What First Command Educational Foundation does

First Command Educational Foundation (FCEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity established in 1983 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. Originally founded as the USPA & IRA Educational Foundation within First Command Financial Services, the organization became federally recognized as a nonprofit in 1984, was renamed First Command Educational Foundation in 2001, and received IRS public charity designation in 2006. FCEF awards scholarships to military service members, veterans, spouses, and dependents pursuing education ranging from GED and vocational training through doctoral programs. Since inception, it has awarded more than $5.6 million in scholarships and has set targets to disburse $300,000 annually by 2029 and surpass $500,000 annually by 2031.

The foundation operates a portfolio of scholarship programs including the Carroll H. Payne Memorial Scholarship, the Military Spouse Scholarship (launched in 2025), the Veteran Next Mission Scholarship, the Jay Smith AFROTC Scholarship, and numerous endowed scholarships administered through partner organizations. Donors may create permanent endowed scholarships with a minimum $50,000 contribution, with annual distributions funded from investment proceeds. FCEF runs three annual fundraising events — a spring Gala with live and online auctions, a fall Golf Classic, and a Holiday Haul Raffle — supplemented by direct donations via the Blackbaud platform, third-party community fundraisers, and corporate giving programs enabled through Benevity. The organization maintains a 4-Star Charity Navigator rating and a Candid Platinum Transparency Seal for 2026, and it conducts annual third-party financial audits under an independent Board of Directors.

In 2025, FCEF's Board of Directors made a strategic decision to refocus the foundation on its core scholarship mission, ending its financial education programs and launching the new Military Spouse Scholarship Program, which awarded nearly $30,000 to military spouses in its inaugural year. The organization maintains an extensive corporate donor network spanning major financial services firms, including BlackRock, PIMCO, T. Rowe Price, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, BNY Mellon, Franklin Templeton, and Fidelity Investments, alongside partnership agreements with military-affiliated organizations such as MOAA Tampa, the Air Force Sergeants Association, and multiple military spouses clubs that administer CHP scholarships locally with FCEF matching funds. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and uses AwardSpring for scholarship application management and Blackbaud for donor relationship management.

Name

First Command Educational Foundation

Legal name

First Command Educational Foundation

Website

https://fcef.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Command Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity established in 1983 that awards scholarships to military service members, veterans, spouses, and dependents pursuing education from GED through doctoral programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting military family education scholarships.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Event sponsorships, endowed scholarships, and partnership contributions from corporations.
3. Event Revenue: Ticket sales, auction proceeds, raffle entries, and registrations from annual gala, golf tournament, and holiday haul events.
4. Endowed Scholarships: Minimum $50,000 endowment donations create permanent scholarship funds with annual distributions.
5. Third-Party Events: Hosting fees and proceeds from community fundraising events organized by third parties benefiting FCEF.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

First Command Educational Foundation (FCEF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides educational scholarships to U.S. military service members, veterans, spouses, and dependent children. The foundation administers multiple scholarship programs including the Carroll H. Payne (CHP) Memorial Scholarship, Military Spouse Scholarship, Veteran Next Mission Scholarship, and numerous endowed memorial scholarships, while raising funds through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and annual fundraising events such as a gala, golf classic, and holiday raffle.

Product overview

First Command Educational Foundation (FCEF) operates as a nonprofit scholarship organization rather than a technology product company. Its core offering consists of multiple scholarship programs for military families, including the Carroll H. Payne Memorial Scholarship (flagship program), Military Spouse Scholarship, Veteran Next Mission Scholarship, and various endowed memorial scholarships (Jay Smith, M. Alice Konecny, NTAGGL, Dallas T. Lower, Sid Oaksmith '77, Melissa Beyland Cheer, Holman Family Excellence in Service, and Colonel James Lanier). Supporting these programs are fundraising events including an Annual Gala with raffle and auction, the 'Chip-In' for Education Golf Classic, and Holiday Haul Raffle. The Foundation also offers an Endowed Scholarship Creation Program allowing donors to establish permanent named scholarships with a minimum $50,000 donation. FCEF does not offer a technology product, SaaS platform, or API services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carroll H. Payne (CHP) Memorial Scholarship FCEF's flagship scholarship program created in 2005 by the Payne family, built through partnerships with military-affiliated organizations such as spouses clubs, ROTC programs, and the Air Force Sergeants Association, with FCEF matching funds.
• Military Spouse Scholarship Scholarship program funding education from GED to PhD for military spouses, covering traditional college/graduate programs, vocational/trade school, continuing education certifications, and GED programs.
• Veteran Next Mission Scholarship

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $5.6 million in scholarships awarded since 1983
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wounded Warrior ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate donor and nonprofit partner supporting military family scholarships.
• First Command Financial ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization origin (founded within FCFS in 1983). First Command Financial Services advisors and field staff are involved in scholarship programs. FCFS provides ongoing partnership and board leadership.
• Monterey Bay Spouses ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHP Scholarship partner organization administering local scholarships for military spouses with FCEF matching funds.
• East Bay Coast Guard Spouses ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHP Scholarship partner organization administering local scholarships for military spouses with FCEF matching funds.
• Military Spouses of NewportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHP Scholarship partner organization administering local scholarships for military spouses with FCEF matching funds.
• Pat Tillman Veterans CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHP Scholarship partner organization supporting veteran education initiatives.
• Lewis-McCord Scholarship OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHP Scholarship partner organization supporting military family education.
• MOAA Tampa (Military Officers Association of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHP Scholarship partner organization providing scholarships for military-affiliated students.
• Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHP Scholarship partner organization supporting Air Force enlisted members and their families.
• Booz Allen HamiltonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHP Scholarship partner with board representation. Booz Allen Hamilton provides consulting services and has board member Will Sager (Associate Director of Portfolio Management) and Jay Land (Program Manager) involved with FCEF.
• Virginia Tech UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for the Sid Oaksmith '77 Memorial Scholarship, awarding $2,000 to Virginia Tech students.
• Western Illinois UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for the Holman Family Excellence in Service Scholarship supporting African American students.
• Tamaqua Area High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school for the M. Alice Konecny Memorial Endowment scholarship.
• Centerville High School (Ohio)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school for the Melissa Beyland Cheer Scholarship.
• Diamond Oaks Country ClubminorOthersVenue host for the 19th Annual Chip-in for Education Golf Classic on October 5, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/First-Command-Educational-Foundation-FCEF/244097325648924
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/720059/admin/page-posts/published
• Instagraminstagram.com/fcef_ftworth
• Xx.com/FCEF

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Command Educational Foundation