Veterans Advocacy Group of America

What Veterans Advocacy Group of America does

Veterans Advocacy Group of America (VAGA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Carson, Southern California. It serves returning veterans, military service members, and their families through a portfolio of programs that include VA benefits and SSI/SSDI navigation, employment placement, housing assistance referrals, life skills training, and women and minority veteran programs. The organization annually hosts two signature events — the Veterans Thanksgiving Appreciation Dinner (9th annual in November 2025) and the Veterans Backpack Giveaway (10th annual in August 2025) — held at venues such as Bob Hope Patriotic Hall in Los Angeles, and runs Veterans Economic Summits connecting veterans with training and employment opportunities.

VAGA operates entirely as a service organization with no proprietary technology platform. Its digital footprint consists of a marketing website (vaga.us) hosting a job board, advertising placements, event listings, a quarterly newsletter, and a YouTube channel. The organization leverages a partnership with Revolution National Pest Council to deliver state-funded vocational pest control certification and an arrangement with Title VII Risk Management Partners to provide documentable veteran and women craft worker outreach for federal contractors seeking OFCCP and VEVRAA compliance.

The business model combines three revenue streams: tax-deductible donations and contributions processed via PayPal, website advertising sold in five monthly tiers ranging from $100 to $500 per placement, and recurring job posting subscriptions at $100-$300 per month, supplemented by Title VII and VEVRAA compliance services for federal contractors. Founder-led by Tova Barbour (President) and Sterling Barbour (Vice President, a military veteran), the organization relies on a regional network of government, corporate, and community sponsors — including the Los Angeles Chargers, ROKiT, New York Life, The Heritage Foundation, and LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis — to fund programs delivered free of charge to veterans across Southern California.

Name

Veterans Advocacy Group of America

Legal name

Veterans Advocacy Group of America

Website

https://vaga.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Veterans Advocacy Group of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Southern California that provides employment, training, housing, and benefits navigation services to veterans and their families through annual community events, partnerships, and a job board.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Social Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAKAI

Veterans & Military Family Benefits Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Social Security, Benefits & Welfare Administration

SECONDARYEDAAAOAH

Veterans & Military-to-Civilian Transition Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

Keywords

• Veteran support services
• Employment assistance
• Benefits navigation
• Community events
• Vocational training

Headquarters

HQ city

Carson

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. Advertising Revenue: VAGA generates revenue through website advertising placements, with multiple pricing tiers for ad sizes ranging from 125x125 pixels at $100/month to 1920x525 pixels at $500/month. Job posting and recurring billing options are also available at $100, $200, or $300 per month.
2. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, VAGA relies on tax-deductible donations from supporters to fund veteran programs and services. Donations can be made via PayPal and are used to support events, training opportunities, and community assistance programs.
3. Title VII Compliance Services: VAGA provides outreach and advertising services to contractors for Title VII and VEVRAA compliance purposes, helping federal contractors meet their obligations for outreach to veterans and women craft workers on federally funded construction projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VAGA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit service organization that assists returning veterans and military service members with employment placement, vocational training, housing assistance, VA/SSI/SSDI benefits navigation, and life skills training. It also produces signature annual community events (Veterans Thanksgiving Appreciation Dinner, Veterans Backpack Giveaway, Veterans Economic Summit) and offers Title VII compliance advertising services to federal contractors.

Product overview

Veterans Advocacy Group of America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Southern California that operates as a service organization rather than a technology product company. The organization provides a portfolio of veterans' assistance programs including Benefits Resources, VA/SSI/SSDI Assistance, Employment Opportunities, Housing Assistance, Life Skills Training, and Women and Minority Programs. In partnership with Revolution National Pest Council, VAGA offers Vocational Training in Pest Control as a career pathway program. The organization also runs the Veterans Economic Summit and Title VII Advertising compliance services for contractors. Annual community events include the Veterans Thanksgiving Appreciation Dinner series, Veterans Backpack Giveaway, and Shining Star Recognition Ceremony.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Benefits Resources

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, minor and flagship.

• The Heritage FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 August 2025Major sponsor for 10th Annual Veterans Backpack Giveaway event, providing support enabling the event's success.
• Supervisor Hilda SolismajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 August 2025Major sponsor and supporter for 10th Annual Veterans Backpack Giveaway, representing Los Angeles County government partnership.
• Bob Hope Patriotic HallcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 August 2025Venue sponsor and major partner for veteran events, providing location for Thanksgiving Appreciation Dinners and other events.
• PV JobsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 August 2025Community partner bringing 10 young people to participate in backpack giveaway event, receiving training and learning community service.
• Mindful Veteran ProjectminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 August 2025Community partner participating in 10th Annual Veterans Backpack Giveaway, providing engagement and support at the event.
• VPAN (Veterans Peer Access Network)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 August 2025Community partner participating in backpack giveaway event, helping engage veterans and families.
• CWCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 August 2025Community partner organization participating in veteran events.
• MCSminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 August 2025Community partner participating in veteran community events.
• Los Angeles ChargersflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 November 2018Presenting title sponsor for Veterans Thanksgiving Appreciation Dinner events since 2018. NFL team participates by having players, alumni, and cheerleaders serve Thanksgiving dinner to veterans. Partnership generates significant PR and community visibility.
• ROKiTflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 November 2018Presenting sponsor for Thanksgiving events, donating 150 phones to veterans and their families. Partnership provides both funding and product donations for veteran attendees.
• New York LifemajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 July 2017Title sponsor for 7th Annual Back to School Backpack Giveaway event in 2018, hosted at New York Life Building in Glendale, CA.
• Revolution National Pest CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership providing state-funded vocational training in pest control for veterans. VAGA promotes training opportunities and connects veterans with certification programs. The partnership enables veterans to receive free professional training leading to employment in the pest control industry.
• Veterans and Military Business Owners Association (VAMBOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTova Barbour is a member of VAMBOA, connecting VAGA with broader veteran entrepreneur and business owner network.
• National Association of Woman Business Owners - Ventura CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTova Barbour is a member, supporting women veteran business owners and connecting VAGA with women business communities.
• Title VII Risk Management PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide outreach resources for contractors to veterans and women craft workers for federally funded construction projects. VAGA provides virtual outreach and tracking services while partner provides pre-audit tools and planning resources.
• Employment Development Department (EDD)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment partner for veteran employment events and job fairs, with EDD staff participating as MCs and committee members at VAGA events.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Legion: Largest U.S. wartime veterans service organization offering benefits assistance, employment, and community programs. Comparable to VAGA in mission scope (employment, benefits, community events) but with national infrastructure and 1.6M+ members.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): Large national congressionally chartered veterans service organization providing benefits navigation, employment support, and advocacy. Overlaps with VAGA on benefits assistance and veteran employment, but operates at vastly greater national scale.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): Congressionally chartered veteran service organization providing benefits help, advocacy, and community programs. Comparable in mission (employment, benefits, community) and nonprofit structure, but with nationwide posts and substantial resources.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Major national nonprofit serving post-9/11 wounded veterans with programs spanning employment, mental health, and community engagement. Highly comparable to VAGA's wraparound veteran support model but operates at national scale with significantly larger donor base.

Direct peers

• Hire Heroes USA: Nonprofit dedicated to military-to-civilian employment transitions, offering resume help, interview coaching, and employer matching. Directly comparable to VAGA's employment-focused programs and federal contractor outreach.
• Semper Fi & America's Fund: Nonprofit supporting wounded/ill service members and veterans across all service eras with comprehensive programs (employment, housing, transition). Comparable wraparound service model to VAGA, though at larger national scale.
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA): National 501(c)(3) focused on post-9/11 veterans with advocacy, employment support, and benefits navigation. Closely comparable to VAGA in service mix (employment, benefits, advocacy) and nonprofit, community-led GTM.

Emerging players

• Bob Woodruff Foundation: National nonprofit supporting veterans and military families with programs across employment, education, and family services. Comparable wraparound veteran support model, though more media/brand-driven and national in reach.
• Team Rubicon: Veteran-led disaster response nonprofit using service to help veterans transition. Comparable in veteran-led, mission-driven GTM and community events, but with a distinct disaster-response focus rather than employment/training.
• Travis Manion Foundation: Veteran-service organization focused on character development, community engagement, and veteran transition programs. Comparable in community-event-driven veteran support and leadership development mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHUPx_znqvVno_1tIr31GgQ
• Xx.com/vaga_vets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/veterans-advocacy-group-of-america

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Veterans Advocacy Group of America