$9,535 raised by 78 donors
19% complete
$50,000 Goal
Veterans Exploration Therapy (VET) is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded and operated by combat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Since our launch on July 31, 2022, we have run over 50 programs and served more than 500 veterans. In 2024 alone, we’ve hosted 35 programs, supporting over 350 veterans.
Our mission is simple yet powerful: Empowering veterans, service members, and families to explore the wilderness and therapeutic pathways through outdoor recreation. We provide non-traditional, adventure-based therapeutic experiences designed to help veterans overcome personal challenges, build resilience, and foster meaningful connections.
From hiking and rock climbing to paddleboarding, skydiving, and equine therapy, our programs inspire participants to push past their limits, embrace their strengths, and rediscover hope. We believe the wilderness is a unique space for healing and growth, and we’re passionate about creating opportunities for veterans to access its transformative power.
We also prioritize community partnerships, working with organizations like Operation Equine, Jefferson Center for Mental Health, and other local health services to provide additional resources and support for those we serve.
Join us in helping veterans thrive beyond the battlefield. Together, we can continue to transform lives one adventure at a time.
Empowering veterans, service members, and families to explore the wilderness and therapeutic pathways through outdoor recreation.
Since 2001, over 125,000 veterans in the United States have died by suicide, a figure that starkly contrasts with the 7,057 combat-related deaths of U.S. service members in post-9/11 conflicts. Veterans are approximately 22% more likely to die by suicide than their civilian counterparts.
We are facing a mental health crisis among veterans, with many turning to substance abuse as a coping mechanism. Unfortunately, the resources available to address these challenges are often limited or entangled in bureaucracy.
Veterans Exploration Therapy is committed to bridging these gaps by offering veterans and their families a unique approach to healing. We utilize outdoor recreation as a means to build connections, teach new skills, and foster a sense of purpose and community.
Our programs empower veterans to explore the wilderness while embracing therapeutic pathways. Whether it’s hiking, biking, climbing, or paddling, we focus on teaching veterans and their families how to integrate self-care into their daily lives through the transformative power of nature.
At our core, we believe every veteran deserves to feel a sense of belonging and purpose. By connecting veterans to one another and to the outdoors, we aim to show them that there is always a reason to keep pushing forward—and a community to lean on while doing so.
Organization name
Veterans Exploration Therapy
other names
V.E.T. VETXTHERAPY
2022
Tax id (EIN)
88-1328493
Category
Military & Veterans Organizations
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
201 BRONCO RDDenver, CO, US
Colorado Springs, CO, US
Fort Collins, CO, US
Grand Junction, CO, US
Durango, CO, US