When the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation granted the first Mission in Action grant, the year was 2018: Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, Sears filed for bankruptcy, and the world saw a rare “super blue blood moon” for the first time since 1866. Did the super blue blood moon appear in celebration of this new American Legion Auxiliary Foundation granting initiative? The jury is still out. 

The American Legion Auxiliary Foundation had been operating for 11 years at that point and was financially secure enough to add a third granting opportunity for ALA units, districts, and departments. Mission in Action grants were awarded to address a specific ALA branding need that would help members with mission delivery and be recognizable in their communities. An example of this grant comes from ALA Foundation Secretary Anne Parker, whose Department of South Carolina received branded storage tubs and a pull-up banner that included bullet points highlighting the ALA mission. The department continues to use the branded materials when their members travel to department conventions and conferences.

Additionally, the Mission in Action grants have been utilized by several ALA Girls State programs.

“A number of department ALA Girls State programs have taken advantage of the Mission in Action grants,” said ALA Foundation Vice President Diane Duscheck. “The question that plagues many ALA Girls State delegates and their parents is ‘Who is the sponsor of Girls State?’ With the help of Mission in Action grants, departments have branded their ALA Girls State registration areas and sessions with pop-up tents, table covers, and banners proclaiming that Girls State is a program of the department American Legion Auxiliary, providing recognition for the organization.” 

Since 2018, the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation has awarded 57 Mission in Action grants totaling $98,678.86. All of the grant recipients to date:  

• Alaska Unit 1
• California Unit 348 
• California Unit 46 
• California Unit 507 
• Connecticut Unit 104 
• Department of Colorado 
• Department of Connecticut
• Department of Illinois
• Department of Kansas 
• Department of Massachusetts 
• Department of Missouri 
• Department of Nebraska 
• Department of New York 
• Department of North Dakota 
• Department of Pennsylvania 
• Department of South Carolina 
• Department of Utah 
• Department of Vermont 
• Department of Virginia 
• Department of Wisconsin 
• Department of Wyoming 
• District of Columbia Unit 8 
• Florida Unit 259 
• Georgia Unit 14 
• Georgia Unit 239 
• Illinois Unit 2 
• Illinois Unit 96 
• Indiana Unit 148 
• Indiana Unit 18 
• Indiana Unit 200 
• Indiana Unit 331 
• Kansas District 5 
• Kansas Unit 136 
• Maine Unit 81 
• Minnesota Unit 260 
• Mississippi Unit 6 
• Mississippi Unit 79 
• Missouri Unit 77
• Nevada Unit 60 
• New Hampshire Unit 16 
• New York Unit 1038 
• New York Unit 137
• New York Unit 1720
• New York Unit 294 
• New York Unit 535 
• North Carolina Unit 532 
• Ohio Unit 214 
• Oklahoma Unit 58
• South Carolina Unit 166
• South Carolina Unit 193 
• Tennessee Unit 281 
• Texas Unit 437 
• Virginia Unit 77 

The American Legion Auxiliary Foundation Board of Directors thanks all units, districts, and departments that applied for a Mission in Action grant. Thank you for making branding and more prominent mission delivery a priority for your ALA entity. 

“The American Legion Auxiliary Foundation is changing to better serve the units and departments of the American Legion Auxiliary,” said ALA Foundation President Cathe MacInnes. “Mission in Action grants were established to assist units and departments with increasing brand awareness — one of the five goals in the American Legion Auxiliary’s 5-Year Centennial Strategic Plan. That plan was completed in 2019. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing units and departments to cease meetings, there were few applications for Mission in Action grants. As the pandemic waned, units were eager to reopen, reintroduce themselves to their communities, and restart their programs of hands-on service. Many applied for and received Mission in Action grants, letting their communities know the American Legion Auxiliary is continuing to serve America’s veterans.

“The current American Legion Auxiliary strategic plan emphasizes mission engagement and delivery,” MacInnes continued. “In keeping with its mission of raising funds for, assisting in conduct of, and providing support to the American Legion Auxiliary programs, the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation is developing a new grant type specifically targeting providing support to ALA programs.”

The American Legion Auxiliary Foundation will continue to offer Veteran Projects Fund grants, Veterans Creative Arts Festival grants, and sub-granting opportunities while a new granting initiative to take the place of Mission in Action grants is developed. To learn more about the granting opportunities available, please visit www.ALAFoundation.org/grants. Thank you for all that you do to ensure the ALA’s mission of service endures for generations to come.