CERV Foundation

What CERV Foundation does

CERV Foundation (legally Cincinnati Education For Veterans Foundation, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1991 and incorporated in Ohio in 1998. It operates under a Congressional authorization (38 USC §§7361-7366) as one of 82 nonprofit corporations nationwide that provide flexible funding mechanisms for the conduct of research and education at VA facilities. The foundation is headquartered at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center and supports clinical and basic research across PTSD, TBI, COPD, cancer, diabetes, addiction, and cardiovascular disease, in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

CERV's core offering is clinical research services, including the national Million Veteran Program (targeting one million veteran enrollees over 5-7 years) and disease-specific research programs such as COPD research and smoking cessation. Supporting programs include the Warrior to Soul Mate couples workshop, Healthy U educational programming, Women Veterans Programs, and Research Week. The foundation recruits veterans as research participants, community members as study enrollees, physicians as Principal Investigators, and organizations as research sponsors.

The foundation's revenue model combines approximately $5 million in annual VA/NIH research funding, approximately $2 million in pharmaceutical research funding, tax-deductible individual donations (minimum $10, with one-time, weekly, monthly, or annual recurring options), and corporate event sponsorships. Geographic reach spans Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southern Indiana, with research operations anchored at the Cincinnati VA Clinical Research Unit, which has been formally integrated into the CCHMC/UC Clinical and Translational Science Award infrastructure since 2009.

Name

CERV Foundation

Legal name

Cincinnati Education For Veterans Foundation, Inc

Website

https://cervf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CERV Foundation is a Congress-authorized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that facilitates clinical research and educational programs for veterans at the Cincinnati, Columbus, and Chillicothe VA Medical Centers, funded through VA/NIH grants, pharmaceutical sponsorships, and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Healthcare Research Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

Keywords

• Veteran healthcare research
• Clinical research facilitation
• Nonprofit research funding
• Veteran support programs
• VA medical research

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Accepts one-time, weekly, monthly, or annually recurring gifts. Minimum donation of $10. Supports medical research targeting veteran health needs and educational programs for veterans transitioning to civilian life.
2. Government Grants: Funding from the Veterans Administration and National Institute of Health for conducting research at the Cincinnati VAMC. Research funding supports investigators conducting studies in areas such as COPD, PTSD, and other veteran-related health conditions.
3. Pharmaceutical Research Funding: Funding from pharmaceutical companies for clinical research. Approximately $2 million in research funding from pharmaceutical companies for COPD and other studies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CERV Foundation (Cincinnati Education For Veterans Foundation) is a Congress-authorized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides flexible funding mechanisms and infrastructure to facilitate medical research and educational programs for veterans. The foundation conducts and supports clinical and basic research studies at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center in areas such as PTSD, TBI, COPD, cancer, diabetes, addiction, and cardiovascular disease, while also operating veteran support programs (e.g., Warrior to Soul Mate, Healthy U, Smoking Cessation).

