Author: yis

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, since 2009, Americans have increased their online spending by 100 billion dollars.

According to a 2018 NPR/Marist poll, 69% of Americans shopped online during the year, and 43% regularly shop online.

That is a lot of money spent on shopping, and with the advent of Covid-19, the percentage of people regularly shopping online has dramatically increased.

What does online shopping and AmazonSmile have to do with Tee It Up for The Troops?  Four words: Fast, Easy, Life-Changing Donations.

Shop AmazonSmile to Raise Money for Tee It Up for the Troops at No Cost to You!

Amazon through its AmazonSmile initiative is donating 0.5% of all eligible purchases to the charity of your choice when you shop. That means it’s possible to send real donations to Tee It Up for the Troops at absolutely NO cost to you—just shopping at smile.amazon.com does the trick!

Designate Tee It Up for the Troops as your charity, and Amazon will send donations to benefit the organization every time you shop—every little bit counts!

Giving to Tee It Up for the Troops has never been easier. Let’s get started!

There are a couple of different ways you can sign up for the AmazonSmile program.

Join AmazonSmile at smile.amazon.com. You can sign up to the AmazonSmile program at smile.amazon.com on your computer, tablet, or phone. There you’ll select the Get Started button and sign into your Amazon account. After you sign in, there will be a list of charities to choose from. Search for Tee It Up for the Troops in the search bar and select us! Once you’ve selected Tee It Up for the Troops, then you’re set up!

Here’s the all-important final step: make sure you shop at smile.amazon.com rather than plain amazon.com. Using the “smile.amazon.com” address will ensure that Amazon contributes part of the purchase price to Tee It Up for the Troops!

Get the app. Download or update to the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app on your phone. You can find the app in the App Store for your iPhone or Google Play for Android. Log in to your Amazon account on the app. Once you’re logged in, navigate to the Settings menu ( where you can also see buttons for Account and Your Orders). Below Settings, you’ll find an AmazonSmile button. Click the AmazonSmile button, and then proceed through the instructions provided, and you’ll be set!

You can begin to make a difference in our veterans’ lives with a smile and a click, here and now, today.

Please give to Tee It Up for the Troops through AmazonSmile. You can start today!

Because the needs of our American heroes continue to far exceed our nation’s ability to meet them, Tee It Up for the Troops benefits from generous business sponsors that help veterans and their families gain access to the critical services and support they need and deserve.

We have many national business sponsors that know the power of giving back to our military veterans and are truly dedicated to helping those in need:

National Sponsors

We also have Product/Service Sponsors, Event Sponsors, and many local sponsors not listed here that are critical partners and support American veterans.

Eight Great Benefits for Your Company When Partnering with Tee It Up for The Troops 

1. Be a stellar business example and honor, remember, respect and support the many brave individuals that have kept and continue to keep us all safe. Americans love, respect, and honor our troops and they love businesses that give back to our military veterans and their families.
2. Good and Free Publicity, Brand Awareness, and Reach a Whole New Audience. These are givens, however, when you encourage and make room for your employees to participate, they will be the ones continuing to talk about the event. It is an old school approach, but word of mouth is certainly effective and often carries with it the passion and purpose behind our events. When your employees are talking up your company of their own volition that is good business.
3. Corporate Tax Breaks.  Included in the new stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress is the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, which has recognized the desire of individuals, foundations, and business to support not-for-profit organizations such as Tee It Up for The Troops with incentive-laden tax benefits. Learn how with our detailed outline of the tax benefits for your corporate sponsorship.
4. Spending Power of Millennials.  Did you know that 70% of millennials report that they prefer to spend their money with brands that support worthwhile causes like Tee It Up for the Troops? In fact, Millennials possess 2.45 trillion dollars in spending power and that is a figure that is hard to ignore.
5. Great New Hires for Your Company.  A 2007 study by Deloitte found that 62% of new hires between the ages of 18-26 would prefer to work for a company that offers volunteer opportunities. Partnering with Tee It Up for the Troops offers many worthwhile volunteer opportunities at our events across the nation.
6. Boost Employee Morale.  Study after study shows that volunteering is good for you. It creates empathy, self-esteem, and confidence. And when companies carve out time for employees to volunteer or help at one of our military charity events during work hours, the employees feel as if they too are making a much needed and appreciated contribution. It is also a great team-building exercise.
7. Unlock New Networking Opportunities.  Our charity golf tournaments golf events fuel so much of what we do. Providing recreation, sport, and an arena to network away from the traditional business setting.
8. The Bottom Line. Your corporate sponsorship and participation help the men and women who have served, or who are currently serving in America’s Armed Forces.

