Advertisement
In March 2008, members of the financial community, specifically ChicagoGrowth Partners, GTCR Golder Rauner, Madison Dearborn Partners, and WelshCarson, Anderson & Stowe reached out to the McCormick Foundation to establishOperation Healing Freedom, a national fundraising campaign assisting woundedservice members, veterans and their families who have suffered injury and lossduring current and previous U.S. conflicts.
Advertisement
Operation Healing Freedom has raised more than $950,000 to date. Withmatching dollars provided (50 cents on the dollar) and all administrativecosts paid by the Foundation, approximately $1.4 million will be distributedthis month to nonprofit agencies targeting veterans' greatest needs. Futuregrants will depend on money that continues to be raised among the financialcommunity.
"We would like to recognize the active engagement and profound generosityof the financial community for all the funds raised to date for our woundedwarriors," said Brig. Gen. (Ret.) David L. Grange, president and chiefexecutive officer of the McCormick Foundation. "The funds raised, along withthe matching dollars, will enable agencies to heal, comfort, and restore thelives of wounded service members and veterans. Our commitment is to ensurethat all funds go directly to help veterans and their families, and that theagencies receiving grants have a track record of the highest quality service."
"The financial community is honored to rally our resources and give tothose who have served our country and made sacrifices of health, family andlivelihood that most of us will never have to make," said David Chandler,managing partner of Chicago Growth Partners. "We believe that it is theresponsibility of every American to help those who have served and protectedus and need our support."
Operation Healing Freedom is driven by the profound need to provideinjured soldiers the quality medical treatment and long-term assistance thatthey deserve. Currently the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has 300,000 --600,000 claims in backlog, not including veterans from Operation IraqiFreedom, and estimates indicate more than 30,000 American soldiers that havebeen wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Below is the complete listing of the Operation Healing Freedom grantsapproved by the McCormick Foundation's Board of Directors:
The McCormick Foundation continues to accept and encourages donations toOperation Healing Freedom. To encourage giving and strengthen the program'simpact, the McCormick Foundation will match the additional $1 million raised,at 50 cents on the dollar. In addition, the McCormick Foundation is paying allexpenses associated with this initiative, so that 100 percent of the fundsraised, plus the matching dollars, will go to programs and services forveterans
Additional Veterans Campaigns
The McCormick Foundation has also partnered with Major League Baseball toestablish Welcome Back Veterans, an initiative designed to raise publicawareness about issues facing today's veterans, and to raise funds to helpreturning service members and their families repair and restore their lives.This program
