Young Marines Of The Marine Corp League

What Young Marines Of The Marine Corp League does

The Young Marines of the Marine Corps League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth education and service program (EIN 38-2346425) headquartered in Dumfries, Virginia, founded in 1959 in Waterbury, Connecticut by former Marines to instill leadership, citizenship, self-discipline, and a healthy drug-free lifestyle in youth. Its core offering is a structured youth development curriculum for boys and girls ages 8 through high school graduation, anchored by a 26-hour Recruit Training orientation and supplemented by National Leadership Schools (Senior and Advanced Leadership), the Closing the Gate on Drugs initiative, the National Young Marine of the Year honor, and ribbon/rank progression. The program is delivered through 236 locally-organized units across 40+ U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Okinawa Japan, and affiliates in other countries, hosted at VFW posts, American Legion halls, schools, YMCA locations, and military installations.

The organization employs no proprietary technology platform; operations are supported by a public website with a zip-code unit locator, a member portal, the quarterly Esprit magazine, and the YM News Network video channel, alongside active social media presence on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Its revenue model combines a $50 annual youth registration fee, tax-deductible donations to the national organization and the separate Young Marines Foundation, and event-based fundraising (notably the R. Lee Ermey Memorial Golf Tournament). A national headquarters staff in Dumfries, Virginia, and over 1,950 background-checked adult volunteers operate the program, and the organization has received the Department of Defense Fulcrum Shield Award for Excellence in Youth Anti-Drug Programs 13 times (most recently 2023), Candid Platinum Transparency 2026, Charity Navigator recognition, and GreatNonprofits Top-Rated Nonprofit 2024.

Name

Young Marines Of The Marine Corp League

Legal name

Young Marines

Website

https://youngmarines.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Young Marines is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth program, affiliated with the Marine Corps League, delivering leadership, citizenship, and drug-free lifestyle training to boys and girls ages 8 through high school graduation through 236 local units across 40+ U.S. states, DC, and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dumfries

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. Youth Registration Fees: Annual national registration fee of $50 for youth members. Additional costs for uniforms and equipment vary by unit.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 38-2346425). Donations support youth development programs and community service initiatives.
3. Event Fundraising: Events such as the R. Lee Ermey Memorial Golf Tournament generate sponsorships and donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Young Marines delivers a national youth education and service program for boys and girls ages 8 through high school graduation, focused on leadership, citizenship through community service, self-discipline, and a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. Members progress through a structured 26-hour Recruit Training, advance via rank and ribbon awards, and can attend National Leadership Schools (Senior and Advanced Leadership academies). The program is delivered through 236 community-based local units operated by background-checked adult volunteers.

Product overview

The Young Marines is a single unified youth development program offering a structured and disciplined environment for youngsters to develop into responsible citizens. The core program is the Youth Leadership Program supplemented by Recruit Training (a 26-hour orientation), National Leadership Schools (Senior and Advanced Leadership academies), and recognition programs including the National Young Marine of the Year. Supporting offerings include Esprit Magazine (quarterly publication), YM News Network (video news), the Closing the Gate on Drugs initiative (drug prevention), the Alumni Association (for former members with scholarships), and a Unit Locator tool for finding local units. The organization operates through over 200 local units across the US and overseas, each conducting regular meetings and training activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Young Marines Youth Leadership Program A national youth education and service program for boys and girls ages 8 through high school graduation focused on leadership, citizenship through community service, self-discipline, and a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
• Recruit Training A 26-hour orientation program that teaches recruits the basics of being a Young Marine, including history, customs and courtesies, close order drill, physical fitness, military rank structure, and uniform care.
• National Leadership Schools Advanced leadership training programs including Senior Leadership School and Advanced Leadership School at the Young Marines National Leadership Academy, where members can earn ranks and ribbons.
• Closing the Gate on Drugs Initiative The Young Marines drug demand reduction initiative focusing on raising awareness of common gateway drugs including tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, prescription drugs, and marijuana.
• National Young Marine of the Year (NYMOY) The highest youth honor in the Young Marines program, awarded to one member annually who serves as official ambassador and travels to units across the country and internationally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.8 million volunteer and community service hours contributed in past 3 years, valued at over $44 million
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

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.

• VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)coreOthersVFW posts serve as hosting locations for many local Young Marines units, providing meeting space and community support for youth development activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Boy Scouts of America / Scouting America: The largest traditional US youth character-development organization offering rank advancement, leadership, citizenship, and outdoor adventure to millions of youth. Comparable as a national youth character/leadership program with a unit-based delivery model, though much larger and not military-affiliated.
• 4-H: USDA-supported national youth development organization with clubs focused on leadership, citizenship, and life skills across rural and urban communities. Comparable as a structured, community-based youth development program with rank/achievement progression and adult volunteer leadership.
• Girl Scouts of the USA: National youth organization for girls offering leadership, life skills, and character development through troop-based delivery. Comparable as a parallel youth leadership and citizenship program with rank/badge progression, though not military-affiliated and serving a different demographic.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national nonprofit operating community-based youth centers offering leadership, character, and after-school programming. Comparable as a community-located youth development nonprofit serving similar demographics, though without military branding or rank structure.

Direct peers

• Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC): DoD-sponsored high school program teaching leadership, citizenship, and military knowledge as part of standard school curricula. Comparable as another military-affiliated youth leadership program with structured rank progression, citizenship focus, and drug-free lifestyle emphasis.
• Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program: Air Force Auxiliary's youth program for ages 12-21, offering aerospace education, leadership training, and character development with a military-style rank structure. Direct peer because it is a federally-chartered, military-affiliated youth development program with parallel curriculum, rank progression, and community-based unit model.
• Naval Sea Cadet Corps: Navy League-sponsored youth program for ages 10-18 offering naval-themed education, leadership training, and adventure-based activities. Closely comparable as a sister-service youth development organization with similar age range, military-inspired curriculum, and community unit delivery.
• National Guard Youth Challenge Program: DoD/National Guard-sponsored quasi-military residential program for at-risk youth ages 16-18 focused on discipline, leadership, and life skills. Comparable as a military-affiliated youth intervention and leadership development program with parallel mission around citizenship and self-discipline.

Emerging players

• Police Athletic League (PAL): National network of law-enforcement-affiliated youth programs providing mentoring, athletics, and character education. Comparable as a public-service-affiliated youth development program with similar volunteer-driven community unit delivery and structured activity framework.
• Young Life: Faith-based national nonprofit delivering mentoring, leadership, and character programming to middle and high school youth through volunteer-led local clubs. Comparable as a volunteer-driven, community-based youth character development nonprofit targeting similar age cohorts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/USYoungMarines
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7u2EIZL4s07IMEai8s_qTA
• Facebookfacebook.com/USYoungMarines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usyoungmarines
• Instagraminstagram.com/usyoungmarines

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Young Marines Of The Marine Corp League