By Hannah Amos

The American Legion Auxiliary is full of passionate people who see a need and help. To better support this passion, the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation provides grants.

For the 2025-2026 administrative year, 19 grants were awarded, totaling more than $110,000 to ALA units and departments across the nation.

Of these grants, 15 Veteran Projects Fund grants and four local Veterans Creative Arts Festival grants were awarded. Between the 15 VPF grants, the total was $100,344.97. 

Behind every grant is an ALA member who saw a need and acted. Members served veterans, military, and their families by providing accessible transportation, adaptive equipment, transitional housing, recreation, and so much more through Veteran Projects Fund grants: 

Emerson and Lane Unit 132 — Richmond, Maine
With $10,000, the unit provided an accessible golf cart for the Maine Veterans Home to help residents with mobility limitations easily navigate the campus and participate in activities around the grounds.

George G. Luckey Unit 47 — Vinton, Iowa
Due to failing blanket warmers at the Iowa Veterans Home, Unit 47 assisted with a $9,535.92 grant to fund three new ones. The warmers will be used for the approximately 400 residents the facility serves.

Franklin Unit 193 — Ohiowa, Neb.
Supporting the Central Nebraska Veterans Home, Unit 193 created more fun outlets for residents with two interactive Touch2Play systems with $9,904. The gaming systems foster engagement and connection with a dash of fun.

Department of Texas
Their project, Home of the Sheroes, helped support transitional housing for female veterans at the Valor Ranch in Decatur. With a $1,200 grant, a stackable washer/dryer was installed in a cottage to make it fully functional. 

Department of Rhode Island
With $7,500, the department funded a private, climate-controlled outdoor building for veterans and their families to use at the Dare to Dream Ranch, a holistic, alternative military retreat. 

Favre Baldwin Unit 12 — Tyler, Texas
To help tackle costs and reduce transportation barriers, Unit 12 employed $9,316 to provide five stackable washer/dryer units for veteran transitional housing. The units provide an on-site option vs. veterans using off-site laundry facilities. 

Sullivan-Wallen Unit 11 — Green Bay, Wis.
A funding of $9.097.92 provided 72 chairs for the Veterans 1^st of Northeast Wisconsin (NEW) Community Center. NEW provides affordable housing for veterans along with therapy resources and support services. 

Department of Wisconsin
Four kayaks with paddles and life vests were donated to Camp American Legion in Tomahawk with a grant of $4,000. The department expanded recreational and therapeutic activities at the camp, a free resource to all Wisconsin veterans, military, and their families.

Department of Illinois
The veterans’ lounge at the Chez Veterans Center on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus received a refresh. A grant of $6,920 was utilized to create a more comfortable and functional environment for veteran and military-affiliated students. 

Unit 155 — Carmel, Ind.
A $10,000 grant supported the Indiana unit to complete its Manchester House Phoenix Project. After Manchester Apartments — a veteran housing facility — was destroyed in a fire and 48 previously homeless veterans were displaced, the unit banded together to provide a diverse collection of household items to help the apartments and veterans rebuild. 

Department of Oklahoma
Awarded $3,364, Oklahoma fostered relationships by supporting the Sallisaw Veterans Home, a long-term housing facility with skilled nursing care. Providing recreation and technology equipment, residents enjoy physical activity and cognitive stimulation with others.

Department of Minnesota
To aid a fellow veteran service nonprofit, Minnesota utilized $3,297.13 to provide a new reach-in freezer to increase food storage for St. Cloud StandDown, an organization that provides food, clothing, and other resources at no cost for veterans. In 2025, St. Cloud StandDown provided food for 913 veterans. 

Department of Vermont
For many veterans, an Honor Flight is a life-changing experience. Vermont, with $2,374, aimed to share that experience and make it more accessible by purchasing virtual reality headsets with virtual Honor Flight programming for those who can’t physically participate. 

Thomas Hopkins Unit 4 — Wichita, Kan.
Unit 4 used $8,000 for 20 beds dedicated for veterans experiencing homelessness at Second Light Shelter and Services, a community-driven project to provide housing, medical, etc., resources for those in need. The beds are expected to aid over 300 veterans as they transition to permanent housing.

Department of Nebraska
The department provided inclusive fun at Norfolk Veterans Home with a wheelchair-accessible swing, replacing an outdated, 15-year-old swing with a $5,836 grant. 

As we’re in the beginning stages of a new administrative year, the ALA Foundation will focus its energy on the Veteran Projects Fund and concentrate on new, one-time needs for veterans, military members, and their families. 
To learn more about the ALA Foundation and its grant services, go to the ALA Foundation website. To continue supporting ALA members, consider donating today at www.ALAFoundation.org/donate. Every amount helps.