Charity

Supporting Semper Fi & America's Fund

A community effort honoring service members, veterans, and military families through support, awareness, and generosity.

The Mission

Who they help and why it matters

Make An Impact

Help provide resources, support, and connection for wounded, ill, and injured service members.

Support the Semper Fi & America's Fund today with your generous donation!
01

Who They Are

Semper Fi & America's Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides a variety of programs to assist wounded veterans in all branches of the United States Armed Forces.

The organization describes its mission as "providing urgently needed resources and financial support for combat wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured members" of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

As of November 2023, Semper Fi & America's Fund (The Fund) has provided more than $312 million in assistance to over 31,000 service members and their families.

Semper Fi & America's Fund began in early 2003 as a gathering of military spouses around a kitchen table discussing ways to help Marines who had been injured during the invasion of Iraq.

Early efforts included the distribution of snacks and toiletries at hospitals and a specialized van for a catastrophically injured Marine.

The nonprofit was officially incorporated as the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund on May 17, 2004.

General Alfred M. Gray, Jr., who served as the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991, was named the chairman of the board of The Fund and served in this position until November 2014.

Milestones

Key moments in the Fund's work

01

On April 25, 2005, Cookie Magazine announced that Semper Fi & America's Fund founder, president and CEO Karen Guenther and co-founders Wendy Lethin and Sondria Saylor, were recipients of the first-ever Smart Cookie Awards, which recognize and support mothers in the business, philanthropy, and celebrity worlds who are making outstanding contributions to women's and children's causes around the globe. Other recipients included Mariska Hargitay, Marcia Gay Harden and Cynthia Nixon.

02

In June 2007, The Fund announced that it had raised and given away more than $50 million in assistance to service members and their families.

03

On November 19, 2007, The Fund received the Spirit of Hope Award at a Pentagon ceremony in which all branches of the service were recognized. The award, which was established by the Hope Family Foundation in 1997 in honor of Bob Hope, is for patriotism and service reflecting the essence of Bob Hope's dedication to those in the Armed Forces.

04

On June 9, 2012, The Fund announced the creation of America's Fund, a self-funded program of The Fund created to direct urgently needed resources and financial support to injured and critically ill members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

05

In February 2013, Karen Guenther was named Marine Corps Spouse of the Year.  She had previously been nominated for 2011 Military Spouse of the Year.

06

In an interview on CBS This Morning on July 4, 2013, Guenther noted that since beginning The Fund in 2004 with $500, the organization had raised $101 million.

07

On September 20, 2014, Karen Guenther was named an Honorary Marine by General James F. Amos, 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps.

08

On November 17, 2014, Karen Guenther received the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award in a ceremony at the Pentagon.

09

On January 28, 2015, The Fund announced they had crossed the $100 million mark in providing assistance to wounded, critically ill and injured service members and their families.

10

On June 1, 2017, The Fund announced they had crossed the $150 million mark in providing assistance to wounded, critically ill and injured service members and their families.

11

In 2017, The Fund was presented the U.S. Special Operations Command Patriot Award for exceptional and enduring contributions to the welfare of Special Operations Command wounded warriors and their families from July 2003 to September 2017.

12

In 2018, The Fund established the LCpl Parsons Welcome Home Fund designed to care for veterans from all U.S. military service branches who are catastrophically injured from combat operations in Vietnam.

13

On January 21, 2020, The Fund announced that former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. was named chairman of the board.

**Source  Wikipedia and Semperfi & The America's fund.