What Center on Conscience & War does

The Center on Conscience & War (CCW) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1940 as the National Service Board for Religious Objectors (NSBRO) by U.S. church communities to ensure stronger legal protections for conscientious objectors after the harsh treatment they received during World War I. Headquartered at 1830 Connecticut Ave. NW in Washington, D.C., with a secondary contact address in Portland, Oregon, the organization has operated continuously for 85 years and successfully advocated for the Alternative Service Program provisions inserted into the 1940 draft law. Today it operates as the only national organization focused solely on supporting military conscientious objectors in the United States.

CCW's service portfolio is structured around three core programs: Counseling & Legal Support (free, direct counseling and application assistance for active-duty and reserve personnel seeking CO discharge or noncombatant reassignment), Public Education & Outreach (workshops and training for peace organizations, educators, and the public), and the Fund for Education & Training (FEAT), which provides financial support to individuals who refuse Selective Service registration and have been denied federal financial aid as a result. Supporting products include an Online CO Application Writing Tool, the CCW Guide for Military COs (2024 PDF), a quarterly newsletter called The Reporter for Conscience's Sake, a religious statements archive covering 50+ faith traditions, and a merchandise storefront at conscienceandwar.store. CCW also participates as a member organization in the GI Rights Hotline network (877-447-4487). The underlying technology footprint is intentionally minimal — there are no proprietary systems, APIs, or AI/ML components; the digital toolset is limited to standard web publishing, an online application form, and e-commerce.

The business model is donation-dependent rather than revenue-generating in the commercial sense. All direct services to military servicemembers are provided free of charge, with operating funding drawn from individual donations (one-time and recurring), grants from foundations supporting peace and civil-liberties causes, and merchandise sales. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on the GI Rights Hotline for inbound referrals, public workshops, faith-community partners, rallies, and earned media coverage of high-profile advocacy actions. The customer base spans four distinct segments — military servicemembers (primary), youth and prospective enlistees, faith communities, and peace organizations/educators — with the 2026 leadership transition to Iraq War veteran Mike Prysner as Executive Director signaling a more activist public posture for the organization going forward.

Name

Center on Conscience & War

Legal name

Center on Conscience & War

Website

https://centeronconscience.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Center on Conscience & War is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1940 that provides free counseling, legal support, and advocacy for U.S. military conscientious objectors, youth navigating Selective Service registration, faith communities, and peace organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conscientious Objector Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Conscientious objection counseling
• Military discharge assistance
• Nonprofit peace advocacy
• Draft registration support
• Conscientious objector education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Primary funding source through individual donations, including one-time and recurring contributions from supporters of conscientious objection rights.
2. Merchandise Sales: CCW operates a merch store (conscienceandwar.store) selling branded merchandise like shirts to generate revenue.
3. Grants: The organization likely receives grant funding from foundations supporting peace, conscience, and civil liberties causes, though specific grant sources are not detailed in available sources.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Center on Conscience & War provides free counseling and legal support to U.S. military servicemembers seeking discharge or reassignment as Conscientious Objectors, guiding them through the complex administrative application process. The organization also delivers public education and outreach programs to peace organizations and educators, and operates the Fund for Education & Training (FEAT), which provides financial assistance to individuals who refuse Selective Service registration and lose access to federal financial aid.

Product overview

Center on Conscience & War operates as a non-profit advocacy organization offering a suite of services to support conscientious objectors. The core offerings include Counseling & Legal Support for military COs seeking discharge, Public Education & Outreach programs, and the Fund for Education & Training (FEAT) for those denied financial aid due to draft resistance. Supporting resources include The Reporter newsletter, the Online CO Application Writing Tool, the CCW Guide for Military COs PDF, and collections of religious statements on conscientious objection. The organization also participates in the GI Rights Hotline network and maintains a merchandise store. Together, these services provide advocacy, counseling, education, and financial support to military personnel and civilians navigating conscientious objection to war.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Counseling & Legal Support Free counseling and legal support services for U.S. military servicemembers seeking discharge or reassignment as Conscientious Objectors, including guidance through the complex administrative application process and advocacy during the application review.
• Public Education & Outreach Educational programs, workshops, panels, and training sessions for peace organizations, educators, and the public on conscientious objection rights, nonviolence, and related topics.
• Fund for Education & Training (FEAT) Provides financial support and student loans to individuals who refuse to register for the Selective Service draft and have been denied federal financial aid as a result.
• Conscience & War Merch Store Online e-commerce store selling CCW branded merchandise such as shirts to supporters and the general public to raise funds for the organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 military members and families served at a single 2026 anti-war rally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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 flagship.

