Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

What Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America does

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), founded in 2004 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan nonprofit organization that serves as the preeminent advocacy voice for post-9/11 veterans and their families. Its mission is to increase awareness among the media, the American public, and Washington policymakers to ensure that the voices of the newest generation of veterans are heard and acted upon. IAVA operates a portfolio of programs rather than commercial products: the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), a 24/7 peer support and care management service that has served over 22,000 clients at a unit cost of approximately $140 per case; the Cavalry Program, which has trained 75+ veteran advocates to engage directly with Congress and media; an Advocacy Program that supported 36 bills introduced in Congress and 7 Congressional testimonies in 2022; the Vote Hub civic engagement tool; annual events including the Heroes Gala (New York) and IAVA Salutes (Washington, D.C.); and ongoing policy research and member surveys across priority areas including healthcare, toxic exposures, women veterans, Afghan allies, economic stability, and civic engagement.

IAVA's core constituency is post-9/11 veterans and their families, with women veterans identified as the fastest-growing segment. The organization is funded through a diversified nonprofit revenue model including individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, peer-to-peer fundraising, legacy gift planning, and event proceeds, with no publicly disclosed revenue figure. It maintains a 425,000+ member community across the United States and is governed by a board that includes Gen. (RET) David H. Petraeus, founder Paul Rieckhoff, and former CEO Allison Jaslow. Current leadership comprises CEO Jeremy Butler and COO Sean Ullman.

IAVA's most consequential strategic achievement is its central advocacy role in the passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act in August 2022, the largest veteran healthcare legislation in U.S. history, addressing toxic exposures from burn pits. The organization operates with a small staff of 11-50 employees but achieves outsized policy and media impact through its advocacy infrastructure, earned media presence (70+ national media hits in 2022), and direct Congressional engagement (390 official meetings in 2022). IAVA maintains a sister organization, IAVA Action Fund, registered as a 501(c)(4), but the two entities are separately governed.

Name

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Legal name

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Website

https://iava.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that advocates for post-9/11 veterans and their families through legislative lobbying, 24/7 peer support (Quick Reaction Force), and veteran leadership training, serving a community of 425,000+ members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Advocacy Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Veterans & Military Family Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAI)

Keywords

• Veteran advocacy services
• Nonprofit policy advocacy
• Veteran peer support
• Legislative advocacy programs
• Veteran community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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 Fundraising: IAVA operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants. The organization conducts direct fundraising campaigns including peer-to-peer fundraising, online donations via credit card, bank transfers, digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Microsoft Pay), and PayPal/Venmo. Legacy gift planning and stock donations are also accepted.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IAVA is a nonprofit veterans advocacy organization that delivers free services to post-9/11 veterans and their families, including 24/7 peer support and care management through the Quick Reaction Force, non-partisan legislative advocacy on Capitol Hill, veteran leadership training through the Cavalry Program, civic engagement tools such as Vote Hub, and annual fundraising events such as the Heroes Gala and IAVA Salutes. The organization is funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants rather than fees charged to service recipients.

Product overview

IAVA operates as a nonprofit veteran advocacy organization with a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a commercial product suite. The core offerings include the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) for 24/7 veteran support, the Advocacy Program for legislative engagement, and the Cavalry Program for veteran leadership development. Supplementary offerings include the Vote Hub civic engagement tool, annual events (HEROES GALA and IAVA Salutes), and research publications including member surveys. These programs work together to fulfill IAVA's mission of being the voice of the post-9/11 veteran generation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quick Reaction Force (QRF): 24/7 peer support and resource connection program for veterans in need
• The Cavalry
• Heroes Gala
• IAVA Salutes

Products and services

• Quick Reaction Force (QRF) 24/7 confidential peer-to-peer support, comprehensive care management, and resource connection service for veterans and their families, providing confidential assistance regardless of service era or background. Delivered free of charge through a hotline and online referral system.
• IAVA Advocacy Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 22,000+ clients served by Quick Reaction Force with 24/7 peer support
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Quick Reaction Force Partner NonprofitscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAVA's Quick Reaction Force partners with vetted nonprofit organizations nationwide to provide best-in-class research, data, and resources to empower veterans. The program leverages national resources to create better lives for veterans through vetted partner organizations.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Mission Continues: Post-9/11 focused veteran nonprofit operating fellowship and volunteer programs to ease veteran community reintegration. Similar demographic and generationally-targeted approach, with overlapping funding sources and donor segments.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Largest post-9/11 focused veteran service organization combining advocacy, peer support, and direct services. Closest peer to IAVA in mission scope, target demographic, and operating model, though considerably larger in budget.
• Team Rubicon: Post-9/11 veteran-led nonprofit combining disaster response with community building; shares IAVA's generational target audience and mission-driven service model, though focused on humanitarian operations rather than legislative advocacy.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): Established congressionally chartered VSO providing free claims assistance, legislative advocacy, and transition support to disabled veterans. Operates in the same advocacy-plus-direct-service model targeting similar benefit-policy issues as IAVA.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): One of the largest and oldest congressionally chartered VSOs, with deep legislative advocacy infrastructure and a network of posts. Competes with IAVA for donor attention and congressional access on overlapping veteran policy issues.
• Student Veterans of America: Post-9/11 veteran organization focused on higher education access and success, with strong advocacy component on GI Bill and transition policy. Operates in the same generational demographic and advocacy-driven model.

Emerging players

• Bob Woodruff Foundation: Foundation focused on post-9/11 veterans and their families, funding other VSOs and direct services including mental health programs. Overlaps IAVA in target population and mental-health / traumatic injury priorities.
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS): Provides peer-based emotional support and resources to military and veteran survivors of loss. Comparable to IAVA's Quick Reaction Force in service delivery model and family-focused orientation, while addressing the broader military-connected community.
• Code of Support Foundation: National nonprofit serving post-9/11 veterans and families through case management, peer support, and resource connection. Highly comparable in operating model to IAVA's QRF program, though smaller in scale and budget.

Broad incumbents

• American Legion: The largest U.S. wartime veterans organization with extensive advocacy, community programs, and youth programs. A broader incumbent whose scope and infrastructure dwarfs IAVA, but which competes for the same donor pool and policy attention.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iraq-and-afghanistan-veterans-of-america
• Xx.com/iava
• TikToktiktok.com/@iava

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 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America