The Pritzker Military Foundation and its founder, Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), announced a charitable grant of $20,000 to Combined Arms, a not-for-profit organization that connects military veterans to support services through an interconnected technological network with the aim of helping veterans thrive. Under the terms of the agreement, Combined Arms will use the funds exclusively for marketing initiatives and national outreach efforts. Since the technological platform’s success is dependent upon veteran utilization of the network and service providers’ participation, additional communication efforts will enhance Combined Arms’ ability to carry out its mission. The funding will also help Combined Arms expand outreach to previously underserved areas and additional state service provider partners.
Veteran services and benefits are under-utilized in the U.S. As one example, nine million veterans were enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration’s health program, but there are more than 16 million veterans across the country. Combined Arms seeks to increase access to a variety of benefits by unifying service providers in a single network and connecting veterans to these services.
The organization provides a digital marketplace for federal, state, and veteran service organizations, improving service availability, reducing response time, and streamlining case management for veterans and military families. Combined Arms has served over 70,000 veterans since its founding in 2015, and data from its SaaS platform indicate that its work has made a $990 million economic impact during that time.
“People are often shocked to realize how complicated it can be for military veterans to access the range of services they need and deserve, and Combined Arms is doing tremendously important work to improve the process,” said Pritzker. “We are proud to support this important cause for military families.”
Combined Arms emphasizes accountability in its network, such as requiring that service providers respond to veterans’ requests within 72 hours. On the veteran side, Combined Arms requires that all participants complete a World Health Organization Well-Being Index, and has documented empirical improvements in veterans’ responses after using Combined Arms’ services.
“Transitioning out of active military service is cause for celebration, but it’s also a daunting and confusing time for veterans. There are more than 45,000 veteran service organizations across the country, and sorting through them all, determining eligibility, and managing the request processes can be overwhelming and discouraging,” said Mike Hutchings, CEO of Combined Arms. “We are grateful to the Pritzker Military Foundation for recognizing the importance of service access and supporting Combined Arms’ national expansion.”
To learn more about the Pritzker Military Foundation grants, visit https://www.pritzkermilitaryfoundation.org/our-grants/. The Pritzker Military Foundation is a private foundation that accepts applications by invitation only. There is no open application period.
About Pritzker Military Foundation
The Pritzker Military Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that preserve American military history, restore historic military artifacts and make them accessible to the public, and provide services and essential resources to active-duty military, veterans and families of service members in all branches of the United States Armed Forces. To learn more, visit www.pritzkermilitaryfoundation.org.
About Combined Arms
Combined Arms (CA) is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to transforming the way veterans and military families connect with vetted resources needed to thrive. Through innovative technology and data sophistication, the COmbined Arms platform unifies top-tier veteran-focused nonprofits, state and federal agencies and communities with data-fueled insights. This optimizes connection to resources and drives network-wide efficiencies and transparency, ultimately improving the quality of life for veterans and military families so they can thrive. For more information, visit CombinedArms.us.
