The Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) conducted an evaluation to assess the effectiveness of Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) initiatives on improving the level of thriving and well-being among participating veterans, families of the fallen, and civilian members. For this study, the evaluation team used the Brief Inventory of Thriving (BIT) scale to determine the effect that program participation may have on individual thriving and well-being, in addition to supplementary questions about health, leadership, and community engagement. These measures were deployed as part of TMF’s first Annual Survey. Across 5 TMF programs, the IVMF evaluation found that participating in 3 or more TMF initiatives increases thriving, that increased thriving extends to emotional and mental health, and that the Character Does Matter (CDM) program has a positive effect on young adults’ attitudes toward both positive and negative behaviors.
