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Summer Development Update

Summer Development Update


“August allows us time to dream.”

– Eileen Greenlay, Director of Development

Summer is busy for Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services. In May, we honored our fallen heroes with our annual Memorial Day mailing. In June, we expanded the Development Team. In July, we reached out to over 900 friends and donors to request funding for our Women Veterans Program.

So far this summer, we had meetings with 12 new potential partners, submitted/are actively working on 20 letters of inquiry or grant applications (six of which are collaborations with other partners), had numerous one-on-one conversations with individual donors and prospects and attended three large conferences/events.

Additionally, we have completely revamped our donor management process, and we are utilizing new digital tools to be more efficient and effective. It’s been invigorating.

August allows for a little catch-up time in our lives. We spend time with family, and we get more organized with our work. We also dream big about the future of Dixon Center. It’s exciting.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission

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Partnerships Creating Work with Purpose

Partnerships Creating Work with Purpose

“People from different walks of life can achieve opportunity, to change generational wealth for their families, in a matter of months.”

– Dr. Willie L. Todd, Jr., President,
Denmark Technical College

Last week, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services visited Denmark Technical College with one of our partners, Fusion Cyber. It was an opportunity to see first-hand the impact of the Fusion Cyber Bridge Program, a program that is providing critical career pathways for underserved communities, including veterans, in rural South Carolina.

Fusion Cyber’s Cyber Bridge Program connects veterans and underrepresented communities to Minority Serving Institutions/Historically Black Colleges and Universities to facilitate education and training in cyber fields and Security Operation Centers to spur long-term community development.

Dixon Center is assisting them in expanding and rapidly deploying this model into communities across the U.S. by connecting these programs with supportive services, reducing barriers to entry into the cybersecurity sector for our veterans and their families.

This is an exciting opportunity to transform the lives of veterans and their families, especially in rural communities across the country. Stay tuned for updates as we expand this program into other communities in Illinois and Pennsylvania.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission

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Save the Date Annual Holiday Reception 2024

Save the Date Annual Holiday Reception 2024

“Dixon Center’s Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony is both a relaxing and inspirational celebration of service, commitment, our veterans and their families.”

– Mike Abrams, Founder and President of FourBlock, 

2023 Eugene and Ruth Freedman Leadership Awardee

Save the Date
Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services
Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

Tuesday Evening, December 10, 2024 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm EST
New York, NY

Please Save the Date of our Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony.

About this Event

We hope that you will save the date for our annual holiday reception and award ceremony. To change things up this year, we will be holding the reception in New York City.

We use this time every year to thank our friends, families, supporters, and donors. Every year we recognize special individuals and organizations with our four awards:
 

The Eugene and Ruth Freedman Leadership Award

The Herbert and Carolyn Metzger Service Award

The Michael “Mick” Yauger Point Man Award

The Lou Lowenkron Commitment to Veterans Excellence Award

Please Save the Date and we look forward to another successful event. Watch for more information and announcements.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission

Posted on

Mid-Year Review – All Ahead Full

Mid-Year Review – All Ahead Full

“We said this would be a breakout year…we were right”

– Colonel Duncan S. Milne, U.S. Marine Corps (RET.), President, 

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

This week we reviewed our budget with The Fedcap Group, our parent organization. Passing the mid-year mark of 2024 we are happy to report we are exceeding our benchmarks for projects, personnel and partners and are in a position of financial strength.

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services has three priorities – Support, Growth, and Profitability. Support for veterans, their families, and our partners. Growth in our team, and the numbers of partners we work with. Lastly, profitability, which includes a 12% increase in resources each year.

Support. We continue to focus on our three pillars, and thirteen programs. We are working on forty-one projects. The number of projects indicates a five percent increase over the same time in 2023 and 2022.

Growth. Our staff is growing. So far in 2024, we have added a new donor relations specialist and a marketing and communications director. New partners are seeking us out for influence, ideas, and actions. Our partners expanded by 12% this year.

Profitability. In the first 6 month we increased our resources by more than 50% over the same time last year. Our development staff is aggressively pursuing major commitments.

Our partners, with our help, are building capacity, as well as taking advantage of our influence, ideas, and actions to help them integrate veterans and their families into their existing structure, programs, and services. We continue to focus on our noble purpose to make the lives of veterans and their families better.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission

Posted on

Supporting Our Partners

Supporting Our Partners

“Dixon Center has been a great supporter and partner of Soldier On for over a decade in our shared mission of ending veteran homelessness. We are much stronger and more effective by working together.”

– Bruce Buckley, CEO, Soldier On

Eileen Greenlay, Director of Development, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, members of her family, and friends spent time this weekend attending a fundraiser hosted by Soldier On in Belmar, NJ.

We took the opportunity to show our support for the remarkable work and impact Soldier On is having to end veteran homelessness.

The Soldier On event in NJ, along with others like it, allows us the chance to support our partners by bringing together people, resources and in some cases our expertise, to assist our partners as they build capacity.

We are proud of our relationship with Soldier On and recognize that we are much stronger when we work together than when we are apart.

Eileen Greenlay (middle) pictured with Bruce Buckley, CEO (left) and Casey DiCicco, Director of Communications (right) with Soldier On.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission

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Welcome Tatum Causey, Development Specialist

Welcome Tatum Causey, Development Specialist

”We would like to welcome Tatum Causey
to our team!”

– Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services welcomes a new member of our team. Tatum Causey, Development Specialist, brings her development experience from Community Renewal Society and Union League Boys & Girls Clubs in Chicago to help Dixon Center make the lives of veterans and their families better.  

