VFW Post 1

What VFW Post 1 does

John S. Stewart VFW Post 1 is a 501(c)-style nonprofit veterans organization established on December 1, 1899 in Denver, Colorado, recognized as the first and oldest Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in existence. It is headquartered at 841 Santa Fe Drive in Denver's Santa Fe Arts District and serves the regional veteran population alongside a broader civilian community. Its functional role is that of a Veteran Community Center hub, operating a continuous calendar of membership services, wellness and yoga programming, civic events, and the Veterans Arts Council (VAC) gallery, which represents approximately 150 veteran artists, 80% of whom are disabled veterans.

The Post's programming stack centers on three operational pillars: (1) a membership base paying $50/year dues, (2) a gallery and arts programming layer that takes a 10-20% commission on art sales and is anchored by First Friday Art Walks drawing 40,000+ annual visitors, and (3) a venue-rental business that monetizes the Post's physical halls to private, civic, and cultural-event users. No proprietary technology platform, software product, or digital infrastructure is disclosed; operations are described as facility- and community-driven rather than technology-driven.

The Post's revenue mechanics are diversified across membership dues, hall rentals, gallery commissions, donations, and grants channeled through the Post 1 Foundation. Institutional revenue partnerships include authorization as a vendor with the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System and a Capitol Arts Project collaboration with the Colorado State Capitol. Leadership is centered on Post Commander R. Enrique Rodríguez, with a 127th Founders Day anniversary event indicating continued civic positioning around the Post's heritage status and contemporary programming for disabled and aging veterans.

Name

VFW Post 1

Legal name

John S. Stewart VFW Post 1

Website

https://vfwpost1.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

VFW Post 1 is the first and oldest Veterans of Foreign Wars Post (founded 1899), operating a Denver community hub that serves veterans and civilians through membership services, an arts gallery, wellness programs, and event rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterans Services

NAICS

Administration of Veterans' Affairs (92314)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Veterans organization services
• Hall rental events
• Veterans arts programming
• Veteran yoga wellness
• Membership organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues and life membership programs. Annual dues are $50 per year. Life Membership offers one-time payment options with 12-month installment plans available.
2. Hall Rental: Event space rental for weddings, receptions, corporate events, fundraisers, and private celebrations. VFW Member pricing available.
3. Art Gallery Commissions: Veterans Arts Council charges 10% commission on gallery sales from veterans and 20% commission on gallery sales from non-veterans. VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System authorized non-profit vendor for veteran artists at Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center.
4. Donations: Donations accepted through Zeffy platform to support VFW Post 1 and its programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VFW Post 1 is the first and oldest chartered Veterans of Foreign Wars post, founded December 1, 1899, in Denver, Colorado. It provides veterans with membership services, advocacy programs, a venue for community events through hall rentals, arts programming via the Veterans Arts Council (VAC), wellness offerings such as Veteran Yoga, and continuous community events serving veterans and the broader Denver community.

Product overview

VFW Post 1 is a veterans membership organization offering multiple interconnected programs and services. The core offerings include VFW Membership (providing advocacy, benefits, and community) and Hall Rental (event venue). Signature programs under the membership umbrella include the Veterans Arts Council (VAC) art gallery, Veteran Yoga wellness classes, and a Continuous Events Program hosting regular community activities. These offerings work together to fulfill the post's mission of serving veterans from all eras while engaging the broader community through art, wellness, and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Veterans Arts Council (VAC): A signature program at VFW Post 1 founded in 2015, operating as its own non-profit veteran organization. Showcases, mentors, educates and provides economic opportunities for veteran artists working in any medium. The art gallery is one of the largest in Denver's Art District on Santa Fe.

