Americanism | Children & Youth | Child Welfare Foundation, Inc. | Convention | Economic
Emblem Sales | Finance | Foreign Relations | Internal Affairs | Information Technology | Legislative
Legion Magazine | National Security | Public Relations | Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation
Membership Support Services Division | Fundraising Division
The Americanism Division represents one of the four pillars of The American Legion. It is guided by a full commission that meets three times a year. Under the direction of this commission, a wide variety of programs are built on community service, citizenship, patriotic values and mentoring young people.
Programs and specific areas of work include American Legion Baseball, the National High School Oratorical Contest, Junior Shooting Sports, Boys State and Boys Nation, support for Boy Scouts of America, U.S. Flag education and protection, support for Junior ROTC, voter awareness, naturalization and citizenship of immigrants, along with a number of scholarship programs
Two permanent committees of the Americanism Commission are the National Committee on Education, which offers a number of educational opportunities, including scholarships and teaching materials, and the Counter-Subversive Activities Committee, which exists to monitor the activities of groups within the United States that potentially represent threats to our form of government.
Also found under the Americanism umbrella is the organization’s chaplaincy program.
The American Legion Children & Youth Commission provides guidance for this division, which is one of the four pillars of the organization. The division has three main objectives: to strengthen families; to support quality organizations that provide services to young people; and to maintain a well-rounded program that meets the physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs of young people.
The commission works with a number of major partners, including Children’s Miracle Network, Ronald McDonald House and Operation: Military Kids. The commission also supports many other non-profit organizations, businesses and grass-roots efforts to help young people become successful, healthy American citizens.
Internally managed programs in Children & Youth include the Family Support Network and Temporary Financial Assistance, which provide relief for military families with minor children who are struggling with the challenges of being without a deployed parent. Other programs handled by National Headquarters staff are Youth Suicide Prevention and Halloween Safety.
The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation was incorporated in 1954 as a distinct grant-awarding fund within the organization. Each year, the foundation awards over $500,000 to non-profits that disseminate information aimed to enhance the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare of children. Information for donors, grant seekers and supporters of the foundation can be found at www.legion.org/cwf. Also on the site is a list of this year’s CWF grant recipients.
A full commission provides guidance to The American Legion National Convention Commission, which plans and executes the organization’s annual national convention, along with a number of meetings and conferences throughout the year.
The American Legion Economic Division is governed by a full commission that focuses on veteran employment, business development, education and help for homeless veterans. The commission was formed to ensure that veterans receive the opportunity to succeed in civilian life. The staff works closely with The American Legion Legislative Division to advance legislation supported by American Legion resolutions, along with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Labor, Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Small Business Administration, and other government entities on the state and national levels. An American Legion Business Task Force meets regularly to set legislative priorities for the division and to advocate on behalf of veteran-owned businesses. The division also works with corporate partners, such as RecruitMIlitary, LLC, Avue, and Military.com to promote and execute veteran job fairs and career expos nationwide. The American Legion coordinates a Homeless Veterans Task Force throughout the 55 departments in the organization. The Economic Commission also recognizes businesses and employer services with awards for excellence in veteran outreach.
Located at the Legion’s Lee Road headquarters in Indianapolis, the National Emblem Sales Division has exclusive responsibility over the sales of merchandise featuring The American Legion emblem, including pins, caps and other items. The division facilitates the sale of thousands of items, including U.S. flags made in the United States, American Legion Baseball items, and Legion Rider apparel. Merchandise can be found in the annually updated Emblem Sales catalog and online at www.emblem.legion.org. The division also provides members opportunities to shop in person at major national meetings, such as the National Convention.
The American Legion Finance Commission is responsible for the organization’s annual budget, funds management and oversight for divisions and departments within the Legion. The commission also manages permanent endowments and funds, including The American Legion Child Welfare Foundation, The American Legion Endowment Fund, The American Legion Life Insurance and Trust Committee, The American Legion Emblem Committee and The American Legion Overseas Graves Decoration Trust.
The National Emblem Sales Division is under the Finance Commission and has responsibility for sales of The American Legion emblem, merchandise bearing the emblem and other items available for purchase through The Emblem Sales Catalog or by shopping online.
The Foreign Relations Commission advocates policies and works with national political leaders to advance The American Legion’s resolutions on global affairs. The commission maintains a strong position in support of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and a longstanding relationship with the National League of POW/MIA Families, among other government entities and non-profit organizations that seek full accounting of all U.S. service personnel missing or held captive in war zones. The commission also takes up a variety of international trade, security, energy and human-rights issues, guided by resolutions.
The National Internal Affairs Commission oversees the Membership & Post Activities Committee, post relations, post revitalization and new development, Reconnect, Sons of The American Legion, Legion Riders, the National Emergency Fund, special projects and promotions – including the Freedom Car – support from country singer Michael Peterson, trophies and awards, The American Legion Constitution and By-laws and other internal publications. Internal Affairs also oversees delivery of Consolidated Post Reports, which detail American Legion activities during the year and are provided to Congress.
