How does the Navy SEAL Foundation support Gold Star Family Members?
The Navy SEAL Foundation (NSF) takes great pride in supporting Gold Star and Surviving Family (GSSF) members through various wellness programs and events. We dedicate 15% of our total Programs budget to these efforts, ensuring that our fallen warriors and their families are never forgotten.
Who is eligible for Navy SEAL Foundation scholarships?
NSF empowers active duty SEAL and SWCC personnel, their spouses and children, SEAL and SWCC veterans, and retirees’ families by awarding scholarships for higher education. We also ensure quality education options for dependent children in duty locations where these choices impact student success. Additionally, we fund standardized college entrance exams for eligible transitioning Naval Special Warfare (NSW) service members. Our educational support operates independently of Navy programs, offering supplementary financial resources that might not be otherwise accessible.
Does the Navy SEAL Foundation support veterans?
We are deeply committed to the health and welfare of our veteran community. NSF supports SEAL and SWCC veterans through our Veterans Crisis Assistance Fund, Death Support, Human Performance Support, and Frogman Reconnect events.
Why does NSF need my support? Shouldn’t “Big Navy” or the VA cover these needs? And haven’t we significantly downsized our deployments and presence overseas in recent years?
NSF complements rather than duplicates the government’s support, addressing gaps beyond the scope of the DOD and VA. We conduct an annual review of our programs, adjusting them to serve the needs of the NSW community better. Although much of our work is not tied to overseas deployments, we remain committed to supporting NSW forces wherever and whenever they are deployed.
Why does NSF have so much money you are not spending? Why do you need an endowment?
Sustaining the NSF’s ongoing programs and support for warriors, veterans, and families in NSW requires considerable resources. The unique challenges associated with NSW necessitate maintaining higher reserve funds than most non-profits. These challenges include the nature of SEALs and SWCCs’ work, unpredictable mortality rates, the potential for catastrophic events, risks from political instability, and economic downturns. These factors underscore the critical need for NSF’s long-term sustainability in supporting the NSW community. Additionally, NSF must be able to invest in large-scale projects that require substantial, ongoing funding. To address these needs, the NSF endowment is designed to provide a perpetual stream of resources, ensuring continuous support for NSW well into the future.
Why are the staff of the NSF paid while volunteers run other non-profits?
Managing a non-profit as large as NSF necessitates a full-time staff. Despite this, our team is relatively small, consisting of about twenty people. We use a hybrid approach that combines paid staff and volunteers to advance our mission. Our team is comprised of professionals and community members chosen from a diverse talent pool. Staff salaries are evaluated annually by the Board of Directors’ compensation committee, which reviews salary surveys to ensure that compensation is aligned with median market rates.
What’s the makeup of your Board of Directors, and are they paid?
NSF’s Board of Directors (BOD) is entirely volunteer-based, with no members receiving any compensation for their service. The BOD is comprised of at least 51% SEALs, including a mix of former officers and enlisted personnel, while NSW spouses and business professionals hold the remaining positions. As of July 2024, our BOD includes thirteen former SEALs and twelve civilians.
How do you spend marketing dollars, ensure your advertising is consistent with the SEAL Ethos, and work with companies like Kill Cliff?
NSF prioritizes sharing only unclassified information about the community we support and showcasing how donor-funded programs positively impact the lives of SEALs, SWCCs, NSW support personnel, veterans, and their families. This transparency helps us sustain and grow our support. We maximize every marketing opportunity to ensure we get the most value from each dollar spent, with much of our advertising space donated. We uphold the highest standards in our advertising practices, never compromising the safety of the families and operators we support. Additionally, NSF forms and maintains corporate partnerships with companies that align with the ethos of the NSW community and the principles of NSF. These partnerships provide valuable financial support and marketing opportunities beyond what we could achieve alone. We are deeply committed to marketing in a manner that reflects the SEAL Ethos, both through our efforts and those of our partners.
How does NSF support its events with active duty personnel?
NSF proudly offers NSW active duty families and GSSF the chance to attend signature fundraising events annually. We ensure equal opportunities for all NSW and GSSF families to participate. Families can request to attend an event via the NSF registration link provided each year. Attendees are chosen randomly based on available spots, the number of registered families, and whether they have previously attended the event. NSF supports active duty NSW service members’ attendance, with prior JAG approval, regardless of rank and rate, and ensures equal command representation at each Signature Event. We also strive to accommodate at least one event request from each NSW/GSSF family that registers.
Is NSF support offered preferentially to certain geographic regions, commands, ranks, or marital statuses?
NSF supports all NSW members and their families, regardless of location or marital status, and ensures we do not give preferential treatment to any command or specific ranks.
How much assistance goes to support personnel?
How does NSF support brain and mental health programs, including experimental treatments?
NSF collaborates with various service providers, treatment facilities, and non-profits to support mental health and brain treatment programs. Our support is always tailored to the individual’s needs, starting with basic, proven interventions such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, and coping skills development. From there, we consider other types of treatments. NSF continually evaluates new interventions and supports various adjunctive and emerging therapies. In 2020, we began investing in clinical trials focused on alternative and experimental modalities, including a $50,000 investment in MDMA-assisted therapy research by MAPS. Ensuring the safety and effectiveness of all funded treatments is paramount. We require data analyses from all partners and work with a psychologist and a Scientific Advisory Board to assess the efficacy of NSF-created programming and partner programs.