We are grateful for all of our sponsors who have made the commitment to support those who have fought to protect our freedoms. Want to join our esteemed list of business sponsors? Partner with us today to help our nation’s heroes!

Now is a great time to donate to help our military veterans, who are heroes and have already given so much to us. Giving back to our troops is so much more than simply money. Your donation to Tee It Up for the Troops provides hope, restoration, and new beginnings for our American heroes to enjoy a life with good health, ample opportunity, and continued freedom—the same freedoms and opportunities that they so willingly sacrificed for each of us to have.

The CARES Act

Included in the new stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress is the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) Act, which has recognized the desire of individuals, foundations, and businesses to support not-for-profit organizations such as Tee It Up for the Troops with incentive-laden tax benefits. That’s good news for you and your business, and it’s good news for us too because we want and need your help.

How the CARES Act Helps You Donate to Veterans

A portion of the new bill provides individuals who and corporations that itemize their charitable giving to deduct greater amounts of their contributions. Individuals can elect to deduct donations up to 100% of their 2020 adjusted gross income (AGI), which is up from the previous limit of 60%.

The new CARES Act also allows corporations to deduct up to 25% of taxable income, up from the previous limit of 10%. You may not be aware, but many employers and foundations are offering to match donations. We encourage you to check with your employer to see if your donation qualifies for a matching gift. 

Also, anyone who donates up to $300 for an individual, or $600 for a married couple, can get an easy tax break under the CARES Act. This charitable giving deduction is available for those who take the standard deduction, meaning you do not need to itemize your deductions to enjoy the tax break. This is a wonderful provision written into the CARES Act, and it makes it even easier for you to donate to veterans today.

Know that your charitable giving is so much more than a tax deduction; it is life-giving change to veterans who have already given and sacrificed for you.

You can be the difference in a veteran’s life. Donate to veterans today through Tee It Up for the Troops.

Military families are some of the bravest and most enduring families in our country. While we often only think of the deployed person as the one who sacrifices or struggles, the family left behind also faces many difficulties. Some struggles for family members are due to separation, constant moving, added responsibilities put on them while their loved one is away or adjusting to the mental or physical health of a returning servicemember.

COVID-19  Supportive Resources for Military Parents and Children

We know this is an especially difficult time for our military families, veterans and children during our current COVID-19 crisis. Here are some resources for parents and military children that may be helpful from the  Military Child Education Coalition. From different activities you can do with your children, to resources to help discuss what is happening and hopefully ease some of the challenges you’re facing.

The Challenges That Military Children Face

Family separation can be a very difficult lifestyle for children and spouses/partners of military families, particularly when the separation time is commonly 9-12 months. Spouses/partners, even when not deployed, may be separated for a month or more while completing required training or in the case of injured veterans, when receiving care or rehabilitation.

Family separation also takes a significant emotional toll on children. Military children may worry about the safety or health of their deployed parent or their returning from service parent. Missing their family member can cause children to become anxious, sad, or even clinically depressed, or to begin lashing out in unexpected ways. With very young children, deployment of their parent could even set back developmental milestones like potty training, talking in sentences, or sleeping through the night.

Military life entails moving a lot due to different duty assignments. Relocation can add considerable stress to a family unit due to the necessary transition to another house and community. The family now has to adapt to new schools, jobs, and even friendships. Schools can be a very tough challenge for military children due to the different teaching styles and state school curriculums. Military children may enter a class where they are expected to know a material that they have not been taught. Friendships can also be very difficult for military children who are forced to move frequently because it is challenging to pursue new friendships and “put yourself out there” again and again, especially if another move is likely in the near future.

Finally, there is the added household responsibilities military children may take on when a parent is deployed, which can force a shift in the family dynamic, causing children’s roles and responsibilities to shift as well. This increase in responsibilities for school-aged children, while not innately bad, can result in added stress for military children. Such additional pressure can cause children to feel anxious and even resentful because of the strain they are put under.

The mental health of a returning servicemember also affects children. Combat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be transmitted to children from their parents in cases where a parent suffers from combat PTSD. Secondary PTSD can drastically impact a child’s behaviors. Symptoms of combat PTSD in children can range from hyperactivity to extreme withdrawal.

Anxiety is certainly one of the most common symptoms and can be brought about through many of the symptoms experienced by the parent. For example, if a parent re-experiences the trauma, particularly to the point where it feels like it truly is happening again, this is accompanied by fear and anxiety that the child also feels. Children don’t understand what is happening and they may fear the parent cannot take care of them. Being on edge, angry, or aggressive much of the time can make a child fearful and wonder whether the parent loves him or her.

Tee It Up for the Troops Gets Involved – Join In!

At Tee It Up for the Troops, we strive to give back and help even the youngest members of our military families. Our proceeds go to organizations like Beyond the Yellow Ribbon that create meetings and service support opportunities for military members and families. The proceeds also fund recreational and social events for military families and spouses/partners. Plus, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon provides services to military members and families like daycare, counseling, and household repairs.

Visit our website to learn how you can get involved with a Tee It Up for the Troops event in your area.

As a veterans charity, we here at Tee It Up for the Troops are honored to support groups like The Warrior’s Journey. The Warrior’s Journey works with veterans to build their faith and work towards healthy relationships, family life, and mind. A faith-based organization, the Warrior’s Journey also uses faith and relationships to help equip its members with the tools they need to tackle the problems life throws at them.

The Warrior’s Journey – Helping Warriors since 2016

In 2019, we granted $15,000 to The Warrior’s Journey that they used to further their mission in bringing faith to both active duty and retired military (Warriors). How they achieve this is through their comprehensive website, which is an interactive online resource. This website allows individuals to read articles as well as watch videos about other warriors to understand what they went through and how The Warrior’s Journey helped.

They can also communicate with trained connectors who are there to help Warriors find any help or information they may need about making the next step. Warriors will also be connected with resources, organizations, and ongoing support to ensure they can continue their journey into faith. Warrior’s Journey connectors also work to help Warriors find a local church so they can grow their communal support network.

The Warrior’s Journey Golf Classic – Stay Tuned!

With this partnership, The Warrior’s Journey was able to launch the first annual The Warrior’s Journey Golf classic with Tee It Up for the Troops in 2018. The golf classic raised local awareness of the needs of the military community as well as funds for the faith-based organization. Thankfully, because of the partnership we have with The Warrior’s Journey, we are excited to announce this year’s event: The Warrior’s Journey Golf Classic in partnership with Tee It Up for the Troops- Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, MO, on October 26, 2020.

The golf classic is a way for people to have fun while remembering the sacrifices our military heroes and their families make every day. This event will start with an amazing ceremony and tribute to our military and the wonderful nation they serve. The day will conclude with an auction to raise money for our remarkable American heroes. Our sponsors, other golfers, and the veterans will all get to partake in an amazing day out on the beautiful greens.

The Warrior’s Journey + Tee It Up for the Troops

The donations received at this event and in general are crucially needed. These funds help combat veterans who are suffering physically, mentally, and emotionally to overcome and persevere through their everyday struggles. Proceeds from this event will also help the Tee It Up for the Troops outreach program “REUNION” which is designed to reunite combat veterans with their comrades from the battlefield.

Whether it’s your friend, acquaintance, or family member, assistance is available from The Warrior’s Journey. This support for our heroes is crucially needed, and we encourage you to come to our events and help raise proceeds for our American heroes and their families.

If you’re not in the area for this fall’s Warrior’s Journey Golf Classic, worry not! Find an event near you today—or consider starting one yourself!

