IAVA Ethos

We are here to serve and empower our post-9/11 veterans community. We believe these dynamic men and women represent America’s future – our next greatest generation. They are our true north, and everything we do is designed to focus on them and the positive future they bring to the world.

We hold ourselves to the highest standards of efficiency, effectiveness, honesty, and transparency. We fight hard and take tough stands. That’s not always easy, but it’s who we are and what our mission requires.

The veterans movement is for every veteran. Our diversity is our strength. We are a community that welcomes everyone, of every background, time period, and discharge status. The veterans movement is not for veterans alone. Our success is America’s success. We believe everyone can do something to help.

Many have come before us. From The Revolutionary War to the present day, every generation of veterans and allies before us have served, sacrificed, and paved the way. Many had it much tougher than we have it now. They broke down barriers so we could succeed. We learn from and respect the history of our elders. We never forget those who came before us, those who were lost, and those who will follow us.

Our work is not about us as individuals. Success is a team game. We eat last, raise our hand first, and are always here to serve and lead. We will always put our community and our mission before ourselves. Everyone is a leader: a servant leader. We believe true leadership requires following and supporting others.

Many of the folks we serve are dealing with tremendous pain, loss, and trauma. They often reach out to us at a point when hope is lost. We always show them that they are not alone and we’re committed. We engage in some work that can take years, even decades. The work is hard. Our positivity is key to our success, and it’s contagious. We share our positive attitude with everyone we meet and partner with every day. And we give maximum effort always. Our mission, our supporters, and our future depend on it.

We can’t do everything. Staying focused and achieving greatness requires tremendous discipline. It also often means saying no to many things, so we can say yes to a few — and do them well. If we take something on, we make sure it’s worth it. Once we do, we give it our all and crush it.

Every day is a chance to make a difference. For every one of us. What we do changes lives and changes history. We are committed to rising to that challenge, to accepting the responsibility of leadership and to making a difference. Pressure is a privilege, and we respect and appreciate that privilege always. We’re not passive. We get after it! We don’t wait for the change we seek, we make it happen.

The work we do is hard. Sometimes incredibly hard. It takes tremendous effort, energy and heart. So we make fun a priority. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and we always think of others. Nobody wants to work with a jerk. So we keep it cool. Music, food and sports are connective tissue for our movement. We share our passions and successes, and we remember morale is everyone’s responsibility. We always keep in mind a member or colleague could be having an incredibly tough day, that we can make better. We find ways to keep it fun and we and our movement are stronger for it.

The work we do changes families and the life trajectories for millions. We remember that what we do will make a solid difference now, and a transformative difference later. And true change doesn’t happen overnight. When things are tough, we grind it out, and think of the difference our work will one day make for our grandkids and future generations.

Every day is a day to make a difference. The challenges and opportunities we face can sometimes seem overwhelming. But they’re not. Thanks to us. We attack the opportunity of each day vigor, because every day is winnable. And when stitched together over time, all those daily wins will transformative lives and history.