Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Move United Warfighters
The Move United Warfighters program offers more sports rehabilitation for severely wounded in partnership with its nationwide network of over 225 community-based chapters. Since 1956, Move United has proudly served wounded warfighters, including those injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, through sports rehabilitation programs in military hospitals and communities across the U.S. The program rebuilds lives through sports by improving self-confidence, promoting independence and uniting families through shared healthy activities. Contributions cover all expenses for participation, including individualized adaptive instruction, adaptive sports equipment, transportation, lodging and meals for the warrior and a family member. Since 2003, more than 18,000 of the most severely wounded and their families have been served, including those with amputations, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, visual impairments, and significant nerve and muscle damage.
Move United Education
Since 2009, Move United Education has offered training in adaptive sports and nonprofit management to develop and strengthen community-based adaptive sports organizations. To date, more than 6,000 adaptive sports instructors, volunteer and staff from more than 500 organizations have been served.
The Hartford Ski Spectacular
Move United hosts the annual The Hartford Ski Spectacular each December at Beaver Run Resort and Breckenridge Ski Resort, Breckenridge, Colo. The six-day event is among the nation’s largest winter sports festival for individuals with physical disabilities, planning to bring more than 800 participants ranging in ability from first-time skiers to members of the U.S. Paralympic team.
Programs offered at The Hartford Ski Spectacular help to strengthen and expand adaptive ski programs in communities throughout the USA; identify and train youth, wounded warriors, and others with disabilities who strive to be winter Paralympians; and help local Move United member organizations improve their services. “Learn to” programs in alpine and Nordic skiing, Biathlon, and snowboarding are also offered. Chapter training programs in administration, fundraising, social networking, and volunteer training are also offered.
Where we work
Awards
Amazing Salute Award 2009
US Paralympics
American Patriot Award 2008
NCOA National Defense Foundation
Rings of Gold 2019
US Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Sports Award 2021
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with physical disabilities
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of youth with a disability participating in sports programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, People with physical disabilities
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of veterans with disabilities engaged in the program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Military personnel, People with physical disabilities
Related Program
Move United Warfighters
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA) was established in 1967 by disabled military veterans to help rehabilitate the war injured returning from Vietnam. Since then, DSUSA has become one of the largest multi-sport, multi-disability organizations in the US, serving 60,000 youth and adults annually.
The vision of Move United is for every person, regardless of ability, to have equal opportunity to participate in sports and recreation in their community. The mission of Move United is to provide national leadership and opportunities for individuals with disabilities to develop independence, confidence, and fitness through participation in community sports, recreation and educational programs.
Move United, a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, employs sports to provide individuals with disabilities the skills needed to achieve healthy, active lifestyles, translating to success in all areas of life. Move United offers sports rehabilitation programs in more than 70 different sports through its nationwide network of over 225 community-based chapters operating in 46 states, serving people with visual impairments, amputations, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular and orthopedic conditions.
Our goal is to make adaptive sports opportunities available to as many youth and adults with disabilities as possible within the United States through our national chapter network. This is our overarching and principal goal because we know the power of adaptive sports in the lives of youth and adults with disabilities.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
AsMove United has done for over 65 years, we are committed to delivering the very best in adaptive sports programming nationwide to as many youth, wounded warfighters and adults with disabilities as possible. Our work has been shown to provide a long-lasting, essential difference in the lives of those we serve, as sports rehabilitation has been proven to be very effective at giving people with severe disabilities the physical strength, motivation and confidence to fully join their family, friends and communities in life affirming activities. Academic research and commissioned research by Move United have proven that adaptive sports help youth and adults with disabilities thrive in life.
One strategy is to strengthen our existing national, community-based, chapter network by providing services and support so they can more effectively and easily serve people with disabilities in their local communities. Examples of services we provide to chapters include insurance, financial grants, adaptive sports expertise and classroom training and education.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Move United has been providing adaptive sports programming to youth and adults for over 65 years. During this time, we have developed the expertise and knowledge to ensure individuals with disabilities get the best adaptive sports opportunities available. Move United offers opportunities in over 70 adaptive sports and annually serves 125,000 youth and adults with disabilities.
Move United has also cultivated close relationships with many key adaptive sports organizations including over 225 DSUSA community chapters, national governing sports bodies, all military branches and every major military medical center, US Paralympics, Professional Ski Instructors of America -- American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI), Professional Golfers Association, US Ski and Snowboard Association, American Canoe Association, USA Water Ski and US Handcycling.
Move United's capabilities extend to its Board of Directors, which consists of corporate and nonprofit leaders as well as disabled athlete representatives who share a common commitment to providing sports opportunities for people with disabilities. One hundred percent of our board members, aside from volunteering their time, contribute financially to the mission of Move United.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Move United is a leading nonprofit provider of adaptive sports programs, offering hope, support and opportunities to children and adults with disabilities. This past year through our chapter network, Move United served 125,000 individuals with disabilities, including more than 1,500 severely wounded warriors. Today, our member network is larger and in more states than ever before.
Move United focuses on maximizing impact and honoring every donor investment to our organization. During the past fiscal year, 88 cents of every dollar spent was directed to programs for the people we serve. This commitment to the programs has been rewarded with greater donor and stakeholder support than we have ever had before.
Move United has a long and impactful history, strong internal and chapter resources and a proven track record of performance, but our work is far from done, as we seek each and every day to reach more people with the power of adaptive sports. Move United envisions a country where everyone, regardless of ability, has an equal opportunity to participate in sports and recreation in their community. To this end, we seek to provide more programs in more sports and in more States for more people with disabilities. Move United's progress depends on philanthropic support from individual donors, corporations and foundations to develop and extend and expand services to meet the needs of people living with disabilities across the US.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Move United
Board of directorsas of 02/01/2024
John Blossom
Oshkosh Defense
John Blossom
Oshkosh Defense
Phyllis Bayer
Dumbarton Strategies
Ed Bronsdon
Outdoors For All
Clayton Frech
Angel City Sports
Alf Garner
Guy Carpenter
Lori High
The Hartford
Nicole Roundy
Paralympian
Eric Kuwana
Alston & Bird
Joe Walsh
Adaptive Sports New England
Daniel Dudek
Army (Retired)
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/31/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.