Family is an important aspect of any individual’s life, but they are even more important in the lives of veterans. For many veterans, the support that families and caregivers provide are essential for their transition back into civilian life. We at Tee It Up for the Troops strive to create opportunities and find assistance for veterans everywhere.

One pillar we support as an organization is family and caregiver support. Families and caregivers can be some of the best support systems for our veterans. Families and caregivers are heavily relied upon by their wounded veterans, thus they also need support. That’s why Tee It Up for the Troops works to help caregivers and families both through our signature REUNION Program and our charitable fundraising events.

Our REUNION program brings combat veterans who served with each other back together for five days of golfing and other activities. And it’s not just veterans who come to REUNION for this expenses-paid trip—we also invite the veterans’ caregivers. During these days, caregivers are given opportunities to meet with each other and share their own struggles, talk about self-care techniques, and share resources.

Tee It Up for the Troops also raises money throughout the country for charitable organizations that support the Family & Caregiver Support pillar of our mission. Some of these organizations include Blue Star Families and Hope For The Warriors. These organizations help us achieve our goal of assisting military families, wounded veterans and caregiver support systems.

Blue Star Families creates programs for caregivers and members to help make strong families even stronger. They believe caregiver support is important across all parts of military life from enlistment to veteran status. One thing that makes Blue-Star Families unique is that their team consists of military spouses and veterans. They believe having been in the situation helps them better understand and assist other veterans’ needs.

Another wonderful organization we partner with is the Hope For The Warriors. Hope For The Warriors provides programming and support services to caregivers of post-9/11 service members and veterans who have been physically or psychologically wounded due to combat. These caregivers can include: spouses/partners, adult children, parents, significant others, siblings, and friends.

To all the families and caregivers who support our nation’s veterans—THANK YOU! Your work is invaluable, meaningful, and deeply appreciated. Learn more about our REUNION Program and consider working with your vet to apply.

One of the foundational pillars of our mission is veteran employment. Veterans can face unique challenges when returning from their service and moving back into the civilian sector. Even though veteran unemployment has been lower than the national rate for the last few years, working to promote veteran employment remains critical: living-wage employment supports housing, family life, and mental health.

This is a good trend for our veterans, but our mission is not complete and we need to continue focusing our efforts on veteran employment and on meaningful career pathways for veterans. Many veterans are working below their skill level with 15.6 percent more likely to be underemployed than civilians.  We all benefit if we fully recognize and leverage our veterans’ tremendous leadership and skill sets.

The drop in veteran unemployment is not a surprise given our nation’s work for the past decade to encourage hiring of transitioning service members, veterans, and their families. Not only is it the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do for companies. Studies show that 59% of employers reported that veterans perform “better than” or “much better than” non-veteran peers.

Organizations can change these statistics. At Tee It Up for the Troops, we strive to work with organizations that help with veteran employment by tackling problems and allowing for a smoother return to the civilian workforce. Since our founding in 2005, we’ve donated over $11,000,000 to many organizations, including those that support veteran employment.

One such company we partner with is Disabled American Veterans, an organization that works with veterans and employers to connect them with jobs that are the best fit. They also support and host in-person and digital job fairs to help veterans find the jobs they need to continue their journey outside of the military.

We also partner with On Course Foundation. Their vision is to use the game of golf as a vehicle for successful recovery. Through the confidence that the game of golf brings. The OnCourse Foundation Employment Program aides members in the transition from military service to a career in the golf industry. The skills acquired through military service produce outstanding individuals that are exceptionally employable regardless of injury or illness.

The last organization that we will highlight is Combat Veterans to Careers (CVC). CVC offers viable solutions and structured plans for addressing employment responsibilities and educational demands. They work directly with veterans to ensure they obtain the necessary certifications, specialized training and/or continued education needed to obtain meaningful employment.

Tee It Up for the Troops makes veteran employment one of its pillars because steady work makes so many other parts of life easier: owning or renting a home, having a family, and building purpose.

Help us build on this pillar by participating in a golf fundraiser or other event near you, or even let us help you start your own event!