Ranchin' Vets

What Ranchin' Vets does

Ranchin' Vets is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID #46-1168103) founded in 2014 by brothers Kevin and Corey Downs to assist post-9/11 veterans with reintegration into civilian life through the agricultural industry. The organization is headquartered in San Rafael, California, and operates with 1-10 staff (one Program Director plus a volunteer Executive Board of eight members and an Auxiliary Board). Its flagship offering is the Operation Hire A Vet Program, which provides registered veterans with access to an exclusive Online Veteran Community built on Squarespace infrastructure, featuring an Ag Job Board of nationwide agricultural positions and a Resource Library of Veteran Service Organization partner information. Veterans who complete the registration process (which requires a DD214 form) are eligible for bi-weekly financial stipends for up to six months to assist with housing, clothing, and transportation expenses associated with agricultural employment.

The business model is donation-based and event-driven rather than transactional. Ranchin' Vets generates revenue through individual donations (one-time and monthly recurring via Network for Good and Venmo), corporate sponsorship tiers (Red, White & Blue at $500+/year and Stars & Stripes at $1,000+/year), event ticket sales and sponsorships from three annual fundraisers (Evening Under The Stars gala at Buena Vista Winery, Veterans Day BBQ at Stemple Creek Ranch, and Wine & Dine at Cline Cellars), and a retail partnership with Sports Basement (Basementeer program). Programs are provided free of charge to veterans. A core strategic partnership with the National Center for Appropriate Technology's Armed to Farm program (announced November 11, 2021) funds transportation stipends for veterans attending sustainable agriculture training, giving Ranchin' Vets access to a pipeline of 800+ farmer veterans from 45 states since 2013.

Operationally, Ranchin' Vets serves veterans in over 20 states with reported 30% year-over-year growth in veteran participation in 2021. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via website registration and self-serve access to the Ag Job Board, supplemented by social media outreach (Facebook, Instagram @ranchinvets), email newsletters, and earned media coverage. The organization has earned reputational capital through the 2018 Jefferson Award for Public Service (CBS San Francisco) and Psych Armor Institute certification of its board members. As an independent private nonprofit with no parent company, no equity funding rounds, and no subsidiaries, Ranchin' Vets relies on donations, event proceeds, and sponsor contributions as its sole funding sources, with revenue figures not publicly disclosed.

Name

Ranchin' Vets

Legal name

Ranchin' Vets, Inc.

Website

https://ranchinvets.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ranchin' Vets is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 that connects post-9/11 veterans with agricultural employment, training, and transitional financial stipends through its Operation Hire A Vet Program and Online Veteran Community platform, serving beneficiaries in over 20 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

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. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individual donors supporting veteran programs.
2. Monthly Recurring Donations: Recurring monthly donations through Network for Good platform or Venmo (@RanchinVets).
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Red, White & Blue Sponsor ($500+/year) and Stars & Stripes Sponsor ($1000+/year) tiers.
4. Event Revenue: Ticket sales and sponsorships for annual events including Evening Under The Stars gala and Veterans Day BBQ.
5. Event Ticket Sales: Purchase of event tickets for galas, BBQs, and wine & dine events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ranchin' Vets connects post-9/11 veterans with employment and training opportunities in the agricultural industry through the Operation Hire A Vet Program. Veterans who complete registration gain access to an exclusive Online Veteran Community featuring an Ag Job Board and Resource Library, and eligible veterans can receive bi-weekly financial stipends for up to six months to cover housing, clothing, and transportation. The organization also funds transportation stipends for veterans selected for the Armed to Farm (NCAT) sustainable agriculture training program.

Product overview

Ranchin' Vets operates as a single unified nonprofit program focused on veteran reintegration into civilian life through the agricultural industry. The core offering is the Operation Hire A Vet Program, which provides veterans with access to an exclusive Online Veteran Community featuring an Ag Job Board and Resource Library. The program also offers financial stipends for housing, clothing, and transportation. Through a strategic partnership with Armed to Farm (NCAT), veterans receive fully-funded agricultural training with transportation stipends covered by Ranchin' Vets. Together, these components form a comprehensive pathway from agricultural training to employment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Operation Hire A Vet Program: The organization's primary program that connects veterans with opportunities within the agricultural industry, providing an Ag Job Board, resource library, and financial stipends for housing, clothing, and transportation.
• Armed to Farm Partnership