Product overview

CERV Foundation operates as a research and educational organization facilitating medical research programs and support services for veterans. The core offering is Clinical Research Services conducted in partnership with the VA, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Supporting programs include the Million Veteran Program (MVP) for genetic research, Warrior to Soul Mate for relationship support, Healthy U for health education, Research Week for research showcase, Women Veterans Programs for recognition, Smoking Cessation Program, and COPD Research and Management. The organization connects veteran participants with principal investigators conducting studies in PTSD, TBI, COPD, Cancer, Diabetes, Addiction, and Cardiovascular Disease.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Research Services Clinical and basic research study facilitation at VA facilities, partnering with pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, and clinical research organizations to conduct studies addressing PTSD, TBI, COPD, Cancer, Diabetes, Addiction, and Cardiovascular Disease for veterans and community members.
• Million Veteran Program (MVP) A voluntary national research program designed to help researchers understand how genes affect health and illness, with the goal of improving health care for Veterans. Part of a nationwide initiative expected to enroll one million veterans over five to seven years.
• Warrior to Soul Mate Program A weekend workshop designed to help couples strengthen their communication skills, restore and renew positive relationships by teaching couples to talk, share and reconnect on an emotional level, targeting veterans and their partners struggling with relationship issues during the transition back to civilian life.
• Healthy U An educational program about managing physical and mental health issues common among veterans, helping them understand and address their health needs.
• Research Week A weeklong showcase of health and medical research events that brings together some of the country's best and brightest minds to share ideas targeting veteran health issues including COPD, PTSD, and cardiovascular disease.
• Women Veterans Programs Includes the Women Veterans Appreciation Banquet and Women Veterans Lifetime Achievement Awards - annual ceremonies to publicly honor women veterans for their service to both the military and their community.
• Smoking Cessation Program A VA-created program helping veterans deal with nicotine addiction, recognized as highly successful due to the high incidence of smoking within the veteran population.
• COPD Research and Management Comprehensive COPD research including flu vaccinations, supplemental oxygen, inhalers, pharmaceuticals, educational programs for medication administration, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs to improve physical conditioning and stamina.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100% participant retention rate in research programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Veteran's Health AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner providing oversight and research infrastructure. VA's Office of Research and Development and Nonprofit Program Office provide oversight and direction for CERV Foundation. CERV facilitates research and educational programming with VA facilities.
• Cincinnati Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic medical center partner. CERV supports the Cincinnati VA Clinical Research Unit which is anchored as a formal component of the research infrastructure next to the Academic Medical Center campus. Partnership includes CCHMC/UC Clinical Translation Science Award involvement.
• University of CincinnaticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal Investigator collaboration. University of Cincinnati physicians and researchers serve as Principal Investigators for VA research studies. Partnership includes CTSA proposal involvement and academic medical center collaboration.
• NAVREF (National Association of Veterans' Research Foundations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association representing 82 nonprofit corporations that support VA research. CERV participates in NAVREF initiatives including the Clinical Trials for Veterans initiative with VA's Office of Research and Development.
• The Ohio State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio-based university partner in the CERV research network, collaborating on veteran healthcare research initiatives.
• Ohio UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio-based university partner in the CERV research network, collaborating on veteran healthcare research initiatives.
• Ohio Northern UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio-based university partner in the CERV research network, collaborating on veteran healthcare research initiatives.
• Columbus VA Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional VA facility served by CERV Foundation for research and educational programming.
• Chillicothe VA Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional VA facility served by CERV Foundation for research and educational programming.
• National Institutes of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment research funding partner. NIH provides funding support for research conducted at Cincinnati VAMC through CERV Foundation.
• Assurex HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for Research Week 2018, supporting the annual showcase of health and medical research.
• Fresh Thyme Farmers MarketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipated in Fresh Thyme Giving Bag Program where $1 per reusable bag purchased was donated to CERV during April 2019 at the Montgomery Rd. Cincinnati location.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center: Academic medical center and core CERV partner hosting the VA Clinical Research Unit and CTSA infrastructure. Not a competitor but a direct operational peer and counterparty for translational research conducted through CERV.
• University of Cincinnati Medical Center: Academic medical center supplying Principal Investigators for CERV-supported VA studies and a CTSA partner. Functions as a research talent and infrastructure peer that CERV is institutionally intertwined with.

Direct peers

• Paralyzed Veterans of America: Congressionally chartered veterans service organization focused on spinal cord injury/disease research, advocacy, and benefits. Comparable to CERV in its VA-anchored research funding model and veteran health focus.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): National nonprofit advocating for and providing benefits assistance to injured and ill veterans. Comparable to CERV as a Congress-chartered veterans service organization focused on health-related needs of the veteran population.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large national 501(c)(3) serving post-9/11 veterans with programming spanning mental health, physical wellness, and economic empowerment. Comparable to CERV as a veteran-focused nonprofit addressing PTSD, TBI, and transition-to-civilian-life needs, though at much larger scale.
• Fisher House Foundation: 501(c)(3) supporting military and veteran families through housing near VA medical centers and grants for veteran-related research and programs. Shares CERV's VA-anchored service model and veteran health mission.
• National Association of Veterans' Research Foundations (NAVREF): The national association representing 82 VA-affiliated nonprofit research corporations, of which CERV is a member. NAVREF is the closest peer as it operates in the exact same statutory framework (38 USC §§7361-7366) and aggregates the very organizations CERV competes and collaborates with.

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: Global clinical research organization running pharma-sponsored clinical trials across therapeutic areas. Comparable to CERV in facilitating industry-sponsored clinical research, but at vastly larger scale and with commercial incentives.
• Syneos Health: Contract research organization (CRO) providing clinical trial services to biopharma. Comparable to CERV's role channeling pharmaceutical research funding into investigator sites, though Syneos operates commercially.

Emerging players

• Cohen Veterans Network: National nonprofit providing mental health care to post-9/11 veterans and their families. Overlaps with CERV's PTSD and behavioral health research/education mission, though Cohen delivers direct clinical services rather than facilitating research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Cincinnati-Education-Research-for-Veterans-Foundation-179977665537137
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cervf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CERV Foundation