Overview
Veterans for All Voters (VAV) is a nonpartisan initiative dedicated to revitalizing American democracy by engaging one of the nation’s most civically-minded communities: military veterans. With nearly 16 million veterans across the United States—representing a diverse and deeply respected demographic—VAV seeks to catalyze meaningful electoral reform and foster stronger, more inclusive democratic participation.
Veterans, regardless of political affiliation, share a foundational commitment to public service and national unity. Their credibility across party lines, combined with their high rates of volunteerism and civic involvement, makes them uniquely positioned to bridge divides and advance democratic solutions. VAV harnesses this potential to mobilize a powerful, cross-partisan constituency that can help reshape the political landscape.
Building on prior success, this proposal outlines a strategic plan to scale VAV’s digital and grassroots organizing infrastructure. Through targeted investments in people, technology, and data, the project aims to significantly expand VAV’s reach, deepen civic engagement, and empower veteran leaders across the country.
Strategic Objectives
To meet the growing demand for electoral reform and citizen engagement, VAV will focus on two primary objectives:
1. Expand Digital Organizing Infrastructure
A robust digital presence is essential for scaling outreach and building a sustainable engagement pipeline. VAV will strengthen its digital organizing infrastructure through the following efforts:
Personnel Expansion: Hire a full-time employee (FTE) dedicated to managing and executing digital campaigns that engage veterans, independents, and reform-minded audiences. This individual will oversee content creation, online engagement, and campaign strategy.
Agency Partnership: Engage a professional digital agency to accelerate the reach and effectiveness of VAV’s campaigns. The agency will support creative development, ad placement, analytics, and digital media strategy.
Data Investment: Acquire high-quality data sets and contact lists to enhance audience segmentation and improve the precision of outreach. This will allow for more personalized and impactful engagement with key demographics.
Performance Tracking: Implement a comprehensive system for monitoring digital impact. Key performance indicators will include:
Veteran sign-ups and participation rates
Conversion rates for calls-to-action (CTAs)
Donor acquisition and retention
Social media reach and engagement
Media coverage and influence, including placement of veteran-authored Op-eds
By investing in digital infrastructure, VAV aims to create a scalable and responsive platform that effectively mobilizes support for electoral reform initiatives.
2. Grow and Activate Veteran Leadership Nationwide
Veteran leadership is the cornerstone of VAV’s organizing model. By investing in grassroots capacity, the initiative will nurture a network of empowered veteran advocates who lead in their communities and states.
Key actions include:
Organizer Hire: Bring on a dedicated national organizer to deepen volunteer engagement, support local chapters, and coordinate activation across the country.
Local Event Funding: Provide financial support for community-based events, town halls, trainings, and civic activations that raise awareness and inspire action.
Leadership Development: Offer comprehensive training—both in-person and virtual—on civic advocacy, public speaking, media engagement, and Op-ed writing. These sessions will equip veterans with the skills needed to lead change at the local and state level.
Travel Support: Fund travel for leadership and organizers to strategic states and events. This will facilitate relationship-building, campaign coordination, and public advocacy efforts where they’re needed most.
Impact Measurement: Track engagement and program effectiveness through a variety of metrics, including:
Net Promoter Scores (NPS) from participants
Training attendance and completion rates
Volunteer referrals and growth in leadership roles
Increased visibility of veteran-led reform advocacy
This grassroots strategy empowers veterans to become community catalysts for reform, fostering a sense of ownership and purpose while building long-term capacity.
Strategic Alignment and Geographic Focus
VAV’s efforts will align with the strategic roadmap of Unite America, concentrating resources and organizing capacity in key battleground states. Over the next two years, intensive focus will be placed on five target states, including Georgia and Montana. These states represent high-impact opportunities for electoral reform efforts, such as open primaries and ranked choice voting, where a veteran voice can be particularly persuasive.
Simultaneously, VAV will seed leadership development and organizing in additional states to create a foundation for future expansion. This dual approach allows VAV to make a meaningful impact in the near term while building infrastructure for sustained national growth.
A Sustainable, Scalable Model for Democratic Renewal
This funding request represents a strategic investment in VAV’s next phase of growth. By focusing on people, technology, and data, VAV will:
Strengthen its rapid-response capabilities
Refine and disseminate values-based messaging
Build an enduring, veteran-led movement for democracy
The organization’s model is not only scalable but sustainable—designed to adapt and evolve in response to political challenges and opportunities.
With the 250th anniversary of the United States approaching, there is both symbolic and strategic urgency. Veterans have defended democratic ideals abroad; now, through VAV, they are stepping forward to defend and strengthen democracy at home.
This initiative envisions a future where veterans lead the charge for fairer, more representative elections—bringing their credibility, discipline, and spirit of service to the heart of America’s democratic renewal.
