Military Families Speak Out

What Military Families Speak Out does

Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization founded in November 2002 and headquartered in Seal Beach, California. The organization represents military family members and Gold Star families with loved ones who have served or are serving in the US military since September 11, 2001, providing a grassroots voice against what it characterizes as endless and unjust wars. MFSO operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and a membership of over 4,000 individuals spanning the United States and internationally, led by National Coordinator Pat Alviso and co-founder Nancy Lessin.

The organization's core offering is its advocacy platform, built on a WordPress-based website that serves as a hub for position statements, action alerts, member stories, and resource directories covering veteran, active duty, and health-related support. Distribution occurs through social media channels (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, press releases, public demonstrations, and coalition events with allied organizations including Veterans For Peace (its 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor), About Face - Veterans Against the War, Servicemembers for Ceasefire, and On Earth Peace.

MFSO's business model is donation-based, relying on member contributions and monthly sustaining donors, with no commercial products or services offered. The organization maintains no disclosed revenue or budget figures. Recent advocacy activity through 2025-2026 has expanded from its original Iraq/Afghanistan focus to encompass opposition to US military action in Iran and Venezuela, AUMF repeal campaigns, and support for deported military veterans through its partnership with the Unified US Deported Veterans Resource Center.

Name

Military Families Speak Out

Legal name

Military Families Speak Out

Website

https://militaryfamiliesspeakout.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Military Families Speak Out is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2002 that represents over 4,000 post-9/11 military and Gold Star families, advocating against endless wars through position statements, action alerts, and coalition events with allied peace organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Advocacy Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Military family advocacy
• Veterans support services
• Anti-war activism
• Gold Star families
• Peace movement organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Seal Beach

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: Funded through member donations and monthly sustaining donors; operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization through fiscal sponsorship by Veterans For Peace

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Military Families Speak Out is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization that mobilizes post-9/11 military families and Gold Star families to speak out against unjust wars and advocate for troops, veterans, and their families. Its core offerings include community membership, policy position statements, action alerts directed at members of Congress, and curated resource directories covering veteran, active-duty, health, and regional support services.

Product overview

Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) is an advocacy organization, not a technology product company. It operates a WordPress-based website that serves as a hub for its advocacy campaigns, action alerts, position statements, and resource distribution. The organization provides programs including membership services, action alerts for contacting Congress, position statements on military policy, and resource directories for military families, veterans, and active duty personnel. The organization's primary offering is its advocacy platform, which includes policy position statements, call-to-action campaigns, and informational resources about military family concerns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Veterans For PeacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterans For Peace is the 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor for Military Families Speak Out, providing nonprofit status and financial management. MFSO collaborates with VFP chapters nationwide, including Chapter 110 in Southern California, for joint events, demonstrations, and campaigns such as armistice day bell ringing ceremonies and the Arlington West Memorial.
• Servicemembers for CeasefireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of film screenings and events, working together on advocacy campaigns for ending military interventions.
• About Face - Veterans Against the WarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlly organization formed in 2004; MFSO joins voices with About Face members at rallies and events to amplify the military family and veteran perspective against war.
• Unified US Deported Veterans Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFSO steering committee member Robert Vivar is co-founder and co-director of this organization. MFSO supports deported veterans through donations, advocacy, and raising awareness about the issue of deported military veterans.
• On Earth PeaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHas provided fiscal management for MFSO interns; under leadership of MFSO board member Bill Scherer, has been a steadfast ally supporting organizational operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA): Largest post-9/11 veteran service organization; overlaps with MFSO in target constituency (post-9/11 military families) but focuses on veteran benefits, mental health, and transition support rather than anti-war advocacy.
• Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL): Long-standing Quaker peace lobby working on legislative advocacy including military spending and AUMF; broader and more institutionally established than MFSO but aligned in mission.
• National Military Family Association: Established nonprofit serving military families across the political spectrum; comparable in constituency (military family members) but with a nonpartisan, support-oriented rather than advocacy-oriented mission.

Direct peers

• Win Without War: A coalition of progressive anti-war organizations that campaigns against U.S. military intervention and excessive military spending; operates in adjacent space with overlapping policy priorities such as AUMF repeal.
• CodePink: Women for Peace: Direct peer in the anti-war advocacy space; organizes high-profile campaigns against U.S. military interventions and shares MFSO's confrontational, member-driven grassroots tactics.
• About Face: Veterans Against the War: Direct peer and stated MFSO ally organization, formerly Iraq Veterans Against the War; focuses on the veteran voice against U.S. military interventions and co-organizes rallies and campaigns with MFSO.
• Veterans For Peace: Direct peer and MFSO's 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor; a nationwide veteran-led anti-war organization that shares MFSO's mission of opposing unjust wars, organizing demonstrations, and advocating for troop withdrawal.
• Peace Action: Largest U.S. grassroots peace and disarmament organization; shares MFSO's anti-war/anti-intervention stance and engages in congressional advocacy on military spending and AUMF-related issues.

Emerging players

• Servicemembers for Ceasefire: Stated MFSO ally co-sponsoring film screenings and advocacy events; smaller, emerging veteran-led organization with a narrower mission focused on ending specific military operations.
• Military Family Advisory Network: Research-driven military family support organization that publishes reports on family readiness and well-being; overlaps with MFSO in serving military families but operates as a nonpartisan support/research entity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mfso_us
• Facebookfacebook.com/MilitaryFamiliesSpeakOut
• Instagraminstagram.com/mfso_us
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/military-families-speak-out

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Military Families Speak Out