United Daughters of the Confederacy

What United Daughters of the Confederacy does

The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, historic lineage organization founded on September 10, 1894, in Nashville, Tennessee, by Mrs. Caroline Meriwether Goodlett and Mrs. Lucian H. (Anna Davenport) Raines, and incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia on July 18, 1919. The organization serves nearly 12,000 members nationwide across more than 20 U.S. states, comprising primarily women aged 16 and older who are lineal or collateral descendants of men and women who served honorably in the Confederate military or provided material support to the Confederate cause during the War Between the States, with an associate membership category available to those without documented lineage. The UDC's mission spans five stated objects — Historical, Educational, Benevolent, Memorial, and Patriotic — supported operationally by an affiliated youth auxiliary (Children of the Confederacy) for descendants aged infancy through 18.

The UDC's core product offerings center on historical preservation, education, and commemoration: the UDC Magazine (published 11 times annually, with member subscriptions at $25/year and non-member at $40/year); academic scholarships (over $1.2 million awarded cumulatively, including $136,745 in 2023); Military Service Awards recognizing over 200 veterans and active-duty personnel annually; two research libraries — the Caroline Meriwether Goodlett Library and the Helen Walpole Brewer Library — housed in the UDC Memorial Building at 328 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond, Virginia; a searchable Confederate Interments Database; and fee-based genealogical research services (Confederate service record searches at $15 for members and $25 for non-members). Additional awards include the Jefferson Davis Historical Silver and Gold Medals, the Mrs. Simon Baruch University Award, and the Selina Norris Gray Award (created November 2025). The organization operates a national chapter and division network across 19 formal divisions plus 12+ "ChaptersWhereNoDivision" states, including a 26-representative VAVS program and 37 volunteers at VA hospitals and clinics logging over 1,800 hours annually.

The UDC's business model is membership-funded and donation-driven, with revenue streams comprising annual membership dues (set by individual chapter bylaws), magazine subscriptions, library and research service fees ($15–$35 per record search, $0.50 per photocopy, $10/day non-member library entrance), donations and charitable contributions (501(c)(3) tax-deductible), and scholarships/grants funded by restricted contributions. In 2024, member-contributed monetary donations totaled approximately $2,938,078 and in-kind items $1,060,819, with 502,734 volunteer hours donated. The organization operates with only four paid employees at its Richmond headquarters and is functionally volunteer-run through its chapter structure. There is no proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capability; the UDC is a heritage, education, and community-service entity whose principal assets are its rare library and archival collections, the Memorial Building (deeded by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1950, completed 1957), and its 130+ year network of chapters and members.

Name

United Daughters of the Confederacy

Legal name

United Daughters of the Confederacy

Website

https://www.hqudc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit lineage organization founded in 1894, serving nearly 12,000 female descendants of Confederate veterans across 20+ U.S. states via scholarships, military awards, historical preservation, and two research libraries at its Richmond, Virginia headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The UDC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that receives tax-deductible donations from members and the public. Donations support scholarships, historic preservation, military support programs, and operational costs. The organization mentions receiving significant donations following the 2020 fire damage to their headquarters.
2. UDC Magazine Subscriptions: The organization publishes UDC Magazine 11 times annually. Member subscriptions are $25/year, with discounted rates for chapters at 100% subscription ($22/year). Two-year ($47) and three-year ($70) options available. Non-member subscriptions at $40/year. Back issues available at $5-10 each.
3. Library Research Services: Fee-based research services including Confederate service record searches ($15 members, $25 non-members), pension records research, general research, and photocopy services ($0.50/page). Library entrance fee of $10/day for non-members.
4. Membership Dues: Annual dues determined by Chapter Bylaws, including Division and General per capita fees. Not publicly disclosed specific amounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a 501(c)(3) lineage membership organization that provides historical preservation, heritage education, scholarships, and military service awards through a national network of local chapters. It maintains a heritage reference library housing rare books, diaries, letters, and artifacts, and offers genealogy research services to descendants of Confederate veterans and the public.

