Legacies of War

What Legacies of War does

Legacies of War is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy and educational organization founded in 2004 by Channapha Khamvongsa to address the ongoing humanitarian consequences of the American Secret War in Laos and the broader U.S. bombing campaigns in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Its primary problem is the continuing casualty toll from unexploded ordnance (UXO) — including over 270 million cluster munitions dropped on Laos from 1964–1973, of which roughly 30% failed to detonate and only 10% have been cleared. The organization does not perform clearance itself; instead, it advocates for U.S. government appropriations and supports UXO-affected communities through education and storytelling.

Its core "products" are programmatic rather than commercial: the Legacies Library (a curated collection of books, films, and oral histories, with a dedicated resource page at the Library of Congress), The Originals (refugee drawings from the 1970s bombings), the Legacies Post blog, the Advocacy Ambassador Program (40+ volunteer ambassadors across the U.S. and internationally), Talks with Legacies Library (video interviews with scholars such as Noam Chomsky), and the Bipartisan UXO/Demining Congressional Caucus. The organization is Co-Chair of the Stimson Center's War Legacies Working Group and participates in the Conventional Weapons Destruction Network.

Legacies of War is fiscally sponsored by NEO Philanthropy and based in New York. It operates with 1–10 employees, generates revenue through individual donations and a $22/year membership program processed via Funraise, and explicitly does not receive the federal UXO funding it advocates for — that flows directly to clearance and survivor-assistance organizations in Southeast Asia. Its leadership includes CEO Sera Koulabdara (Chair of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions Coalition, 2023–2025) and Board Chair Ambassador (ret.) Karen B. Stewart, who assumed the role in January 2026 as the first U.S. Ambassador to hold the position.

Name

Legacies of War

Legal name

Legacies of War

Website

https://legaciesofwar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Legacies of War is a U.S.-based nonprofit advocacy and educational organization that campaigns for U.S. government funding to clear unexploded ordnance left by the American bombing of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, serving Lao, Hmong, Cambodian, and Vietnamese American diaspora communities, U.S. veterans, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Advocacy and Education

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mine Action & Explosive Ordnance Risk Reduction (EOD/ERW) (BPADAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support (BPAGABAH), Transitional Justice, Accountability & Reparations (BPADAGAL)

Keywords

• Advocacy organization
• Humanitarian demining
• UXO clearance
• Diaspora education
• Policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Legacies of War generates revenue through individual donations and a membership program priced at $22/year. Donations are processed through its Funraise platform. The organization does not receive the government funding it advocates for; that funding flows directly to UXO clearance and survivor assistance organizations on the ground.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Legacies of War is a U.S.-based nonprofit educational and advocacy organization that addresses the ongoing humanitarian impact of unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind by U.S. bombing campaigns in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It offers a curated Legacies Library of historical resources, a grassroots Advocacy Ambassador Program, a bipartisan Congressional UXO/Demining Caucus, and a storytelling platform (Legacies Post) to mobilize diaspora communities and U.S. veterans to advocate for federal funding for UXO clearance and survivor assistance.

