purple hearts reunited

What purple hearts reunited does

Purple Hearts Reunited is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established on July 23, 2012 in St. Albans, Vermont, founded by Zachariah Fike, an Active Duty Army Infantry Major and combat-wounded veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. The organization's singular mission is to recover lost, stolen, and misplaced military medals of valor—primarily Purple Hearts—and return them to veterans or their families at no cost. It executes this through three specialty divisions: Valor Rescue (locates and purchases medals from auctions, pawn shops, and online marketplaces), Valor Research (genealogical research to identify recipients or heirs), and Valor Guard (military volunteers who conduct in-person return ceremonies). Since inception, the organization has returned over 1,000 Purple Hearts, reunited more than 5,000 military artifacts, traveled 200,000+ miles to conduct ceremonies in all 50 U.S. states, and hosted its first international return in Dublin, Ireland in November 2018.

The organization does not sell products or services; revenue is generated exclusively through tax-deductible donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants processed via Donorbox and PayPal Charitable Giving Fund. The core technology stack is intentionally lightweight—standard nonprofit infrastructure, a publicly searchable Lost Hearts Database, and genealogical research tools used by volunteer researchers affiliated with The Chicago Genealogical Society and the Genealogy Interest Group of the St. Andrew Society of Illinois. Key paid staff includes Executive Director Sarah Corry (fundraising), Operations Director Jessica Jaggars, Director of Valor Research Marsha Peterson, and Director of Valor Guard LtCol Mitch "Taco" Bell; operational scale is delivered primarily through a distributed volunteer network across all 50 states.

The organization's go-to-market motion is media-driven and ceremonial: earned coverage on BBC, CBS This Morning, American Pickers, Reader's Digest, and Military Times generates roughly 3-5 unannounced medal submissions per week, after which volunteers conduct provenance research and travel to deliver medals in person. When veterans or families cannot be located, medals are placed in "homes of honor" at institutions such as the Military Heritage Collection of North Texas and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. Service beneficiaries fall into three primary segments: veterans and military families (the primary constituency), citizens and collectors who find and report medals, and law enforcement/government agencies that recover medals through confiscation or estate processes.

Name

purple hearts reunited

Legal name

Purple Hearts Reunited

Website

https://purpleheartsreunited.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Purple Hearts Reunited is a Vermont-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2012, that recovers and returns lost, stolen, or misplaced U.S. military medals of valor to veterans or their families at no cost via three volunteer-led divisions covering rescue, genealogical research, and ceremonial delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Services / Nonprofit Military Medal Recovery

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Military medal recovery
• Veteran services
• Lost medal retrieval
• Military valor research
• Veteran family support

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Albans

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Purple Hearts Reunited operates entirely on donations and grants. Donations support three main activities: rescuing medals from pawn shops, flea markets, antique stores, eBay, Craigslist, estate sales and private collections; framing medals before presentation; and travel expenses for return ceremonies. Funding sources include corporate sponsors, individual donors, and grants from organizations like the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Purple Hearts Reunited is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that returns lost, stolen, or misplaced military medals of valor to veterans or their families. The organization operates three specialty divisions: Valor Research (locating lost medals), Valor Rescue (recovering stolen medals), and Valor Guard (protecting medals from future loss). Services are provided free of charge to recipients.

Product overview

Purple Hearts Reunited is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates three specialty divisions—Valor Research, Valor Rescue, and Valor Guard—to return lost, stolen, or misplaced military medals of valor to veterans or their families at no cost. The organization maintains a Lost Hearts Database for public search assistance, conducts formal Return Ceremonies, and provides Medal Replacement Assistance through connections to the U.S. National Archives. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Vermont, it is the only organization in the country providing this specific service out of approximately 45,000 veteran-serving nonprofits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Valor Guard: A specialty division comprised of current and former active duty military veterans dedicated to honoring heroes and finding homes of honor for their lost or stolen medals.
• Valor Rescue
• Valor Research

