July 1: deadline to apply for a Mission Blue Post Assistance grant

The American Legion’s Mission Blue Post Assistance Program has provided nearly $900,000 in grants to over 700 posts. These grants help American Legion posts that have been financially affected by COVID-19 pay current or past due rent, mortgage, utilities and insurance premiums.

Sykesville Memorial Post 223 in Maryland received a Mission Blue grant and “is very appreciative” of it wrote Mark Milby, the post finance officer. “As we are slowly climbing out of the devastating effects that COVID has done to our post, the grant that we received helped us keep the lights on and pay the electric bill for the post.”

The Mission Blue Post Assistance Program went into effect following the adoption of Resolution No. 36 by the National Executive Committee during the 2020 Fall Meetings. The resolution enables eligible posts financially affected by COVID-19 government restrictions to receive up to a $1,000 grant. Additional eligibilty requirement changes went into effect during the 2021 Fall Meetings for posts to receive up to $2,000. 

For the Mission Blue grant, any post that:

- Meets all the requirements except for naming the national organization as an additional insured and/or has not filed a 2021 Consolidated Post Report can receive up to $1,000.

- Received a grant prior to the eligibility requirement changes that went into effect following the 2021 Fall Meetings can reapply to receive another $1,000 as long as they have a certificate of insurance for a current policy at the time of submitting a subsequent application.

Download a Mission Blue Post Assistance application here. All applications must be submitