Disabled Veterans National Foundation

Introduction

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) is an organization that exists to change the lives of the people who have returned home sick or wounded after defending America's safety and freedom.

Main Digest

The organization provides direct services to veterans with disabilities and their family members, collaborating with other organizations to provide services at any time it is in the best interest of veterans or their family members. The DVNF pays specific attention to the needs of underserved veterans, to include homeless veterans, women veterans, and veterans who experience PTSD, brain injuries, or other forms of invisible disabilities. The organization works to advance the interests of all veterans with disabilities and their family members.

DVNF's Priority Issues

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation works hard to advance various issues that have an impact on the lives of veterans with disabilities and their families. For example; there are veterans with disabilities waiting for the government to handle their claims; the DVNF is pursuing efforts to rectify this situation. Eric Shinseki has also promised to change the way the VA does business.

In both Afghanistan and Iraq there are no, 'front lines,' and women fight side-by-side with men. The DVNF is demanding real recognition and benefits for women who serve America through the Armed Forces. The DVNF is also working to eliminate homelessness among the nation's military veterans - it is one of the organization's highest priorities.

The United States of America is at war and during this time the needs of our veterans with disabilities are continually changing. The DVNF is very aware of this fact and remains as flexible as it possibly can as it brings hope to veterans. At times the DVNF is able to offer direct assistance to a veteran or family in immediate need. When the organization can, it responds as rapidly as possible because organizations that are bigger and more complex often times do not have the same flexibility that the Disabled Veterans National Foundation has.

In other situations, the DVNF works to achieve the best impact it can through collaboration with other organizations. Doing so is a trend the DVNF strongly encourages and notes among modern organizations as a means to build efficient efforts to serve while avoiding duplication of services. The DVNF frequently makes grants with the intention of achieving focused goals on the behalf of specific groups of veterans who might otherwise fall through the cracks of more traditional services. The grants are aimed at homeless veterans, women veterans, and veterans who experience invisible disabilities such as PTSD or brain injuries.

Individual Grants

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation offers veterans individual emergency grants of up to $1,000 on a case-by-case basis in order to prevent homelessness. The grants may be used to pay for things such as rent or mortgage, or utility bills such as heating, electricity, or water bills. Veterans who apply for an individual grant from the DVNF need to submit the following items:

• A Signed consent form
• A Financial assistance request form
• A copy of the bill(s) to be paid by the foundation
• A copy of the Veteran's DD214 form certified by the State
• A cover letter that includes the amount of the request, rationale that details the importance of the need and plans to continue service after the grant is provided

The DVNF encourages veterans to seek the assistance of a caseworker through the Veterans Administration (VA), or any local Veteran Service Organization (VSO). Doing so helps not only the veteran, but the DVNF because they are not local to the veteran and close to their specific situation. Also, including a short letter from a caseworker decreases the amount of time it takes the DVNF to process a veteran's grant.

Organizational Grants

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation provides grants to other organizations with similar goals as well; organizations that provide support for veterans with disabilities. For an organization to apply for a grant from the DVNF, it must submit the DVNF's financial assistance request form and a cover letter limited to three pages that includes the following:

• A detailed description of how the grant will be used
• Letters of support from related organization or Veterans (limit of 3 pages)
• A breakdown of costs - including anticipated expenses, matching grants, etc
• A brief description of the organization, its mission, service to Veterans, funding sources, and so forth
• A description of how the grant will better the lives of Veterans, including the number of Veterans helped
• Any supporting documentation, which may include promotional materials or news coverage of your organization

Financial Guidance Program

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation, in addition to their individual and organizational grant programs, has launched a new program to help veterans who are struggling with their personal finances. The program is called the, 'Financial Guidance Program,' and provides veterans with a free Military Membership Kit for Dave Ramsey's, 'Financial Peace University.' What this does is entitle veterans to enroll in and attend a thirteen week money management course at a local and in person class, or through an online version of the course.

The goal of the DVNF's Financial Guidance Program is to help veterans to learn how to better budget their money, pay off debts, and save for unexpected expenses. The DVNF does provide individual grants to veterans to prevent homelessness - through implementation of the Financial Guidance Program the DVNF hopes to take a proactive approach to preventing homelessness among the veterans of America. The program can also be used by veterans who are homeless at this time so they may learn how to manage their finances effectively. The program can help veterans who are homeless to learn ways to budget for housing costs and help to keep them from becoming homeless again.

Eligibility Requirements

Veterans who are interested in services through the Disabled Veterans National Foundation must have served in the active military or military auxiliaries and have been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. The DVNF is currently working to serve the veterans of America in other areas. These areas include Women Veteran Resources, Employment Resources, Career Assistance, and Scholarships.

Author Credentials:

Thomas C. Weiss is a researcher and editor for Disabled World. Thomas attended college and university courses earning a Masters, Bachelors and two Associate degrees, as well as pursing Disability Studies. As a Nursing Assistant Thomas has assisted people from a variety of racial, religious, gender, class, and age groups by providing care for people with all forms of disabilities from Multiple Sclerosis to Parkinson's; para and quadriplegia to Spina Bifida. Explore Thomas' complete biography for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.

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Cite This Page (APA): Weiss, T. C. (2011, September 12 - Last revised: 2021, December 30). Disabled Veterans National Foundation. Disabled World. Retrieved September 8, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/communication/community/dvnf.php

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