Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing

by Cindy
(Dallas, TX)

Is Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing a reputable veterans charity?

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According to their web site,

"Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, INC. (PHWFF) was founded in 2005 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), with the help of local Trout Unlimited (TU) and Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) volunteers.

Our mission: Assist in the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty military personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.

PHWFF provides basic fly fishing, fly casting, and fly tying instruction for wounded personnel, ranging from beginners to those with prior fly fishing experience, who are adapting their skills to their new abilities. While initially focused on military personnel in the Washington, DC area, PHWFF has expanded and is offering its services to active military personnel and veterans in military and Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals across the nation. Currently, over 70 such programs have been established in the U.S. and Canada.

Since its inception, PHWFF has been helping disabled active duty personnel and veterans to overcome the obstacles associated with their military service-related disabilities. The relearning of the fine motor skills required in fly fishing and fly tying has proven to be particularly effective in the overall rehabilitation of the disabled.


While PHWFF emphasizes the skills of fly fishing and fly tying to help the patients regain the use of their damaged bodies, perhaps the greatest benefit is in their realization that a more normal life is possible."

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing is not listed by Charity Watch, Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. The listing at GuideStar does not provide any financial information.

According to their 2009 Annual Report, which you can find at the Project Healing Waters web site, they had 77 programs in 2009 in the U.S. and Canada. There are plans to establish a similar program in Germany.

The annual report lists the following income:

Donations: $715,000
Tournaments: $209,000
In-kind Donations: $138,000

The expenses reported:

Program Activities: 81%
Fly Tying Equipment
Rods and Reels
Fishing-related trips

Fundraising Expenses: 3%

Administrative Expenses: 18%

We have e-mailed Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing requesting more detailed information for you, and will update this page once we receive their response. Please bookmark this page and check back for updates in a few days.