DAV Charitable Service Trust

What DAV Charitable Service Trust does

DAV Charitable Service Trust is a private 501(c)(3) charitable trust incorporated in the District of Columbia in 1986 and operated from DAV National Headquarters in Erlanger, Kentucky. The Trust's mission is to help ill and injured veterans, along with their caregivers and families, live fulfilling lives by funding nonprofit programs that address physical rehabilitation, psychological trauma, mobility limitations (including amputations, spinal cord injuries, and vision/hearing loss), homelessness, career-readiness training, and caregiver support.

The Trust's core product is its Veteran Grants Program, a competitive grant-making operation that awards funding to IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organizations across four annual application cycles (January, April, July, October) via an online portal (dav.smartsimple.com). Notable recent grants include a $500,000 award to the Invisible Wounds Foundation supporting the Military Brain Health Collaborative, and a $20,000 award to VetJobs for career specialist programs. A second core function is donation processing across multiple channels, including online, mail, phone, workplace giving, matching gifts, IRA distributions, charitable gift annuities, bequests, and donor-advised funds, plus shop-and-give partnerships with iGive, Kroger Community Rewards, and Giving Assistant.

The Trust has no direct employees; administration is provided by DAV personnel on a limited basis, and the Board of Directors serves voluntarily without compensation. Revenue is derived entirely from charitable contributions rather than commercial pricing. The Trust participates in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC Code 11322) through the MFVSOA federation, and holds a Charity Navigator Four-Star rating (2024), Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency (2025), and ABC Seal of Excellence. The organization is led by President J. Marc Burgess, Vice President Barry A. Jesinoski, and Manager/Administrator Jennie Stricker, who was appointed in 2026.

Name

DAV Charitable Service Trust

Legal name

DAV Charitable Service Trust

Website

https://cst.dav.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Short description

DAV Charitable Service Trust is a 501(c)(3) grant-making trust that funds nonprofit programs serving ill, injured, and homeless U.S. veterans and their caregivers, awarding grants through four annual cycles and operating from DAV National Headquarters in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Grantmaking for Veterans

NAICS

Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Veteran grant programs
• Charitable grantmaking
• Veteran support funding
• Nonprofit foundation grants
• Military veteran services

Headquarters

HQ city

Erlanger

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The Trust relies on charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and other organizations to fund its veteran grant programs. Revenue is generated through various donation methods including online donations, mail, phone, workplace giving, matching gifts, IRA distributions, bequests, and charitable gift annuities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DAV Charitable Service Trust operates a competitive Veteran Grants Program that awards funding to IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving ill, injured, and homeless veterans, with grants supporting physical and psychological rehabilitation, mobility items, therapeutic activities, food and shelter, family/caregiver services, and career-readiness training. The Trust also processes charitable contributions from individuals and corporations through multiple donation channels (online, mail, phone, workplace giving, IRAs, bequests, and charitable gift annuities) to fund those grants.

Product overview

DAV Charitable Service Trust operates as a grant-making foundation supporting veteran-focused charitable initiatives. The organization functions through two primary programs: a Veteran Grants Program that provides financial assistance to nonprofit organizations serving ill, injured, and homeless veterans (including support for physical/psychological rehabilitation, mobility items, therapeutic activities, and career-readiness training); and a Donation Processing Services infrastructure that accepts contributions through multiple channels. The Trust does not develop technology products but rather serves as a philanthropic vehicle connecting donor contributions to veteran service organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Veteran Grants Program Competitive grant program that awards financial funding to qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations supporting ill, injured, and homeless U.S. veterans. Grants cover physical and psychological rehabilitation, mobility items for amputations and spinal cord injuries, therapeutic and recreational activities, food and shelter, family/caregiver support, and career-readiness training. Recipients apply through the SmartSimple online portal (dav.smartsimple.com) during four annual cycles.
• Donation Processing Services Charitable donation processing offering multiple giving channels to individuals and corporations, including one-time and recurring online donations (givedirect.org), mail, phone, workplace giving, matching gifts, Individual Retirement Account (IRA) distributions, charitable gift annuities, bequests, donor-advised funds, and Shop-and-Give programs. Donations are tax-deductible under Section 170(c) and fund the Trust's veteran grantmaking.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Invisible Wounds FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 June 2026Grant recipient receiving $500,000 from the Trust to support the Military Brain Health Collaborative, the first national public-private initiative for blast-related brain injury research affecting military service members and veterans.
• VetJobsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 February 2026Grant recipient receiving $20,000 to fund career specialist programs for military-connected job seekers, including resume optimization, social media profile guidance, and job search support at no cost to job seekers or employers.
• Military Family and Veterans Service Organizations of America (MFVSOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trust belongs to the MFVSOA federation, a coalition of America's finest national organizations working to ensure veterans and their families are not forgotten in their service and sacrifice. The federation enables participation in Combined Federal Campaign and corporate workplace giving campaigns.
• Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Trust participates in the CFC, the largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign conducted by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. CFC Code Number: 11322.
• iGiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline shopping partner that enables consumers to donate to the Trust when making purchases from participating retailers.
• Kroger Community RewardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery rewards program partner allowing Kroger customers to designate donations to the Trust through their shopping.
• Giving AssistantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCashback and coupons platform partner enabling users to earn donations for the Trust when shopping online.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Foundation: Foundation arm of VFW, one of the largest congressionally chartered veteran service organizations. Comparable as a peer veteran-focused 501(c)(3) with charitable trust structure, donor-advised funding mechanisms, and broad grantmaking activity.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): The parent organization and broader veteran-services charity that provides the administrative backbone for the Trust. Operates a much wider portfolio of direct veteran services (claims assistance, transportation, legislative advocacy) and serves as the primary brand association for the Trust.

Direct peers

• Hope For The Warriors: Veteran-support nonprofit offering programs in clinical care, family services, and community support for post-9/11 wounded warriors. Comparable focus on rehabilitation, caregiver support, and career-readiness with similar grantmaking activity.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large veteran-focused nonprofit providing direct programs and grants addressing physical and mental health, career transition, and long-term support for injured post-9/11 veterans. Comparable in mission and donor base, though operating at significantly greater scale.
• Semper Fi Fund: Veteran-focused nonprofit providing immediate financial assistance and long-term support for critically wounded, ill, and injured post-9/11 service members. Highly comparable grantmaking model targeted at injured veterans and caregivers.
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA): Veteran advocacy and support nonprofit with programs covering mental health, employment, and benefits assistance. Comparable mission focus on post-9/11 ill and injured veterans and similar donor demographic.
• Tunnel to Towers Foundation: Veteran-focused charitable foundation providing mortgage-free homes, mortgage payoffs, and support for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. Comparable grantmaking and direct-support model targeting injured veterans and their families.
• Fisher House Foundation: Veteran-focused charity that builds and operates comfort homes for families of hospitalized veterans and military service members. Comparable as a grantmaking and program-funding nonprofit with similar 501(c)(3) structure and broad veteran donor base.
• Bob Woodruff Foundation: Grantmaking foundation supporting post-9/11 veterans, service members, and their families with programs in mental health, employment, and rehabilitation. Closely comparable as a dedicated grantmaking trust targeting injured veterans and families.

Emerging players

• Team Rubicon: Veteran-led disaster response organization engaging veterans in humanitarian service. Adjacent peer sharing the post-9/11 veteran demographic, though with a different service-delivery model rather than grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/davcharitableservicetrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about DAV Charitable Service Trust