A Year of Connection, Courage, and Community

A Message From Irreverent Warriors

2025 was a transformational year for the Irreverent Warriors of GSF. Against a backdrop of rising military suicide rates and declining national charitable donations, our volunteers, leaders, and veterans showed what community-driven healing can truly accomplish. IW continues to be one of the most efficient and lean veteran nonprofits in the nation, maximizing every donor dollar to create real impact for those who served. Charity Navigator upgraded us to a 98% for our score, giving us the maximum 4-Star Rating.

This year, we expanded our reach, launched new healing programs, strengthened national partnerships, and showed the country what’s possible when veterans heal together.

2025 At a Glance

Events & Participation

• 46 IW hikes & events held

• 6,345 total attendees across the nation

• $87,767 raised across all events

• Average 138 veterans per event

• 1st ever FAFO Virtual Fundraiser – 106 participants, $27,234.29 raised

• 1st ever Camp Arifjan Kuwait Hike – 200 hikers

• IW 10-Year Anniversary Under the Arch – Largest fireworks display in North America

• “The Hike Back” film launched on streaming services – Award-winning documentary now available for free

  
  

Brand-New IW Events

Combat Outpost IW Leadership Retreat – 95 participants

Emotional intelligence, equine therapy, cold plunging, meditation, escalation management, hiking.

IW Holistic Retreat – 75 participants

Plant medicine education, cold plunge, hypnosis, art therapy, “The Hike Back” film.

IW All-Female Veteran Retreat

3 days of breathwork, art therapy, meditation, cold plunging, boxing.

Operation Ozarks

3-day canoe + rafting immersion (literally) event.

IW Cold Plunge Program Launch

IW-branded tanks deployed at 3 events.

Other First-Time Events:

• IW Adventures Alaska Cruise & Cabo Resort Trip (0 nonprofit dollars used, this was a fundraiser that netted $19K in donations, while bringing 150 Veterans together)

• Suisilence Conference at Fort Belvoir got the attention of VA leadership and Congress (thanks to AngelForce)

• Flood convoy resupply mission on the Guadalupe River in Texas (with GSF, VFW, Grunt Style LLC, Schreiner University, Black Rifle)

Volunteer Force & Leadership

• 68 core volunteer leaders

• +220 extended leadership volunteers

• Estimated volunteer hours: 20,000+ (rounded including retreats, hikes, conferences)

Community Development & Organizational Growth

New Orientation Training

A standardized, professional onboarding system for all new IW leaders, strengthening alignment and mission clarity.

12-Month Community Development Training Blocks

Combination of videos, roundtables, and digital assignments to deepen leadership skill, teamwork, and policy understanding.

Regional Organization Structure

• 64 communities structured into 5 CONUS regions + 1 OCONUS region

• Reduces event conflict, strengthens collaboration, mitigates FOMO and post-hike blues, and reinforces year-round connection.

  
  

New IW Communities Launched in 2025

• Fort Wayne (IN)

• Clarksville (TN)

• Fredericksburg (VA)

• Harrisburg (PA)

• Fort Lauderdale (FL)

• Louisville (KY)

• Portsmouth (NH)

• Rhode Island (RI)

Mental Health Impact: 2025 IW Data Study

Our 2025 national survey revealed powerful, measurable outcomes:

• 57% of veterans reported suicidal ideation fully stopped or significantly improved

• 65% reported feelings of despair fully stopped or significantly improved

• 41% of veterans struggling with substance abuse saw major improvement

• 40% of all participants were female (compared to 11% of all U.S. veterans)

  
  

This confirms what our community already knows: Veterans heal best when healing together… through humor, camaraderie, nature, purpose, and the safety of shared experience.

Traditional military suicide prevention funding increased $200 million last year, but active-duty suicides still rose 12%. 

IW’s peer-driven model works where the status quo does not.

Testimonials From the Community

What Went Great

“This was my first real hike. I can’t say enough about how well organized it was.”

“My husband is a veteran. I had no idea what to expect, but everyone was amazing. I can’t wait to volunteer next year.”

“I’ve always loved going on these hikes and meeting new friends.”

Where We Must Grow

“I didn’t feel included.” We take this seriously. In 2026, IW will expand leader training and meet-and-greet inclusion practices. Veterans CANNOT feel isolated at our events.

Internal Wins in 2025

Financial & Administrative

• Passed 2024 audit with flying colors (no findings or discrepancies)

• PEX + Aplos + Gusto + Chase banking = fully streamlined financial operations

• Zeal Financial hired for oversight

• DonorDrive implemented, saving $10,000 annually

• Improved VFW partnership (5 conferences supported)

• Marketing team established firm standards for: merchandise, branding, events, content creation, community promotion

• Social media: Paid Subscribers: +100%, Views: +206%, Follows: +1.7K%

  
  

Peer Support Programs

• Better Than Tomorrow virtual emotional support groups launched

• Recovery Groups doubled attendance

• Recovery leaders now offer motivational talks at each hike

Looking Forward to 2026

Strategic Expansions

• Larger partnership rollout with the VFW (more silkies events!)

• More holistic retreat scholarships, including all GSF events

• IW Membership Model pilot

• Official IW Phone App (events + resources)

• Suisilence Conferences w/AngelForce

• ID.me veteran verification pilot

• More peer support meetings

• More IW podcasts (healing-focused)

• More bellyflop contests

• More beach bashes & silkies snow-angels

• GruntFest in Branson

• IW 11-Year Anniversary Concert in St. Louis

To Close 2025 Out...

160,000+ veterans have died by suicide since 2001. The problem is real, urgent, and deeply personal for all of us.

But in 2025, Irreverent Warriors proved something powerful: Connection saves lives.

Purpose saves lives. Camaraderie saves lives. Veterans heal best when they heal together. Thanks to our volunteers, donors, and leaders, that healing is happening in cities, mountains, beaches, and communities across America and beyond.

Thank you for standing with us.

No veteran fights alone.