Willing Warriors

What Willing Warriors does

Willing Warriors (legally Serve Our Willing Warriors, SOWW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014-2015 and headquartered at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, a 37-acre facility in Haymarket, Virginia. The organization provides cost-free six-day respite retreats for wounded, ill, and injured U.S. service members and their families, referred through partner military hospitals in the National Capital Region including Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir. The core offering is the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, complemented by the PenFed Grand Lodge (a 6-bedroom, 2,000 sq ft multi-purpose facility), the Visiting Chef Program, the Guest Services Program coordinating 40+ educational and recreational activities, and ancillary programs such as Operation Save The Number (veteran suicide prevention) and the Financial Literacy Workshop.

The organization does not sell products or services; all retreat stays, meals, activities, and counseling are provided at no cost to beneficiaries. Revenue is generated entirely through donations, grants, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events. The four primary revenue streams are individual donations (via the Bloomerang-powered website portal and the 100 for 100 recurring giving program), foundation grants (most notably a $200,000 PenFed Foundation grant in 2022), event fundraising (Annual Gala, Warrior Ride, Vettes for Willing Warriors car show, Beautification Days), and corporate sponsorships at tiered levels including the Warrior Family stay sponsorship at $2,500 per six-day retreat.

Operationally, Willing Warriors runs on standard nonprofit SaaS infrastructure (Bloomerang for donations, Galaxy Digital for volunteer management, CBO.io for event registration, Amazon Wish Lists for in-kind goods) with no proprietary technology platform. Distribution is exclusively direct: beneficiaries are referred by military hospital partners and served on-site at the single retreat facility. The organization is led by Co-founders Shirley Dominick (President) and John Dominick (Vice President), with Sarah Ford as Executive Director, an 11-50 person staff, and a board of approximately 10 directors. It holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, a 2026 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, and a registered servicemark for the Willing Warriors brand.

Name

Willing Warriors

Legal name

Willing Warriors

Website

https://willingwarriors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Willing Warriors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free six-day respite retreats at its 37-acre Warrior Retreat at Bull Run in Haymarket, Virginia, for wounded U.S. service members and their families referred through National Capital Region military hospitals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Veteran Retreat Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Rehabilitation & Recovery Retreats (Physio, Post-Op, Pain Management) (THAGAMAG)

Keywords

• Veteran retreat services
• Military family support
• Nonprofit respite care
• Wounded warrior programs
• Hospitality charity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Haymarket

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through the website donation portal, commemorative brick purchases, and general fund contributions. Donors can give one-time or recurring donations ($100/month through the 100 for 100 program).
2. Foundation Grants: Foundation grants such as the $200,000 PenFed Foundation donation in 2022 for construction of multi-purpose spaces and programs including PTSD counseling, job training, and recreational activities.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual events including the Gala, Warrior Ride, Vettes for Willing Warriors car show, and Beautification Days generate proceeds directly for the organization. Sponsorships for events provide additional revenue.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support through cash sponsorships at various levels (Presenting, Silver, Warrior Family), Make the House a Home campaign for furnishing, and warrior family retreat stay sponsorships ($2,500 for six-day stay).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Willing Warriors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free six-day respite retreat stays at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, a 37-acre accessible facility in Haymarket, Virginia, offering wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families lodging, meals, and 40+ educational and recreational activities designed to support recovery and family reconnection.

Product overview

Willing Warriors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a single, unified program — the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run — as a 'Home Away From Home' for wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families. The core offering is the six-day retreat stay experience at the 37-acre facility in Haymarket, VA, which is supported by several named sub-programs and facilities including the PenFed Grand Lodge (a multi-purpose counseling and training facility), the Visiting Chef Program (signature dining), and the Guest Services Program (activity coordination). Additional programs include Operation Save The Number (veteran suicide prevention awareness), Financial Literacy Workshops, monthly Beautification Days volunteer events, a Podcast series, and major annual fundraising events (Annual Gala, Warrior Ride, Vettes for Willing Warriors car show). The organization also operates a Monthly Newsletter and a Commemorative Brick Campaign as engagement and fundraising vehicles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Warrior Retreat at Bull Run

