About GratitudeAmerica

Founded in gratitude. Driven by mission. Proven by results.

GratitudeAmerica is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and dedicated to one mission: empowering combat veterans, first responders, and their families to transform their struggles into strengths through evidence-based post-traumatic growth programs.

We are not a clinical organization. We are not a government program. We are a community of people — many of them veterans themselves — who believe that the road home from service is hard, that no one should walk it alone, and that growth is always possible.

87.6% of every dollar we receive goes directly to programming. The rest funds the operations that make the programs possible. That is our promise to the veterans we serve and the donors who make it possible.

Our Impact

3,000+ Veterans and Growth Companions Served Through MSR Since 2013

500+ Warriors Transformed Through Warrior PATHH Since 2019

100% Of 2025 MSR Respondents Rated the Experience Beneficial

58% Reduction in PTSD Symptoms — Warrior PATHH Participants

87% Of All Expenses Directed to Programming

<1% Program Dropout Rate

How GratitudeAmerica Began

In May of 2011, Lewis Jordan stepped away from one of the most distinguished careers in American aviation. He had served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Flying Tigers — the world's largest international cargo and military transport airline — and of Continental Airlines, and as Chairman of AirTran Airways until its acquisition by Southwest Airlines.

He could have retired quietly. Instead, he and his wife Joni asked a different question: what does this country need most right now?

The answer was clear to them both. Every day the news carried stories of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan — wounded in ways that didn't show on the outside, struggling with transitions that no one seemed equipped to help them make, dying by their own hand at rates that should have shocked the nation into action.

"It seemed in my mind that veterans needed some additional attention," Lewis said. "We owe our military, our veterans, their families, and the families of the fallen a debt we can never fully repay."

In 2011, Lewis and Joni founded GratitudeAmerica — not as a clinical program or a government initiative, but as an act of gratitude from two people who wanted to give back to the country that had given them everything.

Joni Jordan lost her courageous battle with cancer in early 2020. The work continues in her honor — and in the honor of every veteran and family member who trusted GratitudeAmerica with their most difficult road.

A Message From Our CEO

I almost didn't make it.

Not in the dramatic, cinematic sense — though there were moments like that too. I mean I almost didn't make it back to myself. To the person I was capable of being. To a life that felt worth living.

I am a retired U.S. Army Major and a combat veteran. I served in Iraq during the surge — one of the most operationally intense periods of the entire war. I have been in places and seen things that changed the architecture of who I am in ways I am still discovering. But the moment that cracked everything open wasn't a firefight. It was Christmas Day, 2008 — FOB Diamondback, Mosul. A rocket attack that could have killed me and didn't.

Twelve days later, my mother died.

Within eight months of my boots hitting the ground, she was gone. I was in the middle of a war zone when I got the call. The operational tempo of the surge meant I could not come home. I could not stand at her grave. I could not hold my family. I could not grieve.

So I didn't. Not then. Not for a long time.

— Michael Anthony
CEO, GratitudeAmerica
U.S. Army Major (Retired)

Instead I carried it — the grief, the guilt, and a shame so heavy I couldn't find the bottom of it. I had decided, in the dark logic of a wounded mind, that if I had never deployed, if I had stayed home, I could have saved her. Her death was my fault.

In 2015, I attended a GratitudeAmerica Military Support Retreat. Those four days changed my life. I left ready to make significant changes — not just in what I did, but in who I was becoming. I began working on myself. I began to volunteer with GratitudeAmerica. That volunteerism grew into a role with the organization in 2016, and by 2020 I became its CEO.

I know why our programs work. The secret is not complicated. It is bringing veterans and the people who love them together in one place — creating the human connection that heals what anxiety, depression, and isolation have broken. That is the gold standard. That is what we do.

I share this because we ask every warrior who walks through our doors to disclose — to trust the process, trust the people beside them, and trust that their story has value. It would be wrong for me to ask that of anyone without being willing to do it myself.

If you are a veteran who is struggling: you are not alone, and you are not beyond growth. I am proof of that.

What Sets GratitudeAmerica Apart

There are more than 45,000 veteran-serving nonprofits in the United States. Here is what makes GratitudeAmerica different.

Non-Clinical by Design
Our programs are not delivered by licensed mental health professionals. They are delivered by peers — veterans and first responders who have walked this road and are trained to guide others along it. For many warriors, that distinction is the difference between showing up and staying home.

Rooted in Proven Science
Post-traumatic growth is not a philosophy — it is a rigorously studied scientific framework developed over decades by Dr. Richard Tedeschi. Every GratitudeAmerica program is built on that foundation. Our outcomes are measurable because our methods are grounded in evidence.

The Whole Family, Not Just the Veteran
Most veteran programs treat the veteran in isolation. We believe that is incomplete. Our Military Support Retreats bring veterans and their Growth Companions together as equal participants — because healing that doesn't include the people you love most is only half the work.

No Cost. Ever.
Every program GratitudeAmerica offers is completely free to participants. No application fee. No program fee. No hidden costs. We believe financial barriers should never stand between a veteran and the help they have earned.

Outcomes That Hold
We don't measure success by how warriors feel on the last day of the program. We measure it at 90 days — across three domains, using validated clinical instruments and proprietary measures. A 58% reduction in PTSD symptoms. A 54% increase in PTG scores. An under 1% dropout rate. These are not aspirational numbers. They are what actually happens.

Recognized for Excellence

GratitudeAmerica is independently evaluated and consistently recognized as one of the most effective and well-managed veteran-serving nonprofits in the United States.

Charity Navigator — Four-Star Rating
The highest rating awarded by America's leading independent nonprofit evaluator, recognizing exceptional financial health, accountability, and transparency.

GuideStar — Platinum Seal of Transparency
The highest level of recognition from Candid, reflecting our commitment to full organizational transparency.

GreatNonprofits — Top-Rated Nonprofit
The only people's choice award in the nonprofit sector — earned through testimonials from volunteers, donors, and the veterans and families we serve.

U.S. Department of Labor — HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion
The highest federal recognition for employers who invest in recruiting, employing, and retaining veterans. GratitudeAmerica doesn't just serve veterans — we hire them.

87.6% Program Expense Ratio
Of every dollar donated to GratitudeAmerica, 87.6 cents goes directly to programming. This places us among the most efficient nonprofits in the veteran services sector.

501(c)(3) Public Charity — Founded 2011
Fully accredited nonprofit organization, entirely funded through private donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

Featured on Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid — 2025
GratitudeAmerica was the subject of a dedicated segment on Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid, a public television documentary series. The segment aired nationally on CNN, Fox Business, Fox News, CNBC, and HLN in 2025.

Our People

GratitudeAmerica is governed by a distinguished Board of Directors and guided by an Advisory Board of veterans, healthcare professionals, and community leaders who share our commitment to this mission.

Meet Our Board of Directors

Meet Our Staff