Army Emergency Relief

What Army Emergency Relief does

Army Emergency Relief (AER) is the official nonprofit of the U.S. Army, founded in 1942 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It provides zero-interest loans, grants, and educational scholarships to active-duty soldiers, retired soldiers, National Guard and Reserve members on Title 10 orders, survivors of fallen soldiers, and their immediate families. The organization distributes roughly $49.3 million in assistance annually ($41 million in non-interest loans and $8.3 million in grants), funded entirely by donations, contributions, and institutional grants.

AER's core technology is a Microsoft Power Apps Portals-based online assistance platform launched in May 2025, which allows applicants to create accounts, submit applications (including disaster-assistance requests), upload supporting documents, and track status digitally. Approved funds are disbursed via ACH, PayPal, or Zelle. Complementing the application portal are an AER Loan Portal, a Scholarships module, an Assistance Programs module, a public AER Operations Dashboard (covering assistance distribution, donations, and Financial Literacy Program metrics), and a Financial Literacy Program for long-term financial resilience. The organization maintains physical offices at Army installations alongside the digital channel, and provides phone and email support.

AER operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit with no commercial revenue stream and no fees to beneficiaries. Its business model relies on donations and contributions from individuals, organizations, and institutional funders (including a recent $10 million Lilly Endowment grant in December 2025). The go-to-market motion is community-led, anchored in Army installations, command relationships, and word-of-mouth inside the military community, and amplified by annual giving campaigns, social media, earned media, and partnerships with peer foundations such as the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

Name

Army Emergency Relief

Legal name

Army Emergency Relief

Website

https://aerhq.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Army Emergency Relief is the U.S. Army's official 501(c)(3) nonprofit, providing zero-interest loans, grants, and educational scholarships to active-duty, retired, reserve, and survivor soldiers and their families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Military Financial Assistance

NAICS

Administration of Veterans' Affairs (92314), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterans & Military Family Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAI), Veterans, Military & Employer/Third-Party Billing Benefits (EDALAJAJ)

Keywords

• Emergency financial assistance
• Military family support
• Zero-interest loans
• Educational scholarships
• Nonprofit financial aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Army Emergency Relief operates entirely through donations from individuals, organizations, and government support rather than generating revenue through commercial activities. All financial assistance provided to soldiers comes from these donated funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Army Emergency Relief provides zero-interest loans, non-repayable grants, and educational scholarships to U.S. Army soldiers, retired soldiers, and their families facing financial emergencies or pursuing higher education. The organization operates the AER Online Assistance Portal built on Microsoft PowerApps Portals to handle applications and disburse approved funds via ACH, PayPal, or Zelle.

Product overview

Army Emergency Relief operates as a single unified nonprofit platform providing financial assistance, educational scholarships, and support services to soldiers, retired soldiers, and their families. The core offering consists of an integrated online assistance portal (built on Microsoft Power Apps) that allows applicants to request grants and zero-interest loans, upload documents, and track status. This portal connects to the Loan Portal, Assistance Programs, and Scholarships modules. The AER Operations Dashboard provides transparency into assistance distribution and donation data, while the Financial Literacy Program offers ongoing education support. The platform delivers approved funds via ACH, PayPal, or Zelle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AER Online Assistance Portal Web-based self-service portal that allows eligible Army soldiers, retirees, and family members to apply for AER loans, grants, and scholarships, and to receive approved funds electronically through ACH, PayPal, or Zelle.
• AER Zero-Interest Loans Interest-free, repayable financial assistance loans provided to eligible Army soldiers, retirees, and their families to cover emergency personal or family expenses; borrowers repay only principal with no interest or fees.
• AER Non-Repayable Grants Non-repayable financial grants awarded to eligible Army soldiers, retirees, and their families for emergency needs such as essential living expenses, medical costs, or other qualifying hardships.
• AER Educational Scholarships Educational scholarships awarded to spouses and dependent children of eligible Army soldiers (active duty, retired, or deceased) to help fund undergraduate and graduate study.

Quantifiable outcome

• $49.3 million in total assistance distributed to soldiers and families in a recent year

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bob Woodruff FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Woodruff Foundation partnered with Army Emergency Relief to support the Sgt. 1st Class John Bones case, providing co-funded assistance to soldiers facing financial hardship. This partnership combines the foundations' resources to maximize support for wounded and injured soldiers and their families.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• USO (United Service Organizations): Iconic nonprofit supporting service members and families through morale, family, and transition programs. Comparable scale, donor ecosystem, and uniformed-service audience, though programs are not financial-assistance focused.
• Fisher House Foundation: Major military-family nonprofit focused on free lodging near VA medical centers and emergency funding for wounded service members. Comparable donor-base and beneficiary overlap; AER typically funds the financial piece while Fisher House funds housing.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large-scale nonprofit offering physical and mental health programs, financial readiness, and direct aid to post-9/11 wounded veterans. Competes with AER for veteran donor dollars and overlapping program categories.

Others

• Pat Tillman Foundation: Scholarship-focused nonprofit for active-duty service members, veterans, and military spouses. Comparable donor profile and scholarship program overlap with AER's education offerings.

Direct peers

• Air Force Aid Society: Official nonprofit of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, delivering emergency financial assistance, education support, and community programs to airmen, guardians, and families. Service-branch counterpart to AER.
• Coast Guard Mutual Assistance: Private nonprofit providing financial aid, loans, and grants to Coast Guard members and their families. Operates the same zero-interest loan model as AER for a smaller uniformed service population.
• Bob Woodruff Foundation: National nonprofit funding programs for post-9/11 veterans, service members, and families, including direct financial assistance. Active AER partner on co-funded cases like the Sgt. 1st Class John Bones hardship grant.
• Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society: Official relief society of the Navy and Marine Corps, providing interest-free loans, grants, and scholarships to sailors, Marines, and families. Closest structural analogue to AER, distinguished only by service branch.

Emerging players

• ReserveAid: Nonprofit providing emergency financial assistance specifically to National Guard and Reserve members - the exact segment AER's new online portal is now positioned to serve more fully.
• PenFed Foundation: National veteran-serving nonprofit (affiliated with PenFed Credit Union) providing emergency financial assistance, mental health, and transition programs. Direct overlap with AER's emergency financial aid use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aerhq

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Army Emergency Relief