Products and services

• Valor Research Specialty division that locates and researches lost military medals of valor for veterans and their families, provided free of charge.
• Valor Rescue Specialty division that recovers stolen military medals of valor and returns them to rightful veteran owners or their families, provided free of charge.
• Valor Guard Specialty division that protects recovered military medals of valor from future loss, theft, or misplacement, provided free of charge to veterans and their families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ Purple Hearts returned since 2012
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Airlines has donated travel miles through their Miles For Our Heroes program to assist veteran organizations. With these miles, Purple Hearts Reunited was able to return medals honoring 25 heroes in 2018 and conduct their first International Ceremony in Ireland.
• Select DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelect Design provided branding services, updating Purple Hearts Reunited's brand identity including brochures, invitations, and reports to better reflect their mission and growth.
• Village Frame ShoppecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVillage Frame Shoppe provides framing services for medals before they are presented to veterans or families. Each frame goes through a detailed layout process with specific details such as matting color and medal arrangement chosen to best represent each veteran.
• VFW: The Veterans of Foreign WarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPurple Hearts Reunited directly supports VFW's mission by ensuring veterans are recognized for their sacrifices. The organizations work together to honor veterans and return valor across the country.
• 14th Star Brewing Co.minorOthersListed as an additional sponsor supporting the organization's mission.
• Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association ChapterminorOthersListed as an additional sponsor.
• Flags of ValorminorOthersListed as an additional sponsor supporting veterans.
• Hannaford HelpsminorOthersListed as an additional sponsor.
• National Society of the Daughters of the American RevolutionminorOthersListed as an additional sponsor.
• New York City Fire DepartmentminorOthersPartnered with Purple Hearts Reunited for the return ceremony of SPC Charles Wayne O'Brien's medal at FDNY Engine 54/Ladder 4/Battalion 9.
• The Purple Heart FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an additional sponsor.
• The Military TimesminorOthersListed as an additional sponsor and media partner. Military Times nominated founder Zac Fike as 2016-2017 Army Soldier of the Year.
• Scout DigitalminorOthersWebsite development partner credited for site design.
• Sword and PloughminorOthersListed as an additional sponsor.
• Kittell, Branagan, and SargentminorOthersListed as an additional sponsor.
• Lion Eye GroupminorOthersListed as an additional sponsor.
• TenasoneminorOthersListed as an additional sponsor.
• The Chicago Genealogical SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer researchers from this society assist Purple Hearts Reunited's Valor Research team, helping to identify veterans and their families through genealogical research.
• Genealogy Interest Group of the St. Andrew Society of IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer researchers from this group assist with research efforts to help locate rightful owners of found medals.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Legion: Major U.S. veteran service organization providing benefits assistance, advocacy, and community programs. Comparable as a donor-funded, mission-driven veteran nonprofit, though with a much broader programmatic footprint than PHR's medal-recovery focus.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): Nonprofit dedicated to disabled veterans and their families, providing benefits assistance and advocacy. Comparable as a large-scale veteran-focused 501(c)(3) with a similarly emotional mission narrative, though operating in benefits/advocacy rather than artifact recovery.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): One of the largest U.S. veteran service organizations with a broad advocacy, benefits, and community mission. Listed as a strategic partner of PHR; comparable as a veteran-facing nonprofit but operating at vastly larger scale across a wider mission scope.

Direct peers

• Honor Flight Network: Nonprofit that transports U.S. veterans to visit war memorials in Washington, D.C. Comparable as a donation-funded veteran recognition organization that uses donor-subsidized travel (analogous to PHR's American Airlines-sponsored medal-return travel) and emotional ceremony-driven programming.
• Military Order of the Purple Heart: Veteran service organization specifically tied to the Purple Heart medal. PHR lists MOPH Service Foundation as a financial partner, and both organizations are centered on honoring Purple Heart recipients — making MOPH the most directly category-overlapping peer.
• Team Rubicon: Veteran-led humanitarian nonprofit that mobilizes volunteers (many former military) for disaster response and community recovery. Comparable volunteer-driven, mission-specific service model with strong media visibility and operational divisions analogous to PHR's specialty divisions.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large 501(c)(3) providing direct services and support to wounded U.S. military veterans. Comparable as a mission-driven veteran nonprofit relying on donations, celebrity-adjacent brand storytelling, and program-specific service lines (e.g., WWP's mental health, physical health, and employment tracks parallel PHR's Valor Research/Rescue/Guard divisions).
• The Purple Heart Foundation: Charitable arm supporting Purple Heart recipients and their families through grants and programs. Listed as a PHR sponsor and shares the same medal-centric mission positioning, making it a directly comparable peer in donor base and program focus.

Emerging players

• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA): Nonprofit advocating for post-9/11 veterans across policy, mental health, and community programming. Comparable as a donor-funded veteran organization with strong media engagement and program-specific verticals, but serving a younger cohort than PHR's medal-era veterans.

Regional players

• National Purple Heart Hall of Honor: New York State-run museum and registry dedicated to honoring Purple Heart recipients. Functions as a 'home of honor' partner for PHR medals when families cannot be located, making it the most comparable institution on the artifact-preservation and Purple Heart recognition side of the ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/purpleheartsphr
• Facebookfacebook.com/252965351489307
• Instagraminstagram.com/purpleheartsreunited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/purple-hearts-reunited-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about purple hearts reunited