Veterans & Military Assistance Fund
Impact overview
Mar 2026 – Jun 2026From March through June 2026, the Veterans & Military Assistance Fund's coalition delivered sustained, multi-front impact for military families and veterans. Operation Homefront anchored housing and family support — defraying over $530,000 in mortgage costs, opening new transitional and permanent homes across Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, and Pennsylvania, and mobilizing 4,000+ volunteers for 50+ Back-to-School Brigade® events. Hire Heroes USA crossed 115,000 confirmed job placements and surpassed $1 million raised through its We Serve: Veterans Golf Tournament. IAVA secured bipartisan wins on Capitol Hill — blocking harmful cuts to veteran disability benefits and advancing the Major Richard Star Act — while Canine Companions raised over $1.26 million at Sit. Stay. Sparkle. galas and expanded its prison puppy raising program. Mental health and peer support remained consistent threads throughout, with Give an Hour and Project Sanctuary sustaining programming even amid growing demand.
Nonprofits
Themes
Operation Homefront's Transitional and Permanent Homes for Veterans programs consistently opened new homes and defrayed mortgage costs across multiple states, with the Boyland family achieving homeownership in under two years as a standout milestone. This theme was present and active across all four months.
Hire Heroes USA drove veteran and military spouse career outcomes through job placements, employer webinars, IBM SkillsBuild tech training, mock interviews, and the Ripple Effect grants program — culminating in surpassing 115,000 confirmed placements and $1 million in golf tournament fundraising.
IAVA's Cavalry Fly-In in March secured bipartisan support for all 2026 policy priorities, and by June the organization had successfully blocked H.R. 9237's harmful cuts to veteran disability benefits while advancing the Major Richard Star Act with 176 congressional signatures.
Give an Hour, Project Sanctuary, and affiliated partners sustained mental health programming — including weekly peer support, TIPS training, and the Moral Injury & Moral Repair Series — throughout the period, even as Give an Hour reported 100+ clients waiting to be matched with volunteer providers, signaling demand outpacing capacity.
Canine Companions expanded its Facility Dog Program, Prison Puppy Raising Program, and therapy dog teams across all four months — placing its first facility dog at a VA health system, graduating puppies from a correctional institution, and raising over $1.26 million at Sit. Stay. Sparkle. galas.
Signature events — including the Military Child of the Year® Awards (first all-female class in 18 years), Holiday Meals for Military® gatherings, and the Back-to-School Brigade® — provided recurring touchpoints for community celebration and direct family support, with seasonal peaks in spring and summer.
Milestones
IAVA's advocacy helped cancel the planned congressional vote on H.R. 9237, protecting veteran disability compensation for tinnitus and sleep apnea from proposed cuts.
June 2026
Hire Heroes USA's We Serve: Veterans Golf Tournament surpassed $1 million raised cumulatively to invest in veteran and military spouse career futures.
June 2026
Hire Heroes USA surpassed 115,000 confirmed veteran and military spouse job placements and raised $185,650 at its 4th Annual Empowerment Gala.
May 2026
Operation Homefront honored seven Military Child of the Year® recipients in 2026 — the first all-female class in 18 years — at a Washington, D.C. gala.
April 2026
Operation Homefront's Holiday Meals for Military® program fed over 86,500 individuals, expanding to year-round seasonal events.
March 2026
IAVA's Cavalry Fly-In secured bipartisan support for all 2026 veteran policy priorities across dozens of Capitol Hill meetings.
March 2026
Hire Heroes USA received a $202,605 check from ServiceMaster's annual golf tournament, bringing cumulative giving to over $700,000 since 2023.
March 2026
Canine Companions placed its first-ever facility dog, Loretta, trained in 45 tasks, at the West Texas VA Health Care System.
March 2026
Monthly snapshots
Summary
In June 2026, seven nonprofit organizations delivered wide-ranging support to military families, veterans with disabilities, and broader communities in need. Operation Homefront mobilized over 50 Back-to-School Brigade® events nationwide—backed by 4,000+ volunteers—while also hosting Holiday Meals for Military events serving 400+ families in Utah and community celebrations in Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach. IAVA led a successful advocacy campaign that blocked harmful cuts to veteran disability benefits (H.R. 9237), advanced the Major Richard Star Act with 176 congressional signatures, and launched the Pedal for Impact cycling ride from Florida to Capitol Hill to elevate veteran cancer awareness. Canine Companions raised more than $1.26 million across multiple Sit. Stay. Sparkle. galas, expanded its prison puppy raising program, and matched donations up to $50,000 through its Independence26 campaign, while Hire Heroes USA celebrated surpassing $1 million raised through the We Serve: Veterans Golf Tournament and connected employers with veteran talent at SHRM26.
- Operation Homefront opened registration for 50+ Back-to-School Brigade® events nationwide, supported by more than 4,000 volunteers serving thousands of military children.
- IAVA's advocacy helped cancel the planned congressional vote on H.R. 9237, protecting veteran disability compensation for tinnitus and sleep apnea from proposed cuts.
- Hire Heroes USA's We Serve: Veterans Golf Tournament surpassed $1 million raised cumulatively to invest in veteran and military spouse career futures.
- Canine Companions raised more than $650,000 at its Santa Rosa Sit. Stay. Sparkle. gala and nearly $300,000 at its Dallas event, with a $50,000 donation match campaign also active.
- Operation Homefront served 400+ military and veteran families with food and home essentials at its Holiday Meals for Military event in Plain City, UT.
- Canine Companions' Prison Puppy Raising Program at Southeastern Correctional Institution in Ohio graduated its first two puppies—Mojo and Lancaster—into professional training.
In May 2026, seven nonprofits delivered wide-ranging impact for military families, veterans, people with disabilities, and vulnerable communities.
April 2026 was defined by deep investment in military family recognition, veteran employment, and service dog placement across seven organizations.