Small nonprofits that make a big difference: The Military Health Project

Katie Foley
Feb 5, 2020 7:03 PM PST
1 minute read
Veterans Benefits photo

Jacob Angel speaks to guests at the Veterans Day Reception in San Francisco on Nov 11, 2016.

Today there are over 40,000 nonprofits that focus on military and veteran issues, according to Charity Watch.

Most of those registered as nonprofits are chapters of larger organizations, but some of them are single chapter projects that focus on specific needs within the veteran community.

Here at We Are the Mighty, we wanted to explore some of those advocacy groups you might not have heard of in a bit more depth.

The Military Health Project & Foundation is based in San Francisco and is run by Jacob Angel. Founded in April 2013, the nonprofit was originally designed to address mental health issues through pushing national legislation.

Angel tells us it took the nonprofit eight months to realize where it was failing.

"We were making the same mistake that the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense were making," he says. "We were treating mental and physical health care as two separate areas of care."

The nonprofit re-aligned itself to better connect mental health and physical health, and in March 2014 it went to work garnering support for the Excellence in Mental Health Act, a bill that Angel says eventually became law after a long battle.

"Thus far, the program is going very well," Angel says. The law, according to Angel, makes counseling and other mental health service available to everyone "regardless of socioeconomic status or insurance coverage."

In March 2015, The Military Health Project & Foundation announced the creation of the Military Support Fund, a dedicated financial resource to address coverage gaps for military and veteran families.

Angel tells that since its creation, the Military Support Fund has assisted 40 families in securing funding for specialized medical services and equipment.

Chief Petty Officer Carla Burkholder's son was the recipient of a $2,500 grant for specialized medical equipment from The Military Health Project & Foundation.

"It feels like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders," she wrote.

The organization is focused on addressing both physical and mental health needs through direct assistance and legislation.

"We are now a hybrid organization," Angel says.

The Military Health Project is the advocacy wing where the nonprofit helps to create policy that addresses the ever-changing needs of the military and veteran community through legislation.

The Military Health Foundation works to provide for military and veteran families in the interim.

"They should not have to wait for treatments that they require and frankly deserve."

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