historic site, led by The Mission Continues 4th New York Service Platoon, which is funded by American Express, reinforcing its investment in the National Parks. Jerry Willis, a Public Affairs Officer with the National Park Service describes his experience on that day. “It was a scorching hot, humid September day on Ellis Island as the 60 plus The Mission Continues volunteers set out in their project teams to locations all over the island. It was our first time working with The Mission Continues, so we weren’t sure what to expect, especially given the heat and humidity. Within minutes it became readily apparent that these were not your average volunteers and this was not going to be a typical “volunteer day.” Our facilities division had developed what I thought was an overly ambitious roster of projects; mulching 30 trees, painting the interior of the southwest tower of the Main Immigration Building, relocating thousands of historic roof tiles, refurbishing eight outdoor statues, and cleaning out years of detritus from the Baggage & Dormitory Building. Well, all three 30 yard dumpsters were filled to overflowing, and all the other work was completed to perfection. All this was done in just four hours! We have many vets on staff and they, along with all of us, were immensely proud to partner with The Mission Continues. We were beyond impressed by their dedication, drive, and professionalism. It is difficult to capture in words the gratitude we have for all the volunteers, their service to the nation, and for continuing the mission in our national parks.”
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WE’VE BEEN BUSY. 2016 was a big year for new programs at The Mission Continues. In April, we headed to New Orleans for our very first Women Veterans Leadership Summit after recognizing an opportunity to focus on the women who make our programs so spectacular. In June, we deployed over 70 veterans from across the country to Detroit for a week of service alongside four different communities. Take a look at our efforts below.
WOMEN VETERANS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
87%
of participants felt that they gained new skills that allowed them to be more assertive in the workplace.
94%
of participants felt that they gained new skills that would allow them to take more responsibility professionally.
93%
of participants felt that they gained new skills to become a leader in their own community.
“While participating in the service project, I was amazed and honored to be part of this group because there was no judgment, no negative reactions or ‘you can’t do this.’ Instead each person guided everyone else through the project to the point that they became experts. It gave me the confidence and the ability to reach out to individuals or companies that would help make my dream happen. I knew I was stuck until I attended this weekend. It was a weekend that changed my life forever.” — WVLS Attendee
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OPERATION MOTOWN MUSTER 450+ Community volunteers joined 70 veterans throughout the week at Motown Muster, of those 70 veterans:
97%
felt a sense of camaraderie among other Motown Muster participants.
“When I first heard about the mass deployment I was apprehensive. I didn’t believe that one week of service could ever match up to what it felt like being deployed; I was wrong. In one week, we built basketball courts, softball/ baseball fields, playgrounds, soccer fields and made a park. We inspired children, parents and community leaders to continue to improve their neighborhoods and remind them people like us exist to help them along the way. And just like deployments, I made lifelong friendships with the most motivating and inspiring individuals one could ever hope to meet. This week has been the most physically demanding week I’ve had since the military but it is also one of the most emotionally uplifting experiences in my life. I’m proud to be part of the Motown Muster family, a family that truly knows what it means to serve.”
81%
reported now feeling part of a new team.
89%
felt motivated to inspire future generations to serve.
86%
believed that they were pursuing a meaningful mission.
— OMM Attendee 11
FINANCIALS
REVENUE Foundations
$5,678,469.56
Corporations
$3,986,779.27
Individuals
$2,398,648.76
Total Revenue
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$12,063,897.59
FINANCIALS
EXPENSES Programs
$9,708,042.00
Fundraising
$919,298.00
Admin
$394,777.00
Total Expenses
$11,022,117.00
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WE GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS BEACHBODY In conjunction with the launch of its military inspired boot camp fitness program, 22 Minute Hard Corps®, Beachbody® generously supported The Mission Continues, helping to empower a new class of veterans eager to complete successful Fellowships. 22 Minute Hard Corps creator, Tony Horton (of P90X® fame) is a longtime supporter of the military, having visited over 40 bases around the world, and along with Beachbody was eager to help veterans continue to lead the way in serving their communities while maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. Together, the partnership raised over $680,000 supporting almost 70 Fellows.
