The National Resource Directory (
www.nrd.gov), officially relaunched under DoD supervision in November 2016, provides access to more than 16,000 government and non-government resources specifically for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families and caregivers.
To ensure the non-government resources listed on the Directory meet the highest quality standards, the Directory’s content management team recently completed a comprehensive review of nearly 3,700 non-government organizations, programs and resources listed on the site. This vetting process, performed annually, confirmed non-government resources listed on the site meet the standards outlined in the Directory’s participation policy, which can be found here: https://www.nrd.gov/participationPolicy.
“The resources listed on the National Resource Directory are vetted, and undergo a thorough review process on an annual basis,” said Jonathan Morris, director of Business Requirements for the Office of Warrior Care and manager of the Directory. “The Directory’s purpose is to provide information and access to high-quality, reliable resources that benefit the military and veteran communities.”
To be included on the Directory, all non-government organizations undergo an initial review to determine if they meet the eligibility criteria noted in the participation policy. The eligibility requirements for the nonprofit organizations listed on the Directory include active tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service and a favorable rating from charity watchdog organizations, if applicable. In addition, educational institutions and programs listed on the Directory must be listed in the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs, and have no unresolved reports of fraudulent or dishonest conduct as reported by the Better Business Bureau.
“The National Resource Directory is an excellent resource for Soldiers and their families; what's truly beneficial is having a listing of resources, all in one place, that have already been vetted,” said Clyde Foster, Recovery Care Division, Army Wounded Warrior Program. "The new updates have also greatly improved the look and functionality of the site."
With a growing database of vetted resources and a steady flow of user traffic, Morris expects the ongoing site redesign efforts will help users find what they are looking for more quickly.
“We relaunched the site in November 2016 with the goal of implementing design and functional updates to make the site more user-friendly,” said Morris. “Today, the site has a new look and feel, and contains an improved search functionality that will allow users to find targeted results on the website more quickly and efficiently.”
Since November 2016, the Directory has received more than 433,000 visitors and over one million page views. Morris anticipates those numbers will grow as outreach for the Directory continues through its social media accounts, word of mouth and promotion at public information events.
To learn more about the Directory visit
www.nrd.gov or send email to
infonrd.osd@mail.mil.