Blue Star Families Receives $1M Gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 14, 2019) – Blue Star Families (BSF), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering military families, today announced a $1 million gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies. With this gift, BSF will launch the Craig Newmark New York Tri-State Chapter to engage military families and their civilian neighbors through technology and in-person events.

“Year-after-year, isolation pops up as a top concern and major stressor for military families in our annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “Most civilians don’t know this, but they need to understand and appreciate the sacrifices we make. When I shared this with Craig, he raised his hand to help.” 

Communities around the nation that have unequal capacity to support the unique and emerging needs of military families. BSF works to offset this disparity, creating vibrant social networks to facilitate community re-integration, believing that mutual support ensures the strength of military families.

“Military families need and deserve our support year-round,” said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. “Blue Star Families provides just that by building communities across the country that help to address their particular needs at the local level.”

Newmark is a long-time supporter of BSF and veterans and military family causes. His previous  gifts have provided a substantial impact for New York area military families, active duty service members, National Guard, Reserves, and their civilian neighbors. With the support of Craig Newmark Philanthropies, BSF has hired a full-time chapter director, enabling organized, year-round events like reading programs, career resources, and outdoor recreation.

This most recent gift was announced on May 14 at the Blue Star Neighbors Celebration in Washington, D.C. At the Celebration, BSF honored Newmark with the Constance J. Milstein Philanthropic Award for going above and beyond the call of duty to support military families in their communities. The award was presented by General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his spouse, Mrs. Ellyn Dunford.

Media Contact: Michele Bradfield, Communications Manager, 706-304-6822, mbradfield@bluestarfam.org. 

About Craig Newmark Philanthropies

Craig Newmark Philanthropies was created by craigslist founder, Craig Newmark, to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement. The organization works to advance people and grassroots organizations that are getting stuff done in areas that include trustworthy journalism, voter protection, gender diversity in technology, and veterans and military families. For more information, please visit CraigNewmarkPhilanthropies.org.

About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families builds communities that support military families by connecting research and data to programs and solutions, including career development tools, local community events for families, and caregiver support. Since its inception in 2009, Blue Star Families has engaged tens of thousands of volunteers and serves more than 1.5 million military family members. With Blue Star Families, military families can find answers to their challenges anywhere they are. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org.