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Military Family Advisory Network

EIN 46-3173337 · Arlington, VA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood86 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

OUR MISSION IS TO UNDERSTAND AND AMPLIFY THE NEEDS OF MILITARY-CONNECTED FAMILIES AND INSPIRE DATA-INFORMED CHANGE.

Income
$4.4 million
Spending
$4.4 million
Spent on programs
80%
Reserves
6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 83%
Employees
19
Volunteers
10
Highest pay
$239,211, chief executive officer

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 86 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 17% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 9% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    80% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    10 of 10 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $892,343 spent. CONDUCT RESEARCH AND ELEVATE CHALLENGES.MFAN LAUCHED ITS NEWLY REBRANDED MILITARY FAMILY 360 IN 2025, THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT SURVEY OF MILITARY FAMILIES NATIONWIDE. RESULTS OF THE LATEST EFFORT WILL BE RELEASED IN JUNE 2026. MFAN'S PRIOR RESEARCH WAS REFERENCED IN MORE THAN 2,000 MEDIA STORIES IN 2025, YIELDING A POTENTIAL REACH OF 4.4B. AT THE FOREFRONT OF MFAN'S RESEARCH EFFORTS IS A PEER-LEADER ADVISORY BOARD. A REPRESENTATIVE GROUP OF MILITARY AND VETERAN SPOUSES WHOSE PULSE ON LOCAL AND NATIONAL EXPERIENCES INFORMS MFAN RESEARCH AND PROGRAMMATIC DESIGN. WELCOMING A NEW COHORT IN 2025, THIS GROUP MEETS VIRTUALLY EACH MONTH AND THREE TIMES PER YEAR IN PERSON. NOT ONLY DO ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS INFORM MFAN WORK, THEY ALSO PARTICIPATE IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, EQUIPPING THEM WITH SKILLS AND RESOURCES TO GROW AS A PEER LEADER.
  2. $1.4 million spent. BUILD RESPONSIVE, AGILE, SCALABLE PROGRAMS.INFORMED BY THE DATA POINT THAT 51 PERCENT OF MILITARY FAMILIES WHO HAD MOVED IN THE LAST 24 MONTHS WERE FOOD INSECURE, MFAN EXPANDED ITS EFFORTS IN 2025 TO EASE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN MILITARY FAMILIES EXPERIENCE WITH A RECENT MOVE. 1,754 HOUSEHOLDS AT FORT HOODA LOCATION WITH HIGH FOOD INSECURITY AND HIGH DEPLOYMENT FREQUENCYWERE SERVED BY MFAN IN 2025. THE PROGRAM ALSO EXPANDED TO FORT BLISS AND CAMP LEJEUNE (ALSO SERVING MCAS CHERRY POINT AND MCAS NEW RIVER) IN 2025, SERVING 516 AND 751 FAMILIES RESPECTIVELY. UPON ARRIVAL TO THEIR NEW INSTALLATIONS, FAMILIES RECEIVE A RESTOCK KIT THAT PROVIDES THEM WITH HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED DURING EACH MOVE (E.G., PANTRY STAPLES, CLEANING SUPPLIES), VALUED AT $150. FAMILIES EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY ARE ALSO PROVIDED THREE MONTHS OF GROCERIES TO HELP THEM GET ON THEIR FEET FOLLOWING A MILITARY MOVE. THIS PROGRAM UNDERGOES CONTINUAL EVALUATION, WHICH REVEALED THAT 90% OF RESPONDENTS REFLECTED STRONG SATISFACTION AND ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, 90% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THE BOX MADE THEM FEEL WELCOMED, AND 87% REPORTED THAT THE BOX REDUCED FINANCIAL STRESS FOLLOWING THEIR MILITARY MOVE.
  3. $189,923 spent. STRENGTHEN THE ECOSYSTEM THAT SERVES MILITARY FAMILIES.MFAN BELIEVES IN COLLABORATION AND LEVERAGING ITS CAPABILITIES TO CREATE A COLLECTIVE IMPACT MODEL. TO DO THIS, MFAN SUPPORTS PEER ORGANIZATIONS WITH RIGOROUS PROGRAM EVALUATION, ALLOWING FOR DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF EXPERIENCES, DEFINED GOALS, AND MEASURED IMPACT. MFAN SUPPORTS MULTIPLE EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THIS WORK, WITH A POTENTIAL IMPACT ON 118,000 INDIVIDUALS SERVED BY THE PROGRAMS MFAN EVALUATES.
  4. $1.1 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE MISSION INCLUDE RESOURCE CONNECTION AND COLLABORATION AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS EFFORTS DESIGNED TO SERVE MILITARY FAMILIES. ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS MFAN CREATES CHANGE IS BY CONVENING KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND ENGAGING POLICYMAKERS IN DIALOG THAT DRIVES SOLUTION-ORIENTED OUTCOMES. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, MFAN BRINGS TOGETHER BEST-IN-CLASS PARTNERS IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TO SHARE PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES, DISCUSS EMERGING TRENDS, AND DEVELOP ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THOSE IN POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE. MILITARY FAMILY FINANCIAL READINESS COALITION (MFFRC)MFFRC CONVENES BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO THE FINANCIAL WELLNESS AND STABILITY OF MILITARY FAMILIES. THIS COALITION PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ORGANIZATIONS WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN THE FINANCIAL WELL-BEING OF MILITARY FAMILIES TO SHARE IDEAS, LESSONS LEARNED, BEST PRACTICES, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE EFFECTIVELY SERVE OUR FAMILIES AND RESPOND TO THEIR EVOLVING NEEDS. IN ADDITION TO INFORMING THE WORK OF ITS PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR FINANCIAL EDUCATION EFFORTS AND INITIATIVES, THE MFFRC YIELDS ACTIONABLE INFORMATION THAT EDUCATES AND INFORMS POLICYMAKERS.GOVERNMENT RELATIONSMFAN'S GOVERNMENT RELATIONS EFFORTS STRENGTHEN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MILITARY FAMILY EXPERIENCES AND POLICYMAKING. WITH THE ADDITION OF A DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, MFAN IS DEEPENING ITS ABILITY TO ENGAGE FEDERAL AND STATE LEADERS ON THE ISSUES MOST IMPACTING MILITARY FAMILIES. THIS WORK CREATES OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE REAL-TIME INSIGHTS, ELEVATE EMERGING CHALLENGES, AND INFORM SOLUTION-ORIENTED POLICY DISCUSSIONS. BY CONNECTING DATA, LIVED EXPERIENCE, AND CROSS-SECTOR PERSPECTIVES, MFAN HELPS ENSURE THAT DECISIONS ARE INFORMED, RESPONSIVE, AND GROUNDED IN THE REALITIES FACING MILITARY FAMILIES TODAY.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 2014.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.