Product overview

The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a historic lineage organization offering a portfolio of products and services centered on historical preservation, education, and commemoration. Core offerings include the UDC Magazine (monthly publication), General Scholarships and Children of the Confederacy Scholarships (academic awards), Military Service Awards (medals for veterans), and the Caroline Meriwether Goodlett Library and Helen Walpole Brewer Library (research facilities). The Memorial Building to the Women of the Confederacy serves as headquarters housing archives, museums, and meeting space. Additional offerings include historical awards (Jefferson Davis Silver/Gold Medals, Selina Norris Gray Award), an Interments Database for Confederate soldier burials, and Confederate Ancestor Research Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UDC Membership Lineage-based annual and life membership for women who are lineal or collateral descendants of individuals who served in the Confederate military or government, plus associate memberships for non-lineage supporters.
• UDC Heritage Library Research Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 502,734 volunteer hours donated by members in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered moderate and minor.

• American Red CrossmoderateOthersHistorical partnership dating to World War I when UDC supported 70 hospital beds at American Military Hospital in France. UDC donated Tiffany stained glass window to the Women's Memorial building in Washington D.C. Currently, UDC members volunteer with Red Cross and donated through various campaigns.
• Wreaths Across AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMany UDC chapters participate in the annual Wreaths Across America program every December, placing wreaths on veterans' graves.
• Fisher HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChildren of the Confederacy auxiliary donates funds to Fisher House, which supports military families.
• Wounded Warriors ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChildren of the Confederacy auxiliary donates to support wounded military veterans.
• Alston-Wilkes Home for VeteransminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChildren of the Confederacy auxiliary provides donations to this veterans' home organization.
• Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical CentersmoderateOthersUDC has 26 VAVS Representatives, Deputies and Associates plus 37 volunteers at VA hospitals and clinics who logged over 1,800 hours annually. Donations to VA in goods, services and monetary contributions totaled $64,131 last year.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR): The DAR is a 501(c)(3) lineage-based women's patriotic/heritage organization with similar structure (national society, state chapters, local chapters), scholarship programs, library/museum operations, and historic preservation mission. UDC is modeled on DAR's organizational framework.
• Sons of Confederate Veterans: SCV is the closest direct peer in the Confederate heritage space, with a male lineage-based membership, chapters across the South, monument and cemetery preservation activities, and a shared historical mission around the War Between the States.
• Colonial Dames of America: A lineage-based women's heritage organization focused on American colonial history, with analogous membership requirements, scholarship and preservation programs, and a headquarters-with-archives model parallel to UDC's.
• United States Daughters of 1812: Lineage-based women's patriotic organization with similar structure (national society, state chapters), historical preservation objects, scholarship programs, and member-supported archives — directly comparable operationally to UDC.
• National Society Colonial Dames of America: Another lineage-based women's heritage organization operating historic house museums, archives, and scholarship programs, with the same membership-by-ancestry model and 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure.

Broad incumbents

• Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: A broader lineage/heritage organization dedicated to Civil War-era veterans and their descendants, with overlapping commemorative and preservation activities for Civil War-era sites and monuments.
• Sons of the American Revolution: A larger, established male lineage organization with analogous mission, chapter-based structure, scholarship/color-guard programs, and historical object preservation — broader than UDC but structurally similar.
• American Legion: A large, established veterans service organization with overlapping programs (scholarships, VA hospital volunteering, military awards) but operating on a much broader, non-lineage-based membership model.

Others

• Save Historic Jamestowne: A historical site preservation nonprofit that operates comparable heritage/museum/archival functions and represents the broader historic-preservation ecosystem UDC participates in as a Memorial Building caretaker.

Emerging players

• Civil War Trust (American Battlefield Trust): A nonprofit focused on preserving Civil War battlefields and related historical sites, with overlapping preservation mission, donor-supported fundraising, and educational programming tied to the War Between the States.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UDCRockbridge

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 United Daughters of the Confederacy