Tatum’s background and focus on donor relations ensures that Dixon Center can continue to assist individuals, organizations, and communities integrate veterans and their families into their existing programs.

Eileen Greenlay, Director of Development, shared, “I am very excited to have Tatum join the passionate and talented team at Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, particularly as part of the Development team. In addition to her organizational and technical skills, we plan to tap into her enthusiasm and her strong commitment to serving those who served our country.”

She has a strong passion for providing resources, support and care for those that need it the most. 

If you have any questions about making a donation to Dixon Center, you can contact Tatum at tcausey@dioxncenter.org.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission

Posted on

Empower Women Veterans by Donating Today

Empower Women Veterans by Donating Today

“This Independence Day Help Empower Women Veterans to Live with Hope”

Please donate today to the 2024 Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ Independence Day Fundraising Campaign and help us reach our goal of $250,000. 

We’ve made it easy for you to donate today at this link: https://dixoncenter.org/direct-giving/.

Earlier this month, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services sent appeal letters to hundreds of donors as part of our Independence Day Fundraising campaign. The dollars raised will be used for emergency financial relief for over 100 women veterans, as well as providing them access to crisis prevention programs and services, a hallmark of Dixon Center’s strategic positioning to advance impact.

There is a cost to our freedom and women veterans face unique challenges such as single parenting, childcare, homelessness, domestic abuse, and military sexual trauma.

Since 2015, Dixon Center has provided more than $600,000 in emergency financial assistance to over four hundred women veterans. Their stories are moving, and their appreciation is great, as shown in this example below. 

One example of the impact we’ve had providing emergency financial assistance to women veterans in crisis.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission

Posted on

Episodes 25 & 26 of Service Before Self

Episodes 25 & 26 of Service Before Self

“I believe that serving our country is one of the greatest experiences you can have as an American, and I’m better for it. It gave me a sense of service to my country, but also service to my community.”  

– Jennifer Grubb, combat veteran, veteran advocate, registered nurse, wife, and mother

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services  podcast, Service Before Self, features conversations with leaders, practitioners, and advocates who are making a difference in the lives of veterans and their families. Recently, we interviewed Jennifer Grubb (Episode #25) and Danielle Applegate (Episode #26), two veterans who are on the frontlines ensuring the military-connected community receive the services and support to address their evolving needs.  They are also tireless advocates ensuring that veterans have a voice and are heard by legislators in Congress and by our larger society.

Though what makes these episodes unique, is that both Jennifer and Danielle share their personal stories of how overcoming adversity made them more resilient and committed to a life of service in support of our veterans and their families. Jennifer and Danielle do not hold anything back, and their stories highlight the importance of providing support to military families and veterans as they transition to civilian life.

Dixon Center is proud to share these inspiring stories of transformation, growth, service, and commitment. We encourage you to listen to Episodes 25 and 26 of the Service Before Self podcast to learn more about Jennifer Grubb and Danielle Applegate’s remarkable journeys.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission

Posted on

Veterans Work with Purpose

Veterans Work with Purpose

“I can think of no better way to express our deep appreciation than to provide our nation’s heroes pursuing post-military career opportunities in the union elevator industry with a real, meaningful support system.”

Frank J. Christensen, General President,
International Union of Elevator Constructors

In the last two months, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services continues being a leading force in the launch of workforce development programs that are providing meaningful careers and opportunities for veterans and their families in Illinois.

With our assistance, the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) is expanding their Veterans Assistance Program (VAP) to IUEC Local #2 in Chicago. VAP is taking hold in IUEC Locals across the country.

Our long-standing partnership with Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local #18007 continues to share practical solutions to integrate more veterans into first-rate training, career placement and services for union veterans and their families in the Utility Workers Military Assistance Program (UMAP).

Dixon Center is also now assisting Task Force Movement (TFM)-Illinois.

Building upon two years of the successful national TFM workforce development model, we are harnessing the power of state workforce development agencies to implement this model locally. In Chicago, Dixon Center is organizing and leading summits with representatives from veteran organizations, employers, unions, academic institutions, and state government agencies. We are working to identify solutions for challenges facing the military-affiliated community transitioning to civilian careers and developing strategies connecting them with opportunities in Illinois’ growing industries.

Launch of Task Force Movement-Illinois, Chicago, IL, May 22, 2024.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission

Posted on

Attendance at the Social Innovation Summit

Attendance at the Social Innovation Summit

One person’s experience, one person wanting to right a wrong, or one person’s idea can spark change. However, it takes collaboration to transform a system.

– Eileen Greenlay, Director of Development

Last week, Eileen Greenlay attended the Social Innovation Summit on behalf of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services. This annual convening brings together purpose-driven business leaders, funders, community stakeholders, and impact entrepreneurs to share ideas and inspire collaboration to make systemic change in communities.
Major takeaways:

  • Funders are becoming more strategic in their funding priorities. Non-profits may have to invest more time into their development efforts, but this could lead to long-term partnerships.
  • Leveraging tools and innovation such as AI to measure outcomes and promote an organization’s work is important, but a good story will always be the best means to communicate impact.
  • Systemic change requires flexibility. Remain credible, stay true to your values and start by making a small difference and grow from there.

By ensuring veterans were part of the discussion, Dixon Center engaged with several organizations as potential new partners to help us further our mission to improve the lives of veterans and their families.

Eileen Greenlay at the networking reception at the Social Innovation Summit in Chicago, June 4-5.

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Honor, Anticipation & Preparation

“Now more than ever, we are reaffirming our unwavering support for those touched by military service by ensuring we have the resources to fulfill our commitments.”  – Eileen

The Power of Partnership

How the Center and the Fedcap Group Make Greater Impact Together At the heart of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ (the Center) mission