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 wounded warriors and 1,200 family members hosted since inception
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lockheed MartincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor listed on the organization's sponsors page, supporting Willing Warriors' mission through financial contributions.
• MicroncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Willing Warriors through financial contributions and community engagement.
• The Home DepotcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for Willing Warriors' facility and retreat operations.
• Robert Trent Jones FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation sponsor supporting Willing Warriors through charitable contributions.
• UVA HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner providing support for Willing Warriors' wellness and recovery programs.
• Nextpoint GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for the Warrior Ride event and corporate sponsor, demonstrating commitment to the veteran community.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAWS employees participate in annual Day of Caring volunteer events at the Willing Warriors Retreat, providing hands-on support for facility maintenance and improvement.
• NOVECminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNOVEC HELPS partners with Willing Warriors for annual Day of Caring volunteer events at the Warrior Retreat.
• Strategic ASIcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and Warrior Family Sponsor for the Annual Gala, supporting fundraising efforts.
• University of PhoenixcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor for the Annual Gala supporting Willing Warriors' mission and programs.
• LeidoscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor for the Annual Gala supporting Willing Warriors' mission.
• Burke & Herbert BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCruise Control Sponsor for Vettes for Willing Warriors car show event.
• JansonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Willing Warriors.
• Contract Solutions Inc (CSI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Willing Warriors.
• Agile Business ConceptsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Willing Warriors.
• MDC LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Willing Warriors.
• Optimo ITminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Willing Warriors.
• American LegioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational veterans organization sponsor supporting Willing Warriors.
• Hylton Performing Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal arts venue offering activities for retreat guests as part of the 40+ offered activities.
• Military Hospitals in National Capital RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospitals including Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir that refer recovering service members to the Warrior Retreat program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fisher House Foundation: Fisher House Foundation provides free lodging to military and veteran families near major military and VA medical centers, mirroring Willing Warriors' core model of free retreats tied to military hospital referrals and family recovery.
• Travis Mills Foundation: The Travis Mills Foundation operates a retreat specifically for recalibrated veterans and their families, offering a multi-day all-inclusive experience with activities, dining, and family programming — directly comparable to Willing Warriors' Warrior Retreat at Bull Run.
• Hope For The Warriors: Hope For The Warriors provides comprehensive support programs for post-9/11 wounded service members and families, including clinical health, wellness, and transition programs, overlapping with Willing Warriors' counseling, job training, and family reconnection offerings.
• Semper Fi & America's Fund: Semper Fi & America's Fund delivers immediate financial support and program services to wounded, critically ill, and injured service members and families, sharing Willing Warriors' targeted wounded-veteran beneficiary focus and family-centric programming.
• Operation Homefront: Operation Homefront serves military and veteran families with housing, financial, and recreational programs including retreats and respite experiences, directly comparable to Willing Warriors' family retreat model anchored near military medical facilities.
• Coalition to Salute America's Heroes: Coalition to Salute America's Heroes provides emergency financial aid, recovery and transition support, and retreat experiences for wounded veterans and their families, directly overlapping Willing Warriors' family-recovery retreat model.

Broad incumbents

• Gary Sinise Foundation: The Gary Sinise Foundation runs a broad portfolio of veteran-serving programs (homes, entertainment, mental wellness) including the Snowball Express retreat program for children of fallen service members, making it a larger incumbent operating multiple retreat-style programs similar to Willing Warriors' offerings.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Wounded Warrior Project is the largest US nonprofit serving post-9/11 wounded veterans, offering mental health, career, and wellness programs at national scale — a broad incumbent with overlapping beneficiary focus and complementary programming to Willing Warriors.

Emerging players

• USA Cares: USA Cares provides financial assistance and career transition support to military families and wounded service members, intersecting with Willing Warriors' job training, financial literacy, and family-support programming through a different delivery model.
• Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon mobilizes veterans for disaster response and community service, sharing Willing Warriors' veteran-centric mission and grassroots community engagement model though with a fundamentally different service delivery focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/soww_va
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WillingWarriors
• Facebookfacebook.com/WillingWarriors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/serve-our-willing-warriors
• Instagraminstagram.com/willingwarriors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Willing Warriors