This morning IAVA Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff headlined the plenary session at the Grantmakers In Health (GIH) Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy in San Diego. Rieckhoff’s session focused on IAVA’s public awareness leadership on the topic of veterans health as well as issuing a national call to action to spur philanthropic support of veteran service organizations.

“This year’s theme of charting a new course is apt timing for IAVA,” said Rieckhoff. “IAVA has been a pioneer for increased awareness of and support for veterans health over the last decade. We have worked tirelessly to engage stakeholders to develop the right strategies and solutions to meet the critical needs of our community. We survey our members annually and make an unprecedented effort to understand how mental health impacts their lives. This uniquely personal engagement allows IAVA to be the leading organization to advocate for innovative solutions that can improve and ultimately, save lives. We look forward to sharing our experiences and collaborating with other leading organizations.”

To see IAVA’s 2015 year of program impact for the post-9/11 veteran community, watch this: