War Resisters League

What War Resisters League does

War Resisters League (WRL) is a US-based nonprofit antimilitarist organization founded in 1923 and headquartered at 30 E. 125 St. #229, New York, NY, with a secondary regional presence in New England. It operates as the US section of War Resisters' International and is governed by a National Committee, with a small staff of approximately 15 employees. The organization affirms that all war is a crime against humanity and pursues nonviolent resistance to war, militarism, racism, sexism, and exploitation through educational resources, organizing support, and member mobilization.

WRL's core product offering is a portfolio of educational publications and movement-branded merchandise distributed through a WooCommerce online store, phone orders, and mail, with shipping via USPS and UPS. Publications include handbooks on nonviolent action and war tax resistance, the annually updated Federal Budget Pie Chart (published since 1977), counter-recruitment brochures, anthologies, and historical books documenting WRL's centennial history. Merchandise — including a broken rifle pin, union-made RESIST t-shirts, baseball caps, and posters — functions as both revenue and movement identity. Underlying technology is limited to a standard WordPress/WooCommerce stack with CiviCRM for newsletters and sustainer communications; there is no proprietary platform or AI/ML infrastructure.

The business model is donation-and-membership driven, with WRL explicitly independent of political parties, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants. Revenue comes from individual sustainers, one-time donations, bequests, and merchandise sales, serving a customer base of peace and antiwar activists, GI Rights and military resisters, youth and educators, and conscientious objectors. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the website, email newsletters (Movement Updates, Action Alerts, WRL News), social media (Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram), webinars, and partnerships with allied organizations including NWTRCC, About Face Veterans Against the War, and the Peace and Justice Studies Association.

Name

War Resisters League

Legal name

War Resisters League

Website

https://warresisters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

War Resisters League is a 1923-founded US nonprofit antimilitarist organization that publishes peace movement educational materials and merchandise and is funded by individual donations, sustainers, and product sales, serving peace activists, military resisters, educators, and conscientious objectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peace Activism and Antimilitarist Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Peace, Security & Arms Control Organizations (BPADAAAF)

Keywords

• Antimilitarist organization
• Peace activism resources
• Nonviolent action training
• War tax resistance
• Counter-recruitment materials

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of educational materials including books, brochures, flyers, posters, pie charts, t-shirts, pins, and other peace movement merchandise through an online store
2. Donations and Membership: Donations from supporters and membership fees sustain operations; organization states work is made possible by individual supporters independent of political parties, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

War Resisters League is a nonprofit antimilitarist organization that produces and sells peace movement educational materials, publications, and merchandise through its online store. Its core offerings include books, brochures, handbooks, federal budget pie charts, t-shirts, pins, caps, and posters that support counter-recruitment, war tax resistance, and nonviolent action training. The organization also conducts organizing, training, and advocacy programs funded by donations and memberships.

Product overview

War Resisters League operates a comprehensive online store offering publications, educational resources, and branded merchandise related to antimilitarism and nonviolent resistance. The product portfolio consists of books and anthologies covering peace activism, civil disobedience, war tax resistance, and historical figures in the movement; pamphlets and brochures on nonviolence, counter-recruitment, and military alternatives; handbooks and organizing guides for nonviolent campaigns and action; commemorative posters and pins featuring peace and antimilitarist imagery; and apparel items including t-shirts and caps bearing WRL's signature broken rifle logo. The organization also publishes annual federal budget pie chart flyers showing military spending allocation. The store is powered by WooCommerce on WordPress and integrates with CiviCRM for member communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WRL: Abbreviated name used for War Resisters League in communications and merchandise

Products and services

• Where Your Income Tax Money Is Going FY 2027 (Pie Chart Flyers) Estimated US Federal Budget pie chart flyer showing where federal income taxes go, with emphasis on military spending. Available in English (color and black & white) and Spanish. Published annually since 1977.
• War Tax Resistance: A Guide to Withholding Your Support from the Military Comprehensive handbook on war tax resistance, revised in 2025 and updated annually. Covers history, methods, and resources for refusing to pay federal income taxes that fund military spending. Available as physical book ($20) or ebook ($12.99).
• New Worlds in Old Shells: A Handbook for Constructive Programme Handbook compiled by War Resisters' International exploring values, strategic planning, and case studies for building a just and nonviolent society. 226 pages, Creative Commons licensed.
• Handbook for Nonviolent Action Classic guide to nonviolent direct action published by Donnelly/Colt and WRL. A vintage publication still used by activists across the country.
• War Resisters League: 100 Years of Resistance to War and the Causes of War 84-page full-color book reproducing WRL's entire 100th anniversary traveling exhibit, including 186 images, timeline of key demonstrations, programs, notable individuals, and publications throughout WRL's history.
• Nonviolence 101 Updated brochure on nonviolence covering basics, strengthening campaigns, impact, and WRL's nonviolent struggle history.
• So You Wanna Be a Cop? Counter-police recruitment resource that questions recruiter lies and encourages young people to pursue careers that build actual community safety. Available in English and Spanish.
• What Every Young Woman Should Know About the Military Counter-recruitment brochure covering sexism, racism, military life for women, and alternatives. Available in English and Spanish.
• RESIST T-Shirt All-gender black t-shirt with screen-printed white 'RESIST' on front and white broken rifle logo on back. Union made domestically.
• Broken Rifle Pin Small jewelry pin in antique-finished silver metal featuring WRL's Broken Rifle Logo. 1 inch long with jeweler's bar attachment.
• WRL Baseball Cap Black baseball cap with 'Broken Rifle' logo embroidered on front in grey thread. Adjustable size, made in the USA.
• Women Conscientious Objectors: An Anthology Anthology including contributions from women conscientious objectors and activists from Britain, Colombia, Eritrea, Israel, Paraguay, South Korea, Turkey, and the USA, redefining antimilitarism from a feminist perspective.
• Two Essays by Emma Goldman Essays including 'Preparedness: The Road to Universal Slaughter' and 'The Individual, Society and the State' by the anarchist, agitator for peace and liberation.
• Who Has the Spiritual Atom Bomb? by A. J. Muste Essay by the foremost twentieth century pacifist theoretician and activist, minister and socialist.
• Remembering Bayard Rustin at 100 Book published in 2013 by Matt Meyer to mark Bayard Rustin's 100th birthday and WRL's 90th Anniversary, exploring his complicated legacy.
• We Have Not Been Moved Compendium addressing racism and militarism in 21st century America, edited by Elizabeth 'Betita' Martínez, Mandy Carter, and Matt Meyer, with introduction by Cornel West.
• Essays by Martin Luther King, Jr. Three essays including 'Loving Your Enemies,' 'Letter From a Birmingham Jail,' and 'Declaration of Independence from the War in Vietnam.' Available in English or Spanish.
• Broken Rifle w/ Dove T-Shirt T-shirt featuring original artwork by celebrated illustrator Cristy Road, a new take on WRL's signature broken rifle image. Available in men's and women's styles.
• In Germany First They Came... (Martin Niemöller Poster) Poster featuring the famous quotation from Pastor Martin Niemöller about the dangers of political apathy in the face of authoritarianism.
• Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns, revised 2nd Edition Classic handbook by War Resisters' International, revised in 2025. Comprehensive guide for organizing nonviolent campaigns.
• Seneca Women's Peace Encampment Poster Beautiful poster produced for the 1983 Seneca Women's Peace Encampment, documenting the protest at the Seneca Army Depot.
• Peace Symbol Pin Small jewelry pin featuring a peace sign inlaid in metal on a black ceramic background. 5/8 inch round nickel with clutch-pin backing.
• No Blood for Oil Button Classic WRL button with design of a bomb with a star inside the No symbol (circle with diagonal line).
• Six Articles by Sidney Lens Six articles spanning three decades on the state of the U.S. labor movement by the peace and labor activist, socialist.
• Two Essays by Paul Goodman Two essays by the pacifist, anarchist and activist: 'The Morality of Scientific Technology' and 'The Psychology of Being Powerless.'

Quantifiable outcome

• Resources distributed for Tax Day demonstrations across the country
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWTRCC deeply values WRL's work; WRL's yearly federal budget pie chart is an indispensable part of Tax Day demonstrations; WRL published a critical book on war tax resistance with NWTRCC technical assistance; NWTRCC is a better organization owing to the existence of WRL
• About Face Veterans Against the WarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbout Face working to rebuild G.I. resistance movement with Right to Refuse campaign; WRL has been a key partner supporting About Face's ability to meet demands for antimilitarist veterans to step up against rising fascism; partnership supports veterans for ceasefire work for free Palestine
• Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa CruzmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer Executive Director Peter Klotz-Chamberlin reached out regarding nonviolence training and creating a Nonviolent Action Network; WRL committed crucial support to nonviolent action training in partnership
• Peace and Justice Studies AssociationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRL participated in a round table at PJSA conference; Oskar Castro, former AFSC staff and WRL National Committee member, represented WRL at this event
• War Resisters' InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRL is the US section of War Resisters' International; WRI publications including Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns and New Worlds in Old Shells are available through WRL's store

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Amnesty International USA: Large US affiliate of a global human rights organization with overlapping human rights and antimilitarist advocacy. Operates at significantly greater scale and budgets than WRL, competing for similar donor and activist audiences.
• Human Rights Watch: Major international human rights research and advocacy organization. Overlaps with WRL's human rights and antimilitarist framing and competes for high-dollar donor support in the same nonprofit landscape.

Direct peers

• Veterans For Peace: Veteran-led nonprofit opposing war and militarism. Directly comparable to WRL's veteran-focused partnerships (e.g., About Face) and overlaps in counter-recruitment and GI resistance programming.
• Fellowship of Reconciliation: Interfaith pacifist organization founded in 1914 with comparable nonviolent action training, antimilitarist resources, and member-based governance. Directly overlaps with WRL on nonviolence training and conscientious objection.
• Peace Action: US grassroots peace and disarmament organization founded as SANE/FREEZE merger. Comparable as a member-supported lobbying and education group focused on nuclear disarmament and antimilitarist policy advocacy.
• War Resisters' International: Global antimilitarist network of which WRL is the US section. Directly comparable in mission, publishes many of the handbooks WRL distributes, and provides international reach that complements WRL's US operations.
• Resource Center for Nonviolence: Santa Cruz-based nonprofit focused on nonviolence education and training; explicitly partnered with WRL on training and the Nonviolent Action Network. Directly comparable on nonviolence training resources and programming.
• American Friends Service Committee: Quaker-affiliated nonprofit working on peace, antimilitarism, and social justice. Highly comparable as a large, US-based antimilitarist advocacy organization that publishes resources and runs counter-recruitment and war-tax programming similar to WRL.

Emerging players

• CODEPINK: Women-led antimilitarist and social justice advocacy group with strong online merchandising and donation model. Comparable as a US-based grassroots antimilitarist organization with a digital-first activism model that competes for the same donor pool.
• World BEYOND War: Global grassroots antiwar organization founded in 2014. Comparable antimilitarist mission and digital publishing model; references WRL's network in joint statements on Ukraine and Venezuela.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/resistwar
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCENRlaz8AG1ZEwb8DOw5rtA
• Facebookfacebook.com/171910856163140
• Instagraminstagram.com/resist.war
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/war-resisters-league

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 War Resisters League