Common Defense
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Common Defense firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Common Defense
- Legal name
- Common Defense Civic Engagement and Common Defense Education Fund
- Website
- https://commondefense.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Common Defense industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Political Advocacy and Civic Engagement
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Political Organizations (813940), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Peace, Security & Arms Control Organizations (BPADAAAF), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)
Keywords
Where Common Defense is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Common Defense business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: Common Defense Civic Engagement (501c4) raises funds through individual donations ranging from $5 to $500+. Donations support lobbying and advocacy around legislative issues, member education, candidate endorsements, and voter contact activities.
- Membership Dues/Fees: Revenue includes membership contributions to support the Veteran and Military Family Corps. Members receive benefits including training opportunities, weekly newsletter, access to Slack/Signal community, monthly national calls, and committee participation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation-based support |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Common Defense product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Common Defense is a 501(c)(4) grassroots veteran-led organization that recruits veterans, military family members, and civilian allies into a member-driven advocacy movement. It runs named policy campaigns (VA Not For Sale, No More Forever Wars, No War On Our Streets), endorses and makes independent expenditures for progressive candidates, and mobilizes members through training, lobby days, voter contact, and digital action tools across 18 states.
Product overview
Common Defense is a veteran-led grassroots political organization, not a technology product company. It offers a membership program (Veteran and Military Family Corps) providing training, newsletters, and community channels; multiple advocacy campaigns (No More Forever Wars, No War On Our Streets, VA Not For Sale); candidate endorsement services for progressive electoral candidates; and state-level organizing programs. The organization operates through its 501(c)(4) entity Common Defense Civic Engagement and its electoral arm Common Defense Action Fund. No software products, platforms, or technology services are offered.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Veteran and Military Family Corps Membership
- VA Not For Sale Campaign
Quantifiable outcome
- Forced regime to back down on 37% of proposed VA cuts through organizing efforts
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Common Defense
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Common Defense technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Common Defense partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- League of Labor VoterscoreCommon Defense Action Fund and League of Labor Voters announced a major independent expenditure ad campaign for Graham Platner in the Maine Senate race. The coalition represents a growing coalition of working class Mainers coming together to elect a senator who will fight for lower costs, higher wages, health care for all, and democracy that works for people who actually work for a living.
- National Nurses UnitedsupportingCoalition partner in the independent expenditure campaign for Graham Platner. National Nurses United recognizes electing Graham to the Senate as critical to combatting Trump administration's attacks on America's health care system.
- Maine People's AlliancesupportingLocal partner organization that knocked on over 55,000 doors and spoke to over 17,000 voters about Graham in 44 towns across Maine as part of the coalition supporting the campaign.
- Black Veterans ProjectsupportingPart of the 15-organization coalition led by Common Defense opposing TCAVA Section 108 disability cuts. Collectively representing millions of veterans and military families.
- Hispanic Veterans Leadership AlliancesupportingPart of the coalition of 15 veteran organizations led by Common Defense in opposition to TCAVA Section 108.
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)coreMajor veteran service organization coalition partner. CEO Dr. Kyleanne Hunter provided quotes opposing using veterans as budget pawns.
- Minority Veterans of AmericasupportingCoalition partner in the 15-organization veteran alliance opposing TCAVA Section 108 disability cuts.
- National Security Leaders for AmericaPart of the veteran coalition led by Common Defense on TCAVA opposition.
- Swords to PlowsharessupportingVeteran service organization coalition partner in TCAVA Section 108 opposition.
- The Chamberlain NetworksupportingCoalition partner. CEO Chris Purdy quoted on the promise made to veterans who fought in the Global War on Terror.
- Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIOcoreCoalition partner. Executive Director Craig Romanovich quoted on standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the veteran community against cutting veteran benefits.
- Unite for Veterans CoalitionsupportingCoalition partner in the 15-organization veteran alliance.
- Veterans for Common SensesupportingCoalition partner in TCAVA Section 108 opposition.
- Veterans for Responsible LeadershipsupportingCoalition partner in the veteran organization alliance.
