SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) will use an additional $8 million grant from JPMorgan Chase to support its national training and research programs over the next three years. The grant announcement comes a decade after JPMorgan’s original grant to “enhance” the post-service lives of veterans and military families through […]
SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) will use an additional $8 million grant from JPMorgan Chase to support its national training and research programs over the next three years.
The grant announcement comes a decade after JPMorgan’s original grant to “enhance” the post-service lives of veterans and military families through the university’s IVMF, per a Syracuse news release.
This latest grant will enable the IVMF to continue delivering national programs to transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses who may be facing disproportional impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly one-third (31 percent) of veteran spouses responding to 2020 IVMF survey reported experiencing long-term unemployment, which was three times higher than the civilian long-term unemployment rate, Syracuse said.
Research conducted in collaboration with IVMF has shown meaningful employment can ease the transition, ultimately helping mitigate negative outcomes for veterans and their families, the school added.
“JPMorgan Chase understood immediately the IVMF was positioned to meet the unique challenges facing veterans and their families,” Mike Haynie, vice chancellor of strategic initiatives & innovation at Syracuse University and executive director of IVMF. “Over the past decade, they have contributed $34 million to IVMF programs and research that have empowered, advocated for, and improved the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families nationwide.”
The timing of the grant renewal comes as both the IVMF and the JPMorgan Chase’s office of military and veteran affairs observe 10 years of focusing on the post-service lives of military families. Since 2011, IVMF training and programs have directly impacted more than 150,000 transitioning service members, veterans, and military families. The figure includes more than 70,000 who have benefited from entrepreneurship training, Syracuse said.
IVMF programming for the military community includes offering no-cost career and entrepreneurship training, working with communities and nonprofits to enhance service delivery to veterans and their families through collaboration and technology, and conducting actionable, applied research to deliver insights and shape national policy discussions. IVMF contends, “this has improved and expanded opportunities for more inclusive workplaces and networking for underrepresented communities of people of color and women.”
The grant announcement also comes during National Small Business Month, the university noted.