Korea Defense Veterans Association

What Korea Defense Veterans Association does

Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) is a nonpolitical, nonpartisan nonprofit organization registered in Virginia, founded to enhance the Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance by advocating for the Alliance and supporting the people who built and serve it. Its primary constituents are U.S. military veterans, active-duty service members (including those in U.S. Forces Korea), government civilians, and their families connected to Korean service since the Korean War armistice. The organization delivers a portfolio of member programs rather than technology products: the Revisit Korea Program (sponsored by the ROK Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs), the KDVA Impact Scholarship Program ($1,000 awards to members and families), the KDVA Internship Program with Research Assistant and Event Management tracks, the KDVA Honors recognition program, the quarterly ROK-U.S. Alliance Journal, monthly newsletters, an annual Reunion and Veterans Conference, and educational content series such as 'Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice' and 'From My Service in Korea, I Learned.'

KDVA's underlying platform is a community-led membership architecture rather than a software stack: a MemberClicks-based member portal handles registration and access; chapters and campus clubs provide regional distribution; and a digital library aggregates publications, videos, chronologies, and Korean War memorial materials. KDVA operates this with a small (1-10) employee base supplemented by retired senior military leadership, including General (Ret.) Curtis M. Scaparrotti as Chairman and President and General (Ret.) Robert B. "Abe" Abrams as President. Membership is free and the organization is funded through donations and via its core fundraising partner, the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUSAF). Reach stood at more than 60,000 members worldwide and over 133,000 social followers by May 2026, up from approximately 52,000 members and 120,000 social followers as of September 2025.

Name

Korea Defense Veterans Association

Legal name

Korea Defense Veterans Association

Website

https://kdva.vet

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KDVA is a nonprofit membership association that supports U.S. and ROK-affiliated defense veterans and their families through advocacy, scholarships, internships, recognition programs, and networking, while strengthening the Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterans Services Nonprofit

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Veterans advocacy services
• Nonprofit membership association
• Veteran recognition programs
• Alliance community networking
• Revisit heritage program

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainesville

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. Donations and Fundraising: KDVA operates as a nonprofit organization that raises funds through donations and partnerships. The organization states it is non-political, non-partisan, and relies on fundraising partner Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUSAF) for financial support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KDVA is a nonpolitical, nonprofit membership association that supports U.S. and ROK service members, government civilians, and their families who have or are serving in support of the Republic of Korea–U.S. Alliance. It offers free membership, advocacy and education about the Alliance, recognition through the KDVA Honors program, scholarships, internships, the weeklong Revisit Korea heritage program sponsored by the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the quarterly ROK-U.S. Alliance Journal, and a network of U.S. and Korea chapters and campus clubs.

Product overview

The Korea Defense Veterans Association operates as a membership-based nonprofit organization offering programs and resources rather than a traditional technology product. Its portfolio includes the Revisit Korea Program (a weeklong heritage tourism program), the quarterly ROK-U.S. Alliance Journal publication, the KDVA Impact Scholarship Program ($1,000 awards for members and families), the KDVA Internship Program (KIP) with Research Assistant and Event Management tracks, the KDVA Honors recognition program, and multiple content series including 'Why Korea is an Assignment of Choice' and 'From My Service in Korea, I Learned.' Additional offerings include the KDVA 101 Series educational content, a Digital Library with archives of publications and resources, and the KDVA Museum Translation Project. These programs are interconnected through the association's mission to enhance the ROK-U.S. Alliance and support veterans who served in Korea.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Revisit Korea Program A weeklong program sponsored by the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) that invites eligible Korea Defense Veterans and their families to revisit Korea. KDVA manages the application and selection process for participants.
• KDVA Impact Scholarship Program Scholarship program that provides $1,000 educational awards to KDVA members and their eligible family members (spouses, children, grandchildren) to support their educational goals.
• KDVA Internship Program (KIP) A volunteer internship program offering Research Assistant and Event Management tracks that provides participants the opportunity to learn about and contribute to the ROK-U.S. Alliance.
• KDVA Honors Program A recognition program that honors outstanding KDVA members for their contributions to the ROK-U.S. Alliance, with categories including Veteran Honorees, Service Member Honorees, and Civilian Honorees. Co-sponsored with KUSAF.
• ROK-U.S. Alliance Journal A quarterly digital journal featuring stories and articles by KDVA members and supporters of the ROK-U.S. Alliance, covering topics such as Korean War history, security, strategy, and culture.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60,000 members connected worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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.

• Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation (KUSAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKUSAF is KDVA's primary fundraising partner, co-sponsoring programs including KDVA Honors and supporting the USFKJobs.com platform. KDVA and KUSAF jointly issue messages for commemorative periods like the U.S.-ROK Alliance Memorial Period.
• Republic of Korea Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMPVA sponsors the Revisit Korea Program for Korea Defense Veterans, a weeklong program for veterans and their families. KDVA manages the application and selection process for eligible veterans.
• U.S. Forces Korea (USFK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDVA supports USFK through advocacy, recognition of service members, and partnership on the USFKJobs.com platform created by KUSAF to help transitioning service members find jobs with Korean companies.
• Korean War Veterans MemorialminorOthersKDVA supports commemorations at the Korean War Veterans Memorial as part of its mission to honor Korean War Veterans.
• KEIA (Korea Economic Institute of America)minorOthersPartner organization supporting the ROK-U.S. Alliance and KDVA mission.
• Stimson CenterminorOthersThink tank partnership focused on policy research and Alliance enhancement.
• Heritage FoundationminorOthersThink tank partnership supporting research and advocacy for the ROK-U.S. Alliance.
• Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the U.S.minorOthersDiplomatic partnership supporting Alliance initiatives and veteran recognition.
• NCOA USA (Non-Commissioned Officers Association)minorOthersVeterans organization partnership supporting shared goals of military veteran advocacy.
• AUSA (Association of the United States Army)minorOthersMilitary association partnership supporting the ROK-U.S. Alliance and veteran community.
• MacArthur MemorialminorOthersPartnership for joint events honoring the Korean War legacy, including the Incheon Landings at 75 commemorative event.
• War Memorial of KoreaminorOthersPartnership supporting commemorations at the War Memorial of Korea for Korean War Veterans.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): Largest U.S. veterans service organization with broad advocacy and member benefits for overseas-deployed veterans; serves as a broader incumbent that overlaps with KDVA's veteran-recognition mission.
• American Legion: Mass-membership U.S. veterans service organization with advocacy, posts (chapters), and programs analogous to KDVA but operating at much greater scale and broader mission scope.

Others

• Heritage Foundation: Stated KDVA partner think tank providing policy research and advocacy for U.S.-Korea relations; adjacent peer as an Alliance-supporting ecosystem actor rather than direct member-service competitor.
• Stimson Center: Stated KDVA partner think tank producing research on East Asian security; adjacent peer as an enabling organization that strengthens the Alliance advocacy ecosystem KDVA operates in.

Direct peers

• Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA): Direct peer serving Korean War veterans and their families in the U.S.; the longest-established organization focused on the Korean War veteran community, with comparable commemorative and member-engagement programming.
• KUSAF (Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation): KDVA's primary fundraising partner, focused on supporting U.S. service members connected to Korea; operates adjacent membership, grant, and USFKJobs.com programs alongside KDVA.
• Korea Society: Nonprofit focused on promoting understanding of Korea and U.S.-Korea relations; comparable mission space around ROK-U.S. Alliance advocacy, education, and programming for members and supporters.
• Korea Economic Institute (KEIA): A stated KDVA partner think tank focused on U.S.-Korea economic and policy issues; comparable peer as an advocacy and education-oriented organization serving Alliance supporters.

Regional players

• NCOA USA (Non-Commissioned Officers Association): Stated KDVA partner serving active and veteran NCOs; comparable in U.S.-based military-affiliated membership advocacy but with an enlisted-leader focus rather than a Korea-specific mission.
• AUSA (Association of the United States Army): Stated KDVA partner supporting the ROK-U.S. Alliance; comparable as a U.S.-centered military-affiliated nonprofit with chapters, conferences, and advocacy focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KDVAVets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kdva1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/73442291
• Facebookfacebook.com/KDVAVets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Korea Defense Veterans Association