Semper Fi Fund and the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation Raise $20 Million For Vets
New York, New York (PRWEB) March 02, 2017 -- The Semper Fi Fund today announced it has raised a total of $20 million in its annual “Double Down for Veterans fundraising challenge. The campaign ran for two months, with The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation pledging to match all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $10 million. Fulfilling more than 22,000 immediate need requests per year, the Semper Fi Fund provides critical resources, often in 24 hours, to post-9/11 wounded, critically ill and injured members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.
Vigilant champions for veterans' issues, Bob and Renee Parsons are long-standing supporters of the Semper Fi Fund and, through The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, have generously granted more than $31 million to the organization. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Mr. Parsons – a U.S. Marine Corp Vietnam Veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry – issued a personal rallying cry to join him and Renee in caring for our nation's veterans.
“Renee and I want to thank everyone who joined us in donating to the Double Down for Veterans challenge and for answering the call to give back to the men and women who have sacrificed so much to serve our great nation, said American entrepreneur and philanthropist Bob Parsons. “Semper Fi Fund is doing incredible work, providing critical support to veterans during what is often the most vulnerable and difficult time in their lives.
Since its inception in 2004, the Semper Fi Fund has awarded more than $143 million in assistance to 18,000 service members. The organization has been able to maintain an extremely low overhead average of only six percent, and donations are made directly to service members within 24 to 72 hours. As a result, charity watchdogs have given the Semper Fi Fund their highest ratings for six consecutive years.
“Our vision is simple, to provide our country's heroes with the best care and support available in their hour of need, said Semper Fi Fund President, Executive Director and Founder Karen Guenther. “We are humbled by the outpouring of support for this campaign, and are incredibly thankful to Bob and Renee for their remarkable generosity. These funds will go a very long way in making a true difference in the lives of veterans and their families.
Once again this year, cloud platform giant GoDaddy jump started the campaign with a $50,000 donation, along with a pledge to hire a minimum of 500 veterans, or spouses, over the next five years. Mr. Parsons, who has long been recognized for his philanthropic and entrepreneurial leadership, founded GoDaddy in 1997, and instilled the importance of charitable giving as a priority at the company.
In addition to financial support, Semper Fi Fund offers a variety of programs to aid veterans during recovery and throughout the transition back to day-to-day life. This includes ongoing support through specialized and adaptive equipment grants, education and career assistance, service dog training, caregiver support and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Learn more about Semper Fi Fund by visiting
http://www.semperfifund.org.
About the Semper Fi Fund
The Semper Fi Fund provides urgently needed resources and lifetime support for wounded, critically ill and injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Case managers from the Semper Fi Fund work one-on-one with service members and veterans to understand and support their individual needs right now and throughout their lifetime. We keep our overhead low so our impact on the lives of service members and veterans is greater. The Semper Fi Fund has been awarded the highest ratings from charity watchdog groups for six consecutive years: A+ from Charity Watch, one of only two veteran nonprofits to receive this rating, and Four Stars from Charity Navigator. To learn more, visit http://www.semperfifund.org.
About The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation inspires hope by providing critical funding at critical times to communities striving to make a difference. The Foundation primarily focuses on issues in the greater Phoenix area. The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation believes every person is entitled to an education, good nutrition, medical care, a stress-free, happy environment and the hope that they too, will share in the American Dream. The Foundation provides funding to nonprofit organizations that are successfully addressing these essential needs. The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation is also committed to the children of Haiti, helping to grow and improve schools, medical services and overall well-being for communities in rural Haiti. Visit http://www.tbrpf.org.
About GoDaddy
GoDaddy powers the world's largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures. With more than 14 million customers worldwide and more than 63 million domain names under management, GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers and manage their work. Our mission is to give our customers the tools, insights and the people to transform their ideas and personal initiative into success. To learn more about the company, visit http://www.GoDaddy.com.
About GoDaddy Cares
GoDaddy believes that its responsibility as a corporate citizen is to make a difference in the communities in which it operates. As part of that philosophy GoDaddy contributes to nonprofit organizations that focus on causes which are meaningful to our business, our customers, our employees and our community. Since 2002 GoDaddy has donated more than 15 million dollars to a variety of charitable organizations. GoDaddy understands that giving back to the community is not just accomplished with money and resources but also with talent and time. Visit GoDaddyCares.com to discover how you can join us to make a difference.
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Media Contact: Beth Bourgeois | beth.bourgeois(at)semperfifund(dot)org | 719-216-3206
Beth Bourgeois, Semper Fi Fund, http://www.semperfifund.org, 719-216-3206, [email protected]
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