Tips From John Melia, Wounded Warrior Project

3. Maintain accountability. “You actually have to do what you say you’re going to do.”

4. Don’t limit your supporter base. “We work really hard to involve the American people in our mission. It’s in our mission statement that we enlist the public’s aid for the needs of wounded service members. A lot of old-guard organizations do not enlist the public’s aid. If they’re environmentalist [organizations], they only enlist environmentalists. If they’re veterans organizations, they only enlist veterans. We very much have enlisted civilians and everyday Americans in our cause. And I think that has been really powerful.
“I think we’re one of the first veterans organizations that has said the citizenry is really part of our mission, because our guys are going to return to communities and they’re going to be just another guy down the street with this incredible experience — being a veteran, being wounded and coming back from that. But the most important piece of that to our organization is how do these guys and gals become leaders in their communities? Not just leaders amongst veterans, but leaders in their communities. So we equip them, working with other civilian citizens, to become community leaders.” — John Melia, founder and executive director, Wounded Warrior Project