IVMF & BWF collaborate to send service-disabled veterans to VA National Small Business Conference
The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF) and the Bob Woodruff Foundation announce a strategic partnership for the second year to assist post-9/11 service-disabled veterans in attending the 2013 National Veteran Small Business Conference and Expo Aug. 6-8 in St. Louis, Missouri.
This partnership will allow veterans to apply for grants that will cover conference admission fees, lodging and transportation to promote entrepreneurship and small-business ownership in the veteran community. Conference grants and applications will be administered through the IVMF. Qualified applicants must be post-9/11 service-disabled veterans who own, or aspire to own, a small business. Grants are awarded on a first-received basis.
“The IVMF is excited to partner again with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to train more veteran entrepreneurs,” says Raymond Toenniessen, IVMF Director of External Relations. “We have enjoyed a great partnership with the foundation and this continued collaboration will further benefit our nation’s service members as they return to civilian life.”
“We are equally thrilled to partner with IVMF. This is a unique opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurial veteran leaders to benefit from an innovative resource provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs,” says Anne Marie Dougherty, Executive Director of the Bob Woodruff Foundation.
About The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF)
The Bob Woodruff Foundation is the nonprofit dedicated to ensuring injured service members and their families are thriving long after they return home. A national organization with grassroots reach, the Bob Woodruff Foundation complements the work of the federal government, diligently navigating the maze of more than 40,000 nonprofits providing services to veterans-finds, funding and shaping innovative programs, holding them accountable for results. To date, they have invested more than $15 million in public education and solutions, reaching more than a million service members, support personnel, veterans and their families. The Bob Woodruff Foundation was co-founded in 2006 by award-winning anchor Bob Woodruff and his family, whose own experiences inspired them to help make sure our nation’s heroes have access to the high level of support and resources they deserve, for as long as they need it. For more information about the Bob Woodruff Foundation, please visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org.
About the IVMF
The IVMF is the first national center in higher education focused on the social, economic, education and policy issues impacting veterans and their families post-service. Through our focus on veteran-facing programming, research and policy, employment and employer support, and community engagement, the institute provides in-depth analysis of the challenges facing the veteran community, captures best practices and serves as a forum to facilitate new partnerships and strong relationships between the individuals and organizations committed to making a difference for veterans and military families. Visit vets.syr.edu for more information.