EINHORN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST AND HEINZ ENDOWMENTS Establishing community-impact Operations in cities across the country was a cornerstone of our work in 2016. The partnership of leading local funders is critical as we identify the areas of greatest need in each city and learn how veterans can plug in and add capacity to community-based efforts. They share their knowledge of local priorities with us, make introductions to potential nonprofit and civic partners, and provide funding that makes our work possible. The Heinz Endowments and our program officer there, Megan Andros, exemplify this kind of partnership. They have invested in the 1st Pittsburgh Service Platoon, Fellowships and our broader work over multiple years, connected us to partners for Operations in Homewood and Hazelwood, and have introduced us to other thoughtful funders to add support as we have grown there. As an Army veteran herself, Megan has also connected us to other veterans organizations in the city and spread the word about our programs to her network. To help us expand our Operations model and engage funders like the Heinz Endowments in other cities, the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust will match new multi-year grants or renewals in 2017 and 2018, with up to $100,000 per city, with a focus on grants of $50,000+ per year, with a finite pool each year. The matching grant complements a major investment in our national capacity to improve and expand the work we do; we are deeply grateful to the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust for helping us to achieve our ambitious plans with veterans and communities across the country.
AMERICAN EXPRESS American Express invests in projects that provide meaningful volunteer and civic engagement opportunities for community members so that they can play an active role in strengthening their neighborhoods from within. Since 2016, together we have worked to recognize that veterans continue to lead the way in serving communities and proudly support efforts to put their talents to work on the home front. As part of the continued commitment to the National Parks and local parks in urban city centers, American Express has supported four of The Mission Continues almost 70 Service Platoons across the country. Highlighting opportunities for veterans to continue serving in National Parks and local parks is key to showcasing the passion of our veterans interest in continued service here at home.
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WE GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS MELINDA KLEEHAMER Melinda Kleehamer first encountered The Mission Continues at a service project organized by her employer Goldman Sachs in 2012. Melinda remembers, “I was working away under the hot sun with a 12 year veteran of the Marines and when she learned I worked for Goldman Sachs, she thanked me so sincerely for tickets to an event we’d previously provided. I was so humbled to receive that kind of gratitude from a woman who had bravely served our country that I committed on the spot to sponsor a Fellow every year. I am based in Chicago and in my second year of sponsorship, The Mission Continues paired me with a Fellow who by total chance was serving their fellowship at the same hospice in Rochester, NY that was currently caring for my dying mother. And from that serendipitous match, I knew our relationship was meant to be.” Melinda has directly impacted the transformation of seven Fellows since her introduction to The Mission Continues. By being a Fund-AFellow donor, Melinda is part of a network of individuals welcoming home our veterans across the nation with appreciation for all they have done and still want to do.
BRYAN SZALWINSKI Team Mission Continues is the grassroots fundraising arm of The Mission Continues. Through the Marine Corps Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and individual fundraising efforts, they raised over $150,000. The 2016 Marine Corps Marathon raised over $40,000; leading the effort was Bryan Szalwinski. For the third time, Bryan has conquered the 26.2 miles with Team Mission Continues while active duty as a physician in the Air Force training other Air Force doctors, nurses and medics at a unique civilian/military partnership program at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. He is dedicated to continuing his service and knows his efforts with The Mission Continues will benefit veterans while they transition out of active duty. Since 2013, Bryan has raised over $17,000 for The Mission Continues and in 2016, he raised over $5,000.
