Disabled American Veterans
Meets Standards
Standards For Charity Accountability
Governance
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Board Oversight
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Board Size
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Board Meetings
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Board Compensation
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Conflict of Interest
Measuring Effectiveness
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Effectiveness Policy
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Effectiveness Report
Finances
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Program Expenses
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Fundraising Expenses
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Accumulating Funds
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Audit Report
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Detailed Expense Breakdown
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Accurate Expense Reporting
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Budget Plan
Fundraising & Info
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Truthful Materials
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Annual Report
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Website Disclosures
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Donor Privacy
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Cause Marketing Disclosures
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Complaints
Disabled American Veterans meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
COMPLAINTS
Number of complaints processed by the BBB in the last 36 months: 2.
Mailing List Removal
The organization responded to complaint brought to its attention.
Membership Issue
(One of the complaints involved an individual seeking to have his or her name and contact information removed from the organization's contact list and the other involved a lifetime membership).
Stated Purpose:
"to empower veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity."
Year, State Incorporated:
1920, DC
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) reports that it provides free professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies of government. In 2024, DAV reports that it helped obtain more than $30.4 billion in new and retroactive earned benefits. The organization also aims to ensure that veterans have resources and opportunities to enter the job market. DAV reports that it sponsored 110 in-person and virtual career fairs that nearly 39,782 active-duty service members, Guard and Reserve personnel, veterans and spouses attended during 2024, which resulted in 13,059 job offers. DAV also strives to represent the interests of disabled veterans and their families before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch. The organization extends DAV's mission of hope into the communities where veterans and their families live through a network of state-level departments and local chapters. DAV also provides a structure of volunteer programs and reports that, in 2024, volunteers in DAV's transportation network and local veteran’s assistance program donated 3.5 million hours of time. Some ($25,221,895 or 11%) of DAV's programs are conducted in conjunction with the fundraising appeals.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, Disabled American Veterans's program expenses were:
| Public service announcement program | $90,917,948 |
| Voluntary services | $54,172,078 |
| National service | $43,977,512 |
| Public awareness outreach | $27,088,652 |
| Communications | $11,784,098 |
| Membership | $9,295,619 |
| State services and disaster relief | $5,094,983 |
| Legislative service | $2,921,645 |
| Employment | $2,488,953 |
| Caregiver support | $891,603 |
| Entrepreneurial services | $618,293 |
| Total Program Expenses | $249,251,384 |
Chief Executive
Barry A. Jesinoski, National Adjutant and Chief Executive Officer
Compensation*
$675,009
Chair of the Board
Coleman Nee
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
National Commander, Disabled American Veterans
Board Size
7
Paid Staff Size
583
*2024 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Telephone appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Radio, Grant proposals, Internet, Door-to-door appeals, Planned giving arrangements, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.), Membership appeals
DAV incurred joint costs of $53,623,925 for informational materials and activities that included fundraising materials. Of those costs $26,832,309 was allocated to fundraising expenses and $26,791,615 was allocated to program expenses.
Fundraising costs were 15% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $296,101,901, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)
This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The following information is based on Disabled American Veterans's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Source of Funds
| Contributions | $154,925,639 |
| In-kind contributions | $141,176,262 |
| Investment return, net | $54,795,988 |
| Miscellaneous revenue | $636,906 |
| List royalties | $304,760 |
| Total Income | $296,101,901 |
Programs: 82% Fundraising: 14% Administrative: 3%
| Total Income | $296,101,901 |
| Total expenses: | $302,715,823 |
| Program expenses | $249,251,384 |
| Fundraising expenses | $43,216,898 |
| Administrative expenses | $10,247,541 |
| Other expenses | $0 |
| Income in Excess of Expenses | $-6,613,922 |
| Beginning Net Assets | $530,718,114 |
| Other Changes In Net Assets | $104,587 |
| Ending Net Assets | $596,349,488 |
| Total Liabilities | $128,849,566 |
| Total Assets | $725,199,054 |
Note 1: In the above financial section, "other changes in net assets" refers to pension liability and other postretirement benefit obligation adjustment ($225,390) and change in fair market value of interest rate swap (-$120,803).
Note 2: According to the organization's 2025 audited financial statements, DAV received in-kind contributions totaling $141,176,262 in the form of public service announcements (approximately $90,000,000), volunteer hours ($34,554,237), pro bono legal services ($13,543,288) and facilities ($3,170,543.
An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.
This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.
RELATED CONTENT
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Meets Standards
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Standards Not Met
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Did Not Disclose
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Review in Progress
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Unable to Verify
Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance