Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County

What Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County does

The organization is headquartered at 1790 Nations Drive, Suite 221, Gurnee, Illinois, and is funded through a not-for-profit fund sourced from Lake County government allocations, contributions from individual townships within the county, and charitable donations. Its go-to-market motion is appointment-based and direct: veterans contact the office to schedule in-person consultations with Veteran Service Officers who research, compile, and submit VA claims on their behalf. The executive leadership and entire staff roster are themselves veterans, lending domain credibility. The VAC operates within a structured ecosystem of partner organizations—including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, VFW, American Legion, DAV, AMVETS, MOAA, Midwest Veterans Closet, and Lake County townships—and is governed by an Executive Board elected from delegates of those veteran service organizations. No proprietary technology platform underpins operations; service delivery is human-driven and process-based.

Name

Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County

Legal name

Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County

Website

https://vaclc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County provides free, pro bono VA claims advocacy, appeals representation, financial assistance, burial benefits, and discharge upgrade services to honorably discharged veterans and their families in Lake County, Illinois, operating as a county-government entity under the Military Veterans Assistance Act.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Services and Benefits Advocacy

NAICS

Administration of Veterans' Affairs (923140), Administration of Veterans' Affairs (92314), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans & Military Family Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Veteran benefits advocacy
• VA disability claims
• Veteran financial assistance
• Military discharge upgrades
• Veteran service organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Gurnee

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, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public/Government Funding: Funded through Lake County government and individual townships within the county. Operates as a Not-For-Profit fund used to provide assistance to veterans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County is a county government-established Veterans Service Organization that provides pro bono (free-of-charge) services to honorably discharged veterans and their families residing in Lake County, Illinois. Its core offerings include VA disability compensation claims advocacy and appeals representation (including higher court representation by a licensed attorney), VA Pension and Aid and Attendance benefits assistance, burial benefits, emergency financial assistance for rent/mortgage/utilities, and discharge upgrades and military record corrections. All services are delivered in person by appointment through Veteran Service Officers at the Gurnee, Illinois office.

Product overview

The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County offers a unified portfolio of free (pro bono) services designed to help Veterans navigate the VA benefits system. The core service offering includes six interconnected programs: VA Disability Compensation Claims Assistance for service-connected disabilities, VA Pension for non-service-connected needs-based support, Aid and Attendance for Veterans requiring daily living assistance, Burial Benefits for surviving family members, Financial Assistance for emergency needs, and Discharge Upgrades for correcting military records. All services are provided at no charge to Veterans and their families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VA Disability Compensation Claims Assistance Pro bono assistance with filing VA disability compensation claims for veterans with service-connected disabilities. Veteran Service Officers research, compile, and submit claims and provide representation for administrative appeals, with the Superintendent (a licensed attorney) representing veterans in higher courts including CAVC, CAFC, and SCOTUS.
• VA Pension Assistance applying for the VA's non-service-connected disability pension program that supplements income for disabled veterans or their surviving spouses. This is a needs-based program requiring permanent and total disability or age 65+.
• Aid and Attendance Assistance applying for the special monthly tax-free pension awarded to veterans or surviving spouses who require aid from another person to perform daily living functions. Funds can be applied to home care, assisted living, or nursing home costs.
• Burial Benefits Assistance with VA burial and memorial benefits including burial allowance up to $2,000, plot allowance up to $762, transportation cost reimbursement, burial in a National Cemetery, VA-furnished headstones, burial flags, and Presidential Memorial Certificates.
• Financial Assistance Emergency financial assistance for eligible veterans covering past-due rent, mortgage, and utility bills. Assistance is paid directly to vendors, not as cash payouts to veterans, and is available once every 12 months to Lake County residents.
• Discharge Upgrades and Corrections Comprehensive support for veterans pursuing discharge upgrades and corrections, including preparation of upgrade requests and correction of military records to reflect awards and declarations not appearing on DD214 or NGB22.

Quantifiable outcome

• All services are free to veterans - Pro Bono
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner providing VA benefits administration and healthcare services to veterans
• Lake County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder and oversight body for the VAC, providing funding and administrative support
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelegate representation on VAC Executive Board and commission meetings
• American LegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelegate representation on VAC Executive Board and commission meetings
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelegate representation on VAC Executive Board and commission meetings
• Midwest Veterans ClosetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for furniture, clothes, and food donations for veterans in need
• Lake County TownshipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with individual townships within Lake County to provide assistance to veterans for utilities, mortgage payments and emergency shelter
• James A. Lovell Federal Health Care CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for VA health care enrollment and services
• Illinois Department of Veterans AffairsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState partner for veteran benefits and services including hunting/fishing licenses

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): National congressionally chartered veterans service organization providing free claims assistance to veterans and their families. Operates overlapping service with VACLC and holds delegate representation on the VAC Executive Board, making it both a peer and a governance stakeholder.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): National congressionally chartered VSO with claims assistance service offerings. Holds delegate representation on the VAC Executive Board and provides both governance input to VACLC and parallel service delivery in many communities.
• American Legion: Large national VSO offering service officer support for VA claims. Holds delegate representation on the VAC Executive Board and is one of several VSO channels operating in parallel with VACLC across Illinois.
• AMVETS: National congressionally chartered VSO providing claims assistance. Holds delegate representation on the VAC Executive Board and offers adjacent service to veterans within Lake County.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): Federal agency that administers the underlying benefits VACLC helps veterans claim. The VA is both the source of program eligibility rules and a referral partner (VACLC partners with James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center). Its digital transformation trajectory is the principal long-term competitive dynamic facing county VACs.
• Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs: State-level veterans agency overseeing county VACs across Illinois and administering state veterans benefits, hunting/fishing licenses, and interment services. Overlapping capability with VACLC at the state layer; serves as both a referral source and a regulatory superior.

Direct peers

• Will County Veterans Assistance Commission: Adjacent Illinois county VAC serving Will County veterans under the same 330 ILCS 45 framework. Provides a direct geographic and operational comparison for VACLC given proximity and similar veteran demographics.
• Cook County Veterans Assistance Commission: Direct peer under the same Illinois statute (330 ILCS 45) operating as the county-level central service office for veterans in Cook County. Operates the same model with broader geographic scope and larger veteran population, providing the closest benchmark for VACLC's structure, funding, and service mix.
• DuPage County Veterans Assistance Commission: Another Illinois county VAC operating under the same statutory framework. Comparable in scale to VACLC, serving DuPage County veterans with VA claims advocacy and financial assistance using a similar VSÖ-driven delivery model.

Regional players

• Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission (Ohio): Ohio county-level veterans service commission serving the same county name in a different state. Comparable mission and county-government establishment, but operates under Ohio Revised Code rather than Illinois' 330 ILCS 45.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VACLakeCounty
• Facebookfacebook.com/vaclc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/19130251/admin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County