Research & Publications
From the beginning, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation has been rooted in evidence-based research.
In 2012, commissioned RAND to develop the first comprehensive, evidence-based national study of military and veteran caregivers.
When Senator Bob Dole was recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2010 and 2011, Senator Elizabeth Dole experienced firsthand the tremendous challenges facing the loved ones caring for our service members and veterans.
In response, she established the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and began working with RAND to examine the needs of military and veteran caregivers, as well as gaps in services and recommendations for filling those gaps.
America’s Hidden Heroes: Emerging From the Shadows
Commissioned in 2022, and soon to be released in September 2024, this report was sponsored by Wounded Warrior Project, AARP, Lockheed Martin, and the Lilly Endowment.
Hidden Heroes: America's Military Caregivers
This ground-breaking research first identified 5.5 million Americans serving as military and veteran caregivers. At that time, they were contributing an essential service to the nation, providing nearly $15 billion in unpaid care to veterans every year. These numbers have only grown.
Improving Support For America's Hidden Heroes
In 2017, the Foundation released a follow-up study to provide a military and veteran caregiver research blueprint. This blueprint serves as a guide for the military and veteran caregiver support community to use in prioritizing and facilitating future research for America's hidden heroes.
Hidden Helpers at the Frontlines of Caregiving: Supporting the Healthy Development of Children from Military and Veteran Caregiving Homes
As a result of the 2017 study, EDF commissioned a first-of-its-kind, groundbreaking research study in 2019 focused on military and veteran caregiver children and adolescents. The findings were unveiled at the White House as First Lady Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces Initiative joined EDF and Wounded Warrior Project in responding to the needs of the millions of American hidden helpers.
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