Overview
What is Soldiers Best Friend?
Soldiers Best Friend is a compassionate Arizona-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI). By providing service/therapeutic companion dog training, the organization offers a unique, life-changing service to eligible veterans, adopting dogs from local shelters and rescues. The comprehensive program involves a thorough application process, dog adoptions, fostering, professional training and testing, veterinary care, and supplying necessary equipment. The mentorship program pairs graduates with teams-in-training, while OGT classes provide further training for the dogs. Soldiers Best Friend aims to serve as a parallel support plan to each veteran's medical treatment, lessening PTSD or TBI symptoms. The organization's impact was evident in a 2022 survey, with 94% of respondents reporting improved overall quality of life and reduced suicidal thoughts.
Official website here: www.soldiersbestfriend.org
Is Soldiers Best Friend legitimate?
Soldiers Best Friend is a legitimate nonprofit organization registered as a 501(c)(3) entity. Soldiers Best Friend submitted a form 990, which is a tax form used by tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., indicating its operational transparency and adherence to regulatory requirements. Donations to this organization are tax deductible.
Here are some key statistics you may want to consider:
Executive Compensation: $72,169
Professional Fundraising Fees: $0
Other Salaries and Wages: $297,999
For more financial information, click here
Official website here: www.soldiersbestfriend.org
What is the mission statement of Soldiers Best Friend?
Soldiers Best Friend's mission is centered around providing service or therapeutic companion dog training for veterans suffering from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury. This organization offers life-changing services, pairing eligible veterans with homeless dogs from Arizona shelters and rescues. The program, which lasts a minimum of six months, includes a comprehensive application process, dog adoptions, fostering, professional training and testing, veterinary care, equipment and supply provision, and support to ensure program completion. As part of their program, they offer mentorship and Operation Graduate Training (OGT) classes for graduates seeking further training for their dogs. Soldiers Best Friend serves as a parallel support plan to each veteran's medical treatment, aiming to lessen the symptoms of PTSD or TBI. A 2022 survey revealed that 94% of graduates reported an improved overall quality of life, 89% experienced a positive impact on social activities, and 71% noticed a positive impact on their relationships with family and others. Among those who had suicidal thoughts before starting the training, 83% reported a reduction in such thoughts.
Official website here: www.soldiersbestfriend.org
Who is the CEO of Soldiers Best Friend?
Mik Milem is the Executive Director of Soldiers Best Friend.
Official website here: www.soldiersbestfriend.org
What is the revenue of Soldiers Best Friend?
Soldiers Best Friend's revenue in 2022 was $1,408,862.
Official website here: www.soldiersbestfriend.org
Who are the executives of Soldiers Best Friend and what are their salaries?
The average compensation at Soldiers Best Friend during 2022 was $15,424. There are 24 employees and 100 volunteers at Soldiers Best Friend.
Here are 13 key members and their salaries:
- Mik Milem (Executive Director)
- Katie Ares (Former Executive Director)
- Mark Devine (Director)
- Fred Petters (Director)
- Kristina Wood (Director)
- Brian Riveland (Director)
- Gary M Bridget Shrm-Scp (Director)
- John G Burnham Dvm (Founderdirector)
- Victoria Bellomo (Director)
- Robert Cooper (President) [Trustee/Director]
- Elizabeth Schryer (Treasurerpast President) [Trustee/Director]
- Kelly Finnell (Vice President) [Trustee/Director]
- Julie Wirtanen Cfre (Secretary) [Trustee/Director]
Official website here: www.soldiersbestfriend.org
Where can I find the form 990 for Soldiers Best Friend?
The Soldiers Best Friend’s most recent form 990 was submitted in 2022 and can be accessed here
Official website here: www.soldiersbestfriend.org
Learn more at the official website: www.soldiersbestfriend.org
Mission Statement of Soldiers Best Friend
Soldiers Best Friend is an organization dedicated to providing service and therapeutic companion dog training for veterans suffering from combat-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Their mission is to offer life-changing services for eligible veterans while also providing homes for homeless dogs in Arizona. Through comprehensive training programs, Soldiers Best Friend equips veterans with trained service dogs, providing them with emotional support and companionship to help alleviate symptoms of PTSD or TBI. The organization's services include a thorough application process, dog adoptions from partner shelters, professional training and testing, veterinary care, equipment and supplies, and ongoing support to ensure program completion. Soldiers Best Friend also offers mentorship programs and additional training classes, aiming to enhance the dogs' abilities and strengthen the veteran-dog bond. The organization's mission is to complement veterans' medical treatment and contribute to a significant improvement in their overall quality of life, social activities, and relationships with family and others, as well as reducing suicidal thoughts.
Impact
This information is meant to be a general summary of Soldiers Best Friend. Please take the time to review official sources before making any decisions based upon the content provided here.
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Soldiers Best Friend's impact is profound and life-changing for veterans living with combat-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury. The organization provides service and therapeutic companion dog training, serving 125 veterans in 2022 with a total of 2,789 training hours. Over half of the dogs in the program are adopted from Arizona shelter and rescue partners. The program, offered at no cost to eligible veterans, involves a minimum of 6 months of training, including a comprehensive application process, dog adoptions, fostering, professional training and testing, veterinary care, equipment/supplies provision, and ongoing support.
Results from a biennial survey in 2022 show that 94% of veterans reported an improved overall quality of life due to their service/therapeutic companion dogs, with 89% reporting a positive impact on social activities and 71% noting an improvement in their relationships with family and others. Additionally, 83% of respondents who experienced suicidal thoughts before starting the training reported a reduction in those thoughts. This program serves as a parallel support plan to each veteran's medical treatment, aiming to lessen the symptoms of PTSD or TBI and greatly impacting the lives of graduates and their families.
Financials
This financial information is from Propublica.
Other financial information:
This information is from the most recently submitted tax form from this organization, which was in 2022.
- Assets and Liabilities:
Organization Details
Founding Year
2011
Principal Officer
Mik Milem
Main Address
14505 N 75TH AVE, PEORIA, AZ, 85381
Website
www.soldiersbestfriend.org
NTEE Category
Code: P20 - Human services
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