“I’m inspired by the dedication of the people I work with and the sacrifice of those we treat and want to make sure they get every chance of success when no longer in the military.” — Bryan Szalwinski 15
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS Major In-Kind Benjamin Moore Fox Sports Midwest The Home Depot Foundation Southwest Airlines Stone, Leyton & Gershman Switch
McCormick Foundation The Montei Foundation Neighborhood Allies Nordstrom, Inc. TacticalGear.com USAA Foundation Warner Brothers
$1,000,000 and above The Boeing Company Wounded Warrior Project
$15,000 - $24,999 Phil Armstrong Barron Family Fund BD Laura Conigliaro DEPCOM Power Dizzy Cannonball Fund Melinda Kleehamer Greg McNeely William and Margie Moskoff one8 Foundation
$250,000 - $999,999 American Express BAE Systems Beachbody Charina Endowment Fund Prudential Financial, Inc. $100,000 - $249,999 Bridgeview Bank Mortgage Co., LLC CarMax The Heinz Endowments The John & Marcia Goldman Foundation Lockheed Martin The Marcus Foundation Margolis Family Foundation The May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust Onward Veterans SAIC Starbucks Target The Walt Disney Company $50,000 - $99,999 ADP The Annenberg Foundation Armed Forces Foundation Celanese The Donald J. Trump Foundation, Inc. Expedia Guggenheim Partners Houston Endowment Omaze The PGA TOUR SOSi Veterans United Foundation Wasserman Foundation $25,000 - $49,999 Anonymous Bank of America The Brown Foundation Emerson Marjorie Findlay and Geoffrey Freeman Gary Giglio The Grover Hermann Foundation Guth Foundation John Havens HBO Michael Lukacs
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Robert and Joan Blackman Family Foundation
Rumsfeld Foundation Richard and Suzanne Schultze Sean P. Sullivan Memorial Golf Tournament Viacom Elisheva Yuan $10,000 - $14,999
Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation
American Direct Marketing Resources Argent Capital Axonic Capital Bad Robot Productions, Inc. Peter and Pattie Bishop Boston Consulting Group Marsh Carter CBRE Chapman Family Foundation Clarendon Hills Middle School ClearanceJobs.com Alison Conigliaro-Hubbard David and Karen Dorton Alexander Egan and Celene Menschel First Republic Bank Andrew and Ana Flaster Fleming Charitable Foundation William and Laurie Franz Kathy French Gateway Warrior Foundation Goldman Sachs Peter and Carol Grieve The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation HISTORY®/A+E Networks JM Family Enterprises Joey Logano Foundation James S. McDonnell Rip It Energy Fuel Ted and Meredith Segal Simmons Charitable Foundation Gene Sykes John and Tracy Tien Jane Spoehrer Tschudy
$5,000 - $9,999 Nana Adae Affordable Equity Partners Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Greg Armfield Dick and Nancy Arnoldy Jonathan and Jessica Barrett Doug Beck Benjamin Moore Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Brian and Natalie Broadbent Keith Brunini Covestro Thomas Diemer Alice Donnelly Robert and Evelyn Doran Edward Jones Express Scripts John Fisher Catherine Gaffigan Graybar Eric and Sheena Greitens Paul and Heather Haaga Independent Hardee’s Franchisee Association David Jacus John Templeton Foundation Donation Fund Ann Kowalsky and Jerrold Salzman John and Karen Krause L.A.W. Foundation Inc. Linda and Tom McCluskey Ron McCord Miller Charitable Lead Trust Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani MVAT Foundation Nestlé Purina PetCare Tim and Julie Noonan Jodi Oliver Pirates Charities ReALLIEty Athletic Productions Rob and Ann McKee Family Foundation Roger & Susan Stone Family Foundation Sedmak-Wooten Family Foundation SpartanNash Maxine Steelman James Sturrus The Taylor Family Foundation Frank and Margo Walter Peter and Linda Werner Juan Zapata $2,500 - $4,999 AIG Ed Allen Anonymous Anonymous Cambia Health Foundation Brian and Beth Clymer Bert Condie
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS Craigslist Charitable Fund Elliott and Marlys Badzin Family Foundation Michèle Flournoy and Scott Gould Shawn and Janell Gibbs Grunt Style Hart Design Group Laurie Healy The Karsh Family Foundation Steven Kling Annette Leckie Andrew Levin The Michael T. Sherman Foundation Brian Miller Novo Nordisk Meghan O’Sullivan Jack Quinn salesforce.com Saint Louis Warrior Support Foundation Veronica and Anthony Scott Team Red White and Blue Technology Partners Steven Tschudy Matt Villa Bradley Volz Zelpha Yorgey $1,000 - $2,499 Able Trust Albrecht Family Foundation Allstate Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Benjamin Appen and Leslie Chang Sarah Arbuthnot T Edward Austin Mike Bailey Paul Balser Bangs Family Foundation Jason Battaglia Dan and Erin Beldy Janet Bellusci Bernie Berofsky Arthur and Janessa Biller Bloomberg Philanthropies Tony Boyda C & J Charitable Foundation Fund of the Austin Community Foundation Stephanie and Ashton Carter Edward Cieslak and Jean Wanner Demi Clark Comcast Conco Bill Coppel, Kathy Fulton and Grace Coppel Stephen Cord Laura Cutler John and Barbara Delano Anna Lee Delayo Jack and Melinda DeLuca George Dennis
Tom and Mary DeSimone Tim and Meg Devane Charles Disbrow Jose Dominguez Susan and Douglas Donahue Kelley Eckels Currie and Mack Currie Joe Ehrbar Drew Erdmann and Petra Levin Ryan Fioresi FLSV LLP Liston Foster Frances Chapin Foundation Jason Frank The Frederick Fund Landis Frederick Larry Friedman Damian and Wendy Friend Amy and Donald Gales John Gough Neal and Pamela Green Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery
The Hale Foundation Rebecca Halstead Paul Harrington Haskell Family Foundation Christopher Hayes James Heisler Daniel Helmer Michael Henchen Deborah and Thomas Hennessy Andrew Hermandorfer Libby Hillenbrand Hannah Holcomb Lincoln Hudson Brett Hugel Martin Hupka Barbara and Michael Hurst Kenneth Inchausti Michael Jaye Peter and Julia Johannsen Tim Johnson Len Kortekaas Brian and Eve Kramp Steve and Mary Jane Kremenski Tim Kruckeberg Ronald and J.M. Lamere Steven and Katherine Landmann Beau Laskey John Ledyard The Lehman Foundation Greg Lewis Edward Liu and Frances Yuan Bradley Loetz Wayne Lohman Paul Lundmark Kara Mangone Elizabeth Marquis Bill and Carol Mattson McKinsey & Company Jonathan C. Michel Minooka Intermediate Activity Fund
Mizzou Delta Tau Delta Claire and Bruce Montgomerie Greg Moore New York Life Insurance Company Helen Nguyen Jane Oshinsky Rob Patton and Kathryn Kent Laura Pearce Michele Percival Pfizer Pinnacle Personal and Performance Traning LLC
John Priest Thomas Pua Quincy Donuts Incorporated Scott Rutherford Ryan Reed Safety National Steven Salzman John Schaefer James Schleck Zachary Schmidt Barbara and John Shaughnessy Mary Shepard The Shepherd Foundation Peggy Shuford Bob Simeone James Skorupa Smoke Hall Foods L3C Southwestern Energy Corporation Wally Sparks Lori Stevens Surdyke Harley-Davidson Pat Szabo Mr. and Mrs. Garret Thunen Jim Tien Bernard Toomey tradingforvets.com Katherine Urevig Mark Valerio Valorcorps Solutions Veteran Energy Millie Viqueira and Steven Miller Anne Walsh Matt Westheimer E.S. and Jean Wood Jake and Karen Wood Mark Zarsky
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OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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NANA ADAE DIRECTOR
PETER BISHOP DIRECTOR
KRISTIE CUNNINGHAM DIRECTOR
MICHELE FLOURNOY DIRECTOR
DAVID GERGEN DIRECTOR
PETER GRIEVE DIRECTOR
JOSEPH KERNAN DIRECTOR
SPENCER KYMPTON PRESIDENT
TIM NOONAN DIRECTOR
RAYMOND ODIERNO DIRECTOR
MEGHAN O’SULLIVAN DIRECTOR
JOHN TIEN CHAIR
WHERE WE’RE GOING From Fellowship orientations and weekly local Service Platoon projects to large-scale national events, we are perpetually creating meaningful change through service. Every day, all across the country, The Mission Continues volunteers are showing up and making an impact in communities of greatest need – leading from within alongside local partners and organizations. Check out a snapshot of where we’ll be rocking it for our programs and major events throughout 2017!
REPORTING FOR DUTY IN 2017: ORIENTATIONS:
NATIONAL EVENTS:
Alpha Class Orientation January 27-29 · San Diego, CA
Women Veterans Leadership Summit May 18-21· San Francisco, CA
Bravo Class Orientation April 7-9 · Denver, CO
Operation Westside Surge June 8-15 · Atlanta, GA
Charlie Class Orientation July 14-16 · Boston, MA
United In Service To Honor 9/11/01 September 8-11 · Your Hometown
Delta Class Orientation October 13-15 · Houston, TX
Service Platoon Leadership Summit September 22-24 · Chicago, IL 19
www.missioncontinues.org
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@missioncontinue
the mission continues