4Vets4Life
There are over 2.9 million disabled veterans in America today and unfortunately, that number is growing. Americans donate over 330 billion dollars annually to veterans and their causes and there currently exists over 45,000 charities and organizations designed to meet these veteran’s needs. Most of these organizations are small in scope and budget and usually very narrowly focused on what services and aid they offer. There are however several larger organizations such as Wounded Warriors that try to provide a broader variety of needed services and assistance. But regardless of size and scope, all of these charitable entities use limited pitches featuring one or two wounded veterans in tv, print or email ads with usually well constructed and emotive pitches for donations to charge a funding pool to help disabled vets. This is without a doubt laudable goal but it fails to provide a sense of accomplishment and true participation to the donor. Most of the funds collected are directly from targeted donor lists and they so far have experienced little success or interest in developing new sources of donors for funds.
Americans are Generous
Americans are by nature a very generous and giving people as represented by the over 330 billion dollars in annual donations. But as they a group they are also very fair-minded, and with the constant media exposure of either unscrupulous or poorly managed charities, Americans have become somewhat jaded and less enthusiastic about donating their money to causes that do not reward them with clear results and a sense of having made a difference. This lack of a “feel good” return on investment for donors has made it increasingly difficult to not only inspire existing donors but it has made it next to impossible to attract new participants to help address the tough issues that our society has got to come together and deal with. The heavy reliance on donor lists stocked with previous donors means that little or no directed effort is made to connect with the public, as a whole, and convince them to take a more active role in helping their disabled veterans become productive members of American civil society.
Designed to Engage the American Public
4VETS 4LIFE is a program designed to engage the American public in helping their disabled veterans reintegrate into society and become productive members. 4VETS 4LIFE is a contest centered on 10 carefully selected disabled veterans who have run out of help and assistance to get their and their families' lives back on track. The program is designed to provide targeted assistance to meet specific needs whether it be job training, education, a modified vehicle, a business start-up or even a fully modified house to overcome their specific disabilities. Each veteran will tell their story including personal history and why they volunteered to serve their country. Using full videos on a dedicated web site and numerous clips for distribution throughout social media we will introduce each disabled veteran to the public and let them know specifically who they are helping and what their money will accomplish. The key to this program is to provide easily identifiable contestants and awards that are not “ hand-outs” but carefully crafted rewards designed and administered to help them overcome the limitations caused by their injuries and become successful productive members of society.
A Heavy Emphasis on the Use of Social Media
A special effort will be made to present the program to the whole of American society with a heavy emphasis on the use of social media and a concerted effort to get the message and profiles out through the blogosphere. Particular attention will be focused on America's youth (ages from teens to young 20s) to take advantage of their highly developed and obsessive use of the electronic social messaging systems of today, and hopefully, make the program go viral. We will encourage micro-donations so that the young will feel like they can help make a difference even with limited resources. We will focus on high school DECA societies to encourage their participation in getting the word out and playing a constructive and meaningful role in improving their country by helping others. Special contests will be promoted on America's college campuses through the widespread Fraternities and Sorority social service networks. It will allow the greek organizations to repair their reputations while competing to raise money for their chosen disabled veteran. These high profile campaigns and voluminous tweets, chats, Facebook followers, Instagrams, and other social media contacts will be leveraged to encourage corporations to support the contest and be recognized as advocates for disabled veterans.
Structured to Scale up Quickly
4VETS 4LIFE is structured to scale up quickly, in order to be able to rapidly kick off the next contest once the previous one is funded. Great emphasis is being given to developing an extremely robust technical backbone to run and administer the program. The program needs to be able to not only reach out and connect with thousands of blogging influencers but also put out video clips and respond to questions and requests as well as provide a strong resilient payment acceptance system. This side of the program is critical to 4VETS 4LIFE being able to reach out and keep donors informed and pumped up about the difference they are helping to make and keep the general public excitement high. It also will serve as a conduit to and for the local and national news organs to report on and track the contest. And provide the launchpad for the finale where all of the ten contestants will receive their awards and express their gratitude and accept their country’s gratitude in return. The data collection and collation aspect will be critical to making sure that the following contests will work quickly and allow us to build success upon success.
In Summary
In summary; In Americans there exists a strong desire to help others, proven by the fact that, year after year they donate hundreds of billions of dollars towards trying to help others and to try and make a difference. Reinforcing and building on this desire is critical to the success of the entire endeavor. There is wide acceptance and support for the need to take care of our disabled veterans, so much so that over 45,000 veterans charities are registered with the IRS. Most are small local or at best regional entities that lack the organization and or funding to make the life-changing impact on the mounting issues that our disabled veterans are forced to try and cope with. These small charities have however succeeded in getting the word out and dramatically raising the awareness of the disabled American veteran and that they need help, even if it is only in a small local grassroots way. What all of these charities, big and small, lack is a way to offer ownership of specific disabled veterans challenges and a reward for helping them overcome them. 4VETS 4LIFE will do both of those things and more. It will provide a structured process that creates a win-win-win-win situation where the disabled veteran gets the help they need to build a new life, and the individual donor is constantly updated and thanked for taking the time and making the effort to make a difference. The local veterans' charities will win by helping to promote and then administer the awards to the successfully disabled contestants and corporate donors will stand to win public acclaim and recognition for their contributions. Most of all the country will win by helping all of us recognize that nothing is impossible when we work together to make even one life better.
4VETS4LIFE Goal
4VETS4LIFE goal is to deliver the support and assistance our wounded Veterans need to make them once again productive members of our society so that they can grow to become the foundation of our nation's future freedom, success, and stability. "Our goal is to help Americans understand wounded Veterans' needs and to make their dreams a reality. We want to make sure they know they have a bright future to live for and, with the public's help and participation, we can make these disabled Veterans dreams a reality," said Laura Tubesing, Executive Director of 4LiPHE Charities.
4VETS4LIFE, a not for profit organization is looking for ten wounded American Veterans to inaugurate it’s first program launch. These disabled Veterans will be carefully vetted through a process aligned with established military transitioning organizations, to participate in a life changing event. 4VETS4LIFE will help deserving disabled Veterans with the essential tools and skills necessary to rebuilding their lives, including job training, education or building a business or a modified vehicle the disabled Veteran can operate themselves, or even providing a home modified to allow them the dignity of caring for themselves, despite any disability. Each Veteran will be awarded $100,000 towards overcoming their injuries and making their future a reality. We at 4VETS4LIFE believe that with the public’s help and participation, we can accomplish anything. There is no issue that is too big or difficult that together we can’t solve. We are fully committed to do everything we can to make a lasting difference and change as many deserving Veteran’s lives as you make possible. “These are your Veterans and this is your country, we ask you to work with us to make a difference.” Said Laura Tubesing, Executive Director 4LiPHE Charities.
4VETS4LIFE is a program designed to help disabled veterans reclaim their futures. We present the stories and dreams of 10 vets to you so that you can help them attain an independent, self-sustaining, future. With your help, we can provide the resources and expertise necessary for each of these Veterans to build bright, fulfilling, futures.