• GI Rights HotlinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCW is a participating member of the GI Rights Hotline, a network providing counseling for military discharges. The hotline number is 877-447-4487, and CCW refers servicemembers seeking CO discharge to this resource.
• Veterans For PeacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosting 'Voices of Conscience' events for International Conscientious Objectors Day. Active collaboration on anti-war activism and CO advocacy campaigns.
• Refuser Solidarity NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for International Conscientious Objectors Day events and global CO advocacy efforts.
• American Friends Service CommitteeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignatory on coalition letter to Senate urging abolition of the draft. Faith-based peace organization with long history of supporting conscientious objectors.
• Mennonite Central Committee U.S.flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignatory on coalition letter to Senate urging abolition of the draft. Partners on faith-based advocacy for CO rights and alternatives to military service.
• Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and PolicyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith community partner with Advisory Council representation. Signatory on advocacy letters for draft abolition.
• Friends Committee on National LegislationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuaker advocacy organization co-signing coalition letters on Selective Service abolition and CO rights.
• Pax Christi USAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic peace organization partner in draft abolition coalition and faith-based CO advocacy.
• CODEPINKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeace advocacy organization participating in coalition for draft abolition and anti-war activism.
• World BEYOND WarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal peace organization partnering on anti-war education and advocacy efforts.
• Appeal For Redress v.2coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign mobilizing active-duty and reserve troops to oppose US support for wars. CCW supports COs participating in this effort.
• Ukrainian Pacifist MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner advocating for pacifists and COs in Ukraine, including support for prisoner of conscience Yurii Sheliazhenko.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GI Rights Hotline: GI Rights Hotline is the closest direct peer — a coalition of organizations (including CCW itself) that provide free counseling to military servicemembers on discharges including CO status. Direct overlap in service, audience, and delivery model.
• Veterans For Peace: Veterans For Peace is a direct peer and core CCW coalition partner. Both serve military/veteran populations around anti-war activism, conscientious objection, and policy advocacy, and jointly host International Conscientious Objectors Day events.
• War Resisters League: War Resisters League is a direct peer — a long-standing pacifist organization (founded 1923) focused on anti-militarism, draft resistance, and conscientious objection advocacy with significant historical overlap to CCW's mission.
• Pax Christi USA: Pax Christi USA is a flagship coalition partner of CCW — a Catholic peace movement with overlapping mission on conscientious objection, draft abolition, and nonviolence education, serving similar faith-based and activist audiences.
• World BEYOND War: World BEYOND War is a core coalition partner of CCW, a global anti-war organization focused on education, advocacy, and war abolition. Directly overlapping mission with international rather than US-only scope.
• National Lawyers Guild Military Law Task Force: National Lawyers Guild Military Law Task Force provides legal support and education to servicemembers, including on discharges and CO claims — directly comparable to CCW's legal support component, though structured as a lawyer network rather than a service organization.

Broad incumbents

• American Friends Service Committee: AFSC is a flagship coalition partner of CCW and a much larger Quaker peace and social justice organization with overlapping CO/draft abolition advocacy, but a much broader portfolio (immigration, economic justice, criminal justice).
• Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL): FCNL is a flagship coalition partner of CCW and the Quaker lobbying organization working on draft abolition, peace funding, and military policy reform. Wider scope (lobbying on many issues) but directly aligned with CCW on CO advocacy.
• Mennonite Central Committee U.S. MCC U.S. is a flagship coalition partner of CCW — a much larger faith-based relief and peace organization with a historic commitment to conscientious objection, running programs on draft/registration and alternatives to military service that overlap CCW's youth-facing work.

Emerging players

• CODEPINK: CODEPINK is a core coalition partner of CCW, focused on anti-war activism, especially around US military intervention in the Middle East. More activist/event-driven than CCW's counseling model, but overlapping donor base and advocacy campaigns.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ccw4cos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center on Conscience & War