Partnership to increase attention and investment in veterans' access to essential services and mental health

The Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy, in partnership with the Tullman Family Office (TFO) and The Duchossois Family Foundation (TDFF), today launched a new collaborative effort aimed at improving the lives of our nation’s veterans.

Approximately 200,000 service members transition out of the military each year. As of 2022, nearly 16.2 million veterans were living in the United States, representing 6.2 percent of the total adult population. Yet, for many veterans, civilian life can bring both practical and emotional challenges. Prioritizing access to essential services, such as housing, employment, and health care, and supporting veterans’ mental health needs can enhance opportunities for former service members to thrive in post-military life.

The Veteran’s Community Initiative is a partnership between the two philanthropic families and the Milken Institute, whose experts aim to comprehensively identify the social and mental challenges faced by veterans and their families as they establish their post-service lives. “Veterans need coordinated support systems that respond to their range of unique needs,” said Mary Ann Roeser, president of The Duchossois Family Foundation. “We are excited to be working collaboratively across these needs to ease our heroes’ transition to civilian life.”

The Milken Institute team will engage key stakeholders across sectors, including government, academia, nonprofit, corporate, and the veteran community. This landscaping effort will result in a public report that contributes knowledge to the broader community and identifies targeted opportunities for philanthropy to make an outsized impact in the lives of veterans and their families. The report is expected to be released in summer 2025.

“More cross-sectoral work is needed to understand where and how an infusion of resources will advance efforts to champion our veterans. We hope this partnership will serve as an invitation to others who are committed to veterans’ prosperity,” said Cayley Tullman, president of the Tullman Family Office.

“All across the philanthropic sector, we have seen how much further and faster progress can be when philanthropic resources and cross-cutting expertise come together. The Milken Institute is honored to play a role in such an exciting partnership to increase investment in our veteran community. We hope this work will be a stepping stone in a larger movement to prioritize the well-being of those who have served us all,” said Melissa Stevens, executive vice president, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy.

Philanthropists, researchers, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders who share a commitment to improving the current state of veteran support are invited to join in the learning and codevelopment process taking place through the remainder of 2024. Interested parties may contact the Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy team at vci@milkeninstitute.org.

About The Duchossois Family Foundation

The Duchossois Family Foundation (TDFF) strives to empower individuals to enhance their quality of life through wellness and economic opportunity, with a specific commitment to supporting our nation’s veteran population. TDFF’s existing and future work focuses on ensuring veterans and their families have access to job services, career opportunities, mental health, and well-being support to diminish food and housing insecurity, social isolation, substance abuse, and suicide. TDFF has a deep commitment to connect, collaborate, and convene with others, with the goal of strengthening opportunities for veterans and building awareness and support that helps them to succeed during their re-entry to civilian life. For more information, visit: https://thedff.org/.

About the Tullman Family Office

The Tullman Family Office (TFO) directs the Tullman family’s philanthropy, political advocacy, business investments focused on social impact, and community engagement initiatives. TFO is committed to enabling all individuals to pursue healthier and more prosperous lives, enabling businesses to prioritize civic impact, and empowering moderate politicians to serve with reason and compassion. In the simplest of terms, its giving mentality can be described as patriotic philanthropy. The family recognizes its responsibility to do its part to make America—and the world—stronger, safer, and more equitable. For more information, visit: https://www.tullmancommunityventures.org/

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a meaningful life. With a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health, we bring together the best ideas and innovative resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues through the lens of what's pressing now and what's coming next. For more information, visit: https://milkeninstitute.org.

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