The Information Technology Division is responsible for computer software and hardware of The American Legion National Headquarters, including the membership database, e-mail campaigns, electronic membership management tools like AIM, ALPOP and ALDOP, as well as printing of renewal notices, labels and mass-mail services.
The American Legion Legislative Division is governed by a full commission and promotes the organization’s positions and recommendations to Congress, the White House, departments and agencies. The division coordinates support efforts on Capitol Hill and advises state legislative councils as they deliver the Legion message across the country. An annual portfolio of priorities is produced and presented to Congress from the national commander and chairmen of the Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation and Legislative commissions. The portfolio, based on national resolutions, serves as a guide for volunteers and staff to use when meeting with elected representatives. The Legislative Action Center provides members an online gateway of information to track bills and follow developments in Washington.
The American Legion Magazine Division is a multi-media arm of the national organization, producing and managing the nation’s largest veterans magazine, the monthly Dispatch newspaper for Legion leadership, the weekly American Legion Online Update, the national Web site, various blogs and social media. The “magazine for a strong America,” with a circulation of nearly 2.5 million, features interviews with top U.S. leaders and articles on major national issues, particularly those pertaining to the four pillars of the organization – Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children & Youth. The American Legion Magazine Division is led by a full commission.
Based in the Washington office, the National Security Division handles issues that directly affect the lives of military personnel and matters of national and global importance. The division works closely with the Pentagon, defense committees in Congress and base commands nationwide. Among its most prominent areas of work is transition assistance for military personnel, including programs to help wounded warriors through medical discharge and into the VA health-care system. The full-commission division also supports the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command, Junior ROTC programs and law-enforcement components of the organization’s mission, as well as the Blood Donor Program.
The American Legion Public Relations Division communicates the organization’s image, goals, programs and legislative priorities at the national, state and local levels through a variety of internal channels and outside media. The division produces and distributes frequent news releases and commentaries from the national commander, as well as video presentations from a recording studio inside National Headquarters in Indianapolis. In addition, the division prepares many guides, programs and brochures for local posts to use to build awareness for such events as Patriot Day, Veterans Day and an annual “Positions and Programs” publication, as well as speeches and management of the Legiontown, USA Web site – an online venue for posts to share success stories. Public Relations is also responsible for outside media relations – including interviews with the national commander and reporting of national events. Each year at The American Legion’s Washington Conference, a national Public Relations Award is presented. Among the past winners are Ben Stein, Lou Dobbs and Tom Brokaw. The division, which has a full commission, also administers the annual Fourth Estate Award for excellence in journalism.
One of the four pillars of The American Legion, Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation is dedicated to timely and compassionate delivery of benefits – including health-care services – earned by U.S. military veterans. One of the division’s marquee programs is Department Service Officer School, which provides accredited training for American Legion service officers throughout the nation. The curriculum for these schools includes education on veterans law, as well as changes in the veterans benefits claims and appeals processes. The American Legion provides staff representation at the Board of Veterans Appeals in Washington to help veterans appealing a decision to navigate through the maze of regulations and paperwork relevant to their cases. The VA&R field-service staff conducts regular site visits to VA medical facilities and produces the “System Worth Saving” report for Congress and others. The VA&R division is the Legion’s eyes and ears in Washington about all issues related to VA, particularly benefits and health care. The division also offers representation to veterans dealing with discharge disputes and correction of military records. The VA&R Division also manages the Heroes to Hometowns program, which connects local Legionnaires to severely wounded veterans to help them transition back to civilian life. VA&R also administers the Legion’s involvement with VA Volunteer Services, which provides countless hours of cost-free staffing at VA facilities nationwide.
The Membership Support Services Division is responsible for the management of programs related to the acquisition of new members and retention of existing members. The division manages the Direct Mail Solicitation (DMS) program, which offers membership to qualifying veterans through direct mail offers. The division also assists in the administration of the Direct Renewal Program in which renewal reminders are mailed to existing members. Additionally, the division is responsible for all mailing, fulfillment and shipping activities related to the Legion Membership programs and other member communication activities.
The division is also responsible for the management of the Member Discount Programs. Numerous product and service providers work with The American Legion to provide discounts to members in areas including travel, auto and truck rental, home services, and prescription drug and eyewear discounts.
The Fundraising Division is responsible for the development and growth of a non-member fundraising program, as well as the implementation and management of comprehensive strategies for planned giving, major gifts, corporate support and affinity insurance programs. This division is also responsible for maintaining a competitive portfolio of fundraising campaigns available for use by the state departments.
| © 2010 The American Legion. All Rights Reserved. | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Social Computing Guidelines | Shop Online | Donate | Join the Legion | Legion A-Z | Contact Us |