Product overview

Legacies of War is an advocacy and educational organization (not a software product company) that offers a suite of programs and resources focused on addressing the lasting impacts of U.S. wars in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Its core offerings include the Legacies Library (a curated collection of historical resources), The Originals (historical drawings by Lao refugees), the Legacies Post blog platform, the Advocacy Ambassador Program (grassroots leadership training), the UXO/Demining Congressional Caucus (policy advocacy), a Library of Congress Resource Page, and Talks with Legacies Library (video interviews). These offerings work together to educate the public, advocate for policy change, and support UXO clearance efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• U.S. funding for UXO clearance in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam increased from $1.4 million (2004) to $77 million (FY26) as a direct result of advocacy efforts.
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• War Legacies Working Group (Stimson Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacies of War serves as Co-Chair of the War Legacies Working Group, a coalition coordinated through the Stimson Center. This working group focuses on conventional weapons destruction, environmental issues in mine action, and advocacy for post-conflict communities affected by unexploded ordnance.
• Conventional Weapons Destruction NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacies of War is a member of the Conventional Weapons Destruction Network, which coordinates advocacy and policy efforts related to landmine clearance and unexploded ordnance removal globally.
• Environmental Issues and Mine Action Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacies of War participates as a member of the Environmental Issues and Mine Action working group, addressing the intersection of environmental contamination and explosive ordnance clearance efforts.
• NEO PhilanthropyminorOthersLegacies of War is housed at NEO Philanthropy, a fiscal sponsor and supporting organization for progressive nonprofits in the U.S.
• Bipartisan UXO/Demining Congressional CaucuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacies of War built and continues to grow the Bipartisan UXO/Demining Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. This caucus educates Congressional Members and staff about the humanitarian dangers of unexploded ordnance and advocates for life-saving demining programs that serve U.S. security, economic, and political interests abroad.
• Global Youth Mine Action Fellows (Mines Action Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacies of War staff and ambassadors participate as Mine Action Fellows coordinated by Mines Action Canada, contributing to a global network of young advocates for demining and explosive ordnance risk education.
• Library of CongressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacies of War's Legacies Library has a dedicated resource page at the Library of Congress, curating links to archival materials, databases, and research resources on the American Secret War in Laos and related Indochina conflicts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The HALO Trust: The HALO Trust is the world's largest humanitarian mine action organization, operating UXO clearance programs in post-conflict countries including Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is a direct functional peer because it is the type of on-the-ground clearance operator that Legacies of War advocates U.S. funding toward.
• Mines Advisory Group (MAG): MAG is a global humanitarian NGO clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance in conflict-affected countries, including active programs in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Directly comparable in mission focus and beneficiary populations, and a frequent recipient of the same U.S.-funded clearance programs Legacies of War advocates for.
• International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL): The ICBL is a global coalition of NGOs working to end the suffering caused by landmines and cluster munitions; it is the parent coalition of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions Coalition, which Legacies of War's CEO chairs. A direct peer in policy advocacy and treaty implementation.
• Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC): The CMC campaigns for universal adherence to the Convention on Cluster Munitions and victim assistance. Directly comparable to Legacies of War on cluster munition policy advocacy — the precise weapon class responsible for most UXO contamination in Laos.
• Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation: VVAF runs programs addressing the legacy of the Vietnam War, including Agent Orange and UXO remediation. It is a comparable U.S.-based advocacy and service organization focused on Vietnam War legacies, with a similar veteran- and diaspora-driven constituency model.
• Mines Action Canada: Mines Action Canada is a Canadian advocacy NGO focused on the Mine Ban Convention and runs the Global Youth Mine Action Fellows program in which Legacies of War staff and ambassadors participate. A direct peer in mine action policy advocacy and youth engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Refugees International: Refugees International is an established U.S. advocacy organization championing the rights of displaced people worldwide. Comparable as a broader-incumbent humanitarian advocacy peer engaging U.S. policymakers on refugee and displacement issues — a constituency Legacies of War also serves.
• Stimson Center: The Stimson Center houses the War Legacies Working Group, which Legacies of War co-chairs. A broader think-tank peer that influences U.S. foreign policy on conventional weapons destruction, security cooperation, and post-conflict issues.

Emerging players

• Peace Direct: Peace Direct supports local peacebuilding organizations globally. It is an emerging peer in the broader conflict-resolution and peace advocacy ecosystem where Legacies of War operates, with overlapping donor audiences and policy goals.

Regional players

• Norwegian People's Aid (NPA): NPA is a major international humanitarian NGO running large-scale demining operations in Southeast Asia, including Laos and Cambodia. It is a regional peer (non-U.S.-based) that executes many of the U.S.-funded UXO clearance programs Legacies of War advocates for.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/legaciesofwar
• Facebookfacebook.com/legaciesofwar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/legacies-of-war
• Instagraminstagram.com/legaciesofwar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Legacies of War