Securing Multi-Year Support for Women Veterans

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services has recently been awarded a multi-year grant from an anonymous foundation to advance our key initiatives: Live with Hope, Basic Needs, and Operation Veteran Empowerment (OVE).

Purpose of the Grant

The Live with Hope programs, which focus on Housing and Basic Needs, operate through a network of partnerships with organizations and service providers. The newly secured funding enables Operation Veteran Empowerment to offer one-time, needs-based emergency financial assistance to women veterans connected to New York State who are experiencing urgent financial hardship. Assistance covers essential expenses such as past-due rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, car repairs, and other critical needs. 

Demonstrating Impact and Building the Case for Continued Funding

Throughout the first cycle of the grant, Dixon Center leveraged opportunities to demonstrate its impact through regular check-in meetings, comprehensive mid-year and final grant reports, and convenings with stakeholders. The organization’s commitment to gathering learnings, conducting data analysis, collecting survey insights, and incorporating feedback from partners resulted in compelling evidence to support requests for increased and extended funding. 

Collaboration and Data-Driven Model

During a recent meeting with the funding foundation, Dixon Center shared significant data trends and detailed how collaboration with network partners helps meet the needs of veterans and their families. The evidence-based model established in the first year, combined with a vision for expanding impact over the next two years, strongly resonated with the foundation and secured their continued support.