- Veterans Healthcare Policy InstitutecoreCoalition partner. Interim Executive Director Oscar Arbulú quoted on denying vulnerable veterans compensation and healthcare access.
- 50501 VeteranssupportingPart of the 15-organization coalition opposing TCAVA Section 108.
- VHAdata.orgsupportingData partnership for tracking VA facility performance. Common Defense uses VHAdata.org findings to identify 580 facilities that miss the VA's own target wait times for new patients to get mental health appointments.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Common Defense competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Human Rights Campaign (HRC): HRC is a major progressive advocacy organization combining lobbying, electoral endorsements, and grassroots mobilization. While focused on LGBTQ+ civil rights, its operating model (501c4/501c3/Action Fund structure, donor base, lobby days) closely parallels Common Defense.
- MoveOn: MoveOn is a much larger progressive political advocacy organization using petitions, electoral endorsements, and rapid-response mobilization. It overlaps with Common Defense on online action forms, candidate endorsement models, and donor base.
- NARAL Pro-Choice America: NARAL is a progressive advocacy organization using electoral endorsements, lobbying, and grassroots mobilization to defend reproductive rights. While issue-specific, its 501c4/501c3 structure, digital action forms, and lobby-day model directly mirror Common Defense.
Direct peers
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA): IAVA is one of the largest post-9/11 veteran service organizations and an actual coalition partner of Common Defense on VA healthcare campaigns. It focuses on policy advocacy, member support, and legislative outcomes for veterans of recent conflicts.
- Swords to Plowshares: Swords to Plowshares is a veteran service organization serving post-9/11 and Vietnam-era veterans with advocacy, benefits assistance, and policy work. An actual coalition partner of Common Defense, it shares the veterans' advocacy space with overlapping policy priorities.
- Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO: Union Veterans Council is a coalition of labor and veteran organizations representing millions of union veterans. An actual Common Defense coalition partner, it shares membership-driven advocacy and works on intersecting policy priorities like veterans' benefits.
- VoteVets: VoteVets is a progressive political organization of veterans and military family members focused on electing candidates and advocating on veterans' issues. It is the closest direct peer to Common Defense, operating a PAC, advocacy arm, and member-driven organizing model.
- Indivisible: Indivisible is a progressive grassroots movement with similar community-led organizing, electoral endorsement, and lobby-day mobilization tactics. While not veteran-specific, it operates in the same advocacy and electoral infrastructure space targeting overlapping activist donors and volunteers.
- End Citizens United: End Citizens United is a progressive political action committee focused on campaign finance reform through electoral spending and grassroots mobilization. It shares Common Defense's model of independent expenditures, donor-driven funding, and candidate endorsement strategy.
- Veterans For Peace: Veterans For Peace is a veteran-led organization advocating against war and militarism, sharing Common Defense's "End the Forever War" mission and progressive veteran identity. Smaller and more focused on anti-war activism, but overlapping membership and policy goals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Common Defense social profiles
Digital presenceCommon Defense financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Common Defense leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Common Defense subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Common Defense funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Common Defense M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Common Defense
What does Common Defense do?
Common Defense is a 501(c)(4) grassroots veteran-led organization that recruits veterans, military family members, and civilian allies into a member-driven advocacy movement. It runs named policy campaigns (VA Not For Sale, No More Forever Wars, No War On Our Streets), endorses and makes independent expenditures for progressive candidates, and mobilizes members through training, lobby days, voter contact, and digital action tools across 18 states.
Is Common Defense a public or private company?
Common Defense is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Common Defense founded?
Common Defense was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Common Defense based?
Common Defense is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Common Defense make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Contributions are the primary driver. The others are membership Dues/Fees.
Who are Common Defense's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Human Rights Campaign (HRC), MoveOn and NARAL Pro-Choice America. Direct peers are Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Swords to Plowshares, Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO, VoteVets, Indivisible, End Citizens United and Veterans For Peace.
Does Common Defense have an API?
No public API is recorded for Common Defense.
What industry is Common Defense in?
Common Defense's product category is Political Advocacy and Civic Engagement. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAA, Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPADAAAF, Peace, Security & Arms Control Organizations. Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8600.