Bob Woodruff Foundation Continues its Commitment to Women Veterans
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) has given another grant to Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine for the continued expansion of the Women Veterans Network (WoVeN), a national, peer support network led by women veterans, for women veterans. This is the foundation’s fourth grant for WoVeN, bringing its total support for the program since 2020 to more than $900,000.
The Bob Woodruff Foundation grant to WoVeN was made possible by donations from the National Football League Salute to Service initiative and Craig Newmark Philanthropies.
In addition to increasing access to WoVeN, this most recent grant will allow for the development of opportunities for ongoing engagement at the local level (WoVeN Connect), education and service opportunities as well as provide research on the impact of peer social support on the unique challenges faced by women veterans. Specifically, the funds will help further develop and streamline communication strategies and utilization of marketing and technological advances to reach more women veterans and increase retention in the program. Currently, WoVeN has a waitlist that ranges between 400-800 women.
Tara Galovski“Through follow-up qualitative research (also funded by previous BWF support), we learned that WoVeN needs to improve communication with its members and that there remains a great need for more in-person connection at the local level. Essentially, women veterans want and need more support and connection,” said Tara Galovski, PhD, director of WoVeN and professor of psychiatry. We are incredibly grateful to the Bob Woodruff Foundation for their continued support and are proud of our partnership to provide ongoing support for the millions of women who have sacrificed so much to serve us.”
The ongoing support from the Bob Woodruff Foundation will be critical in these efforts through funding allocated to hiring operations support as well as support for an annual in-person training for WoVeN program Trainers and State Ambassadors. Simultaneously, WoVeN will continue to enroll new members (anticipated 250 new members over two years) and continue to engage current members in ongoing WoVeN programming such as WoVeN Connect, WoVeN groups, events, and WoVeN Still Serving philanthropic activities.
About the Bob Woodruff Foundation
The Bob Woodruff Foundation was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was wounded by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has raised awareness about the tough challenges veterans and military families are facing, and invested in solutions to help support them in the next chapter of their lives. To date, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has invested over $170 million to ensure that our nation’s veterans, service members, and their families — those who stood for us — have stable and successful futures. Visit the Bob Woodruff Foundation for more information.