A nonprofit built by veterans, for veterans.
We connect veterans through community, adventure, and time on the water to help end veteran suicide.
Meet Sean Dillard, Co-Founder
Sean is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Germany and Iraq as a Special Electronic Devices Repairman. He loved his time in uniform — the people, the purpose, the sense of being part of something bigger than himself.
Coming home, like a lot of veterans, he found that the hardest part of service wasn't deployment — it was what came after. The quiet. The disconnection. The feeling that the mission was over and nobody was left to call.
Sean co-founded the Southern Illinois Veterans Foundation because he finally found his purpose again: connecting with as many veterans who need help as he possibly can. SIVF is how he keeps serving — in the civilian world, alongside the brothers and sisters who served beside him.
"I have finally found my purpose, and that purpose is to connect with as many veterans who need help as I can."
The reality of veteran suicide
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
Isolation is the enemy. Community is the answer.
Veterans who stay connected — to other veterans, to purpose, and to the outdoors — see meaningfully lower rates of depression and suicide. SIVF's entire model is built around that truth: get veterans together, get them outside, and give them something worth showing up for.
Why getting veterans together matters.
A cookout, a block party, a long row across a quiet lake — these aren't just events. They're the moments where a veteran realizes they're not alone, that someone has their back, and that there's a community waiting for them.
"To connect veterans through community, adventure, and time on the water — building the relationships and sense of purpose that help end veteran suicide."