Products and services

• Operation Hire A Vet Program The flagship program of Ranchin' Vets, connecting post-9/11 veterans with employment and training opportunities within the agricultural industry. The program provides an exclusive Online Veteran Community (with an Ag Job Board and Resource Library) and bi-weekly financial stipends for housing, clothing, and transportation for up to six months for eligible employed veterans.
• Armed to Farm Partnership A partnership with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) providing sustainable agriculture training for military veterans. Ranchin' Vets funds transportation stipends directly to veterans selected for Armed to Farm's week-long training courses, which cover business planning, marketing, USDA program access, and mentorship development. Armed to Farm has supported more than 800 farmer veterans from 45 states since 2013.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% increase in veterans seeking agricultural job opportunities (2021)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) / Armed to FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2021Partnership to offer transportation stipends to veterans selected for NCAT's Armed to Farm training program. Ranchin' Vets funds one-time transportation stipends directly to veterans, removing travel cost barriers. Armed to Farm has supported 800+ farmer veterans from 45 states since 2013. Ranchin' Vets also provides access to its Online Veteran Community for Armed to Farm participants.
• Stemple Creek RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for annual Veterans Day BBQ events. Located at 900 Burbank Lane, Tomales, CA 94971. Partner has provided farm-to-table dinner events benefiting Ranchin' Vets.
• Buena Vista WinerymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for annual Evening Under The Stars gala and 10th Anniversary Celebration. Located at 18000 Old Winery Road, Sonoma, CA 95476.
• Cline CellarsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for annual Wine & Dine events. Located at 24737 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA 95476. Provides venue, wine, and catering partnership with Il Fornaio.
• Sports Basement North BayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBasementeer program where shoppers can support Ranchin' Vets while receiving 10% discount on purchases. 10% of shopping total is donated to the organization.
• Psych Armor InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRanchin' Vets board members completed Psych Armor Institute courses and requirements, building commitment to effectively engage with the Military-Veteran community.
• Marines Memorial ClubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Operation Hire A Vet Gala events in San Francisco (609 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102).
• Gino & CarlominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for Fleet Week Celebration events in San Francisco (548 Green Street, San Francisco, CA 94133).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Team Rubicon: Major veteran-led nonprofit deploying veterans in disaster response and community service. Not agriculture-focused, but a comparable veteran-engagement model at much larger scale, frequently cited as the gold standard in the veteran-NGO space.
• Hire Heroes USA: Large, well-funded veteran-employment nonprofit serving all industries, not just agriculture. Comparable veteran-employment mechanism (job placement, mentorship, career counseling) but far broader scope and significantly larger operating budget.
• Helmets to Hardhats: Nonprofit connecting veterans to skilled-trade careers (predominantly construction). Comparable in placing veterans into trades — agriculture being Ranchin' Vets' specific trade — and uses a similar registered-worker / job-board approach.
• FourBlock: Career-transition nonprofit for service members and veterans entering the civilian workforce. Comparable target population and career-transition mechanism but corporate-focused rather than agriculture-specific.
• Swords to Plowshares: Long-established San Francisco-based veteran services nonprofit offering employment, housing, and mental health support. Comparable veteran-services mission and Bay Area geographic overlap, though much broader service portfolio.

Direct peers

• Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots: Nebraska-based nonprofit connecting military veterans with careers in agriculture and rural communities. Closely overlapping mission to Ranchin' Vets, with a similar placement-plus-training model but a Midwestern regional focus.
• Farmer Veteran Coalition: The largest US nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans transition into agriculture through training, mentorship, and the Homegrown By Heroes label. Directly comparable mission (veterans → farming) and overlapping programs (employment support, stipends, fellowship).
• Veterans to Farmers: Nonprofit providing agricultural training programs (aquaponics, greenhouse, urban farming) to veterans. Comparable in size and approach — combines training partnerships with hands-on reintegration support, similar to Ranchin' Vets' Armed to Farm collaboration.
• Heroes to Hives: Michigan State University Extension program training veterans in beekeeping and agricultural entrepreneurship. Direct peer in the veteran-agriculture-training niche, though focused on a single commodity (apiculture).

Emerging players

• Veterans Farming Initiative: Smaller veteran-to-farming nonprofit offering education and land-access support. Comparable in scope but narrower program breadth and lower public profile than Ranchin' Vets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ranchinvets
• Facebookfacebook.com/RanchinVets

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Ranchin' Vets