Products and services

• VFW Membership Annual membership program for U.S. veterans with foreign service, providing access to post programs, advocacy, and community at the historic Denver location.
• Hall Rental Rental of the historic post hall at 841 Santa Fe Dr. for private and community events such as weddings, reunions, and meetings.
• Veterans Arts Council (VAC) Arts programming initiative offering veterans opportunities to create, exhibit, and engage with the arts, including an associated art gallery.
• Veteran Yoga Wellness program offering yoga instruction tailored to veterans for physical and mental health benefits.
• Continuous Events Program Ongoing calendar of community events, ceremonies, and veteran-focused gatherings hosted at the post.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ annual visitors to First Friday Art Walks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization. VFW is one of the largest and most active veterans organizations in the United States. VFW Post 1 is the founding post and nationally recognized as a model and innovative leader for VFW's across the country.
• Veterans Arts Council (VAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignature program at VFW Post 1 founded in 2015. Operating as its own non-profit veteran organization under the VFW Post 1 umbrella. Showcases, mentors, educates and provides economic opportunities for veteran artists. Gallery is one of the largest in Denver's Art District on Santa Fe.
• VFW Department of ColoradocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState-level VFW organization representing Colorado veterans and supporting local posts.
• Colorado Veterans ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado-based veterans organization partnering with VFW Post 1 for community events and support.
• Healing Warriors ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHolds sessions at VFW Post 1 on the 2nd Saturday of every month from 9am to 1pm. Provides wellness and healing services to veterans.
• Veterans Exploration Therapy (VET)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing exploration therapy services to veterans.
• VFW Post 9644minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnother VFW post in Colorado, partnership for inter-post collaboration and events.
• Post 1 Foundation (Leadership Veteran)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting VFW Post 1 programs and leadership development for veterans. Jared Stepp serves as Post 1 Foundation Director.
• Denver Yoga SocialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts yoga events at VFW Post 1 on 1st/3rd/4th Saturdays. Yoga class also held every Tuesday at 7pm. Nicole Jirtle serves as Yoga/Wellness Director.
• All Veterans Honor GuardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides honor guard services for veteran ceremonies and events.
• VA Eastern Colorado Health Care SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVAC is authorized non-profit vendor representing all veteran artists displaying and selling their art at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center.
• Colorado State CapitolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCapitol Arts Project pairs VAC members with participating Colorado state legislators to display art in capitol offices of state representatives and senators.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Legion: The closest direct peer to VFW Post 1: a chartered, membership-based veterans service organization with local posts, advocacy programs, hall rentals, and benefits assistance. Operates the same model of community-based veteran posts with comparable programs, demographics, and funding mechanisms (dues, donations, hall rentals).
• Team Rubicon: Veteran-led nonprofit organization with community service, disaster response, and reintegration programs. Comparable to VFW Post 1's modern, mission-driven veteran engagement model and community-focused programming, though operating at national scale rather than through a physical post hub.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): National veterans membership organization focused on disabled veterans (which represent 80% of VAC artists at VFW Post 1). Comparable mission of supporting service-connected veterans through advocacy, benefits navigation, and community programming, with a similar dues/donation funding model.
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA): Membership-based veterans organization focused on the post-9/11 cohort. Directly comparable to VFW Post 1's stated objective of diversifying membership beyond the legacy demographic and modernizing the veteran service organization model for younger, more diverse veterans.
• Student Veterans of America: Membership-based organization supporting veterans in higher education through local chapters, advocacy, and community programming. Operates a structurally similar local-chapter membership model to VFW Post 1's post-based structure, serving overlapping modern-veteran demographics.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Major nonprofit serving post-9/11 wounded veterans through wellness, mental health, and community programs. Highly comparable to VFW Post 1's Healing Warriors Program, yoga, and non-narcotic therapy offerings, with an overlapping focus on the modern veteran cohort Post 1 is actively trying to attract.
• Travis Manion Foundation: Veteran-service nonprofit offering character-development, community service, and veteran mentorship programs. Comparable in mission, veteran-led programming model, and community-engagement approach, but operates without the local physical "post" hub that anchors VFW Post 1.

Broad incumbents

• USO (United Service Organizations): Long-established nonprofit supporting active-duty service members and veterans through community programming, entertainment, and wellness events. Comparable to VFW Post 1 in veteran-focused community programming and event-driven engagement, but with a broader national footprint rather than a single local hub.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW): National parent organization of which VFW Post 1 is the founding chartered post. Comparable as the umbrella entity governing the same membership-based veteran service model, advocacy, and benefits-navigation mission, but at national scale rather than local hub level.

Others

• Healing Warriors Program: Non-narcotic pain and trauma therapy nonprofit that holds sessions at VFW Post 1. Comparable as a veteran-wellness program partner with overlapping service delivery (non-narcotic therapy, veteran-focused care), and as an adjacent ecosystem participant in the same veteran-care value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vfwpost1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@VFWPost1
• Facebookfacebook.com/vfwpost1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vfw-post-1/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/VFWpost1
• TikToktiktok.com/@vfwpost1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 VFW Post 1