New York, Aug. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF), a nonprofit focused on creating long-lasting, positive outcomes for post-9/11 impacted veterans, service members and their families, and Be The Change, Inc., an incubator for movement-building and deep systems change including military and veterans issues, have announced a new operating structure for Got Your 6. The campaign, launched six years ago at Be The Change, will now be housed at BWF.
“From the beginning, Got Your 6 has been working to change the veteran narrative in popular culture, showcasing veterans and military families as great assets to their communities. At BWF, we started 12 years ago with a personal and compelling story of recovery, resilience and thriving for veterans and families impacted by their service – it is inspiring to see these efforts converge so that we can support even more veterans and their families,” said Anne Marie Dougherty, executive director of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “With Got Your 6 as part of the BWF portfolio, I see tremendous potential to expand our reach, grow our partnerships with the media and entertainment industries, and continue to tell the incredible stories of our veterans and their families.”
Founded in 2012, Got Your 6 has energized the veteran empowerment movement, uniting nonprofits, the entertainment industry, local communities and government agencies to empower veterans and their unique potential to strengthen communities across the U.S. as leaders, team builders and problem solvers. As a coalition, Got Your 6 worked to integrate these perspectives into popular culture, engage veterans and civilians together to foster understanding, and empower veterans to lead in their communities. BWF has been a founding and active partner of Got Your 6, and their visions, missions and goals are well-aligned.
“Storytelling—in communities across America and in partnership with the entertainment industry and countless others—has been key to how Got Your 6 showcases the exemplary talents and ideas of our country’s talented and dedicated veterans. Who better to pair our storytelling work with than the Bob Woodruff Foundation whose namesake is one of journalism’s finest storytellers,” said Alan Khazei, Founder and CEO of Be The Change, Inc. “Be The Change has incubated social campaigns of critical importance to our country before partnering them with like-minded organizations to grow our collective impact. To ensure Americans see veterans as indispensable assets that make our nation stronger, pairing Got Your 6 with the outstanding team and resources at the Bob Woodruff Foundation simply makes good sense.”
"While the entertainment industry has always told military and veteran stories, over the last six years, the creative community has embraced and empowered veterans in exciting, new ways,” explained Academy Award winning producer, Bruce Cohen. “The studios, networks, agencies and production companies partnered within the Got Your 6 coalition have stepped up to ensure the stories told are accurate and fair, moving away from negative stereotypes as well as integrating more veterans than ever into the entire storytelling process."
Marshall Lauck, BWF’s chief growth and marketing officer and a veteran with 20 years of private-sector experience, will lead Got Your 6 for BWF. BWF is reviewing all of the Got Your 6 programs with a focus on how each initiative can best augment the foundation’s work to support veterans, their families and caregivers.
“Got Your 6 challenged the entertainment industry to unite together in an effort to amplify 42 best-in-class veteran organizations doing incredible and meaningful work and leading our generation in greatness,” said Charlie Ebersol, co-founder and chairman of The Company. “In this new chapter, we’re eager to see the campaign continue to thrive under the leadership of the Bob Woodruff Foundation.”
To learn how you can support the Bob Woodruff Foundation, visit www.BobWoodruffFoundation.org.
About the Bob Woodruff Foundation
The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was hit by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has led an enduring call to action for people to stand up for heroes and meet the emerging and long-term needs of today’s veterans. To date, BWF has invested more than $55 million to Find, Fund and Shape™ programs that have empowered impacted veterans, service members and their families. For more information, please visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org or follow us on Twitter at @Stand4Heroes.
About Be The Change
Be The Change, founded in 2007 is a movement building and systems change organization that has developed three campaigns: ServiceNation, now Service Year, that promotes a year of national service as a rite of passage for all young adults; Opportunity Nation now housed at The Forum For Youth Investment, which promotes opportunity for all and fights poverty especially for children and Got Your 6 which believes veterans are leaders, team builders, and problem solvers, who have the unique potential to lead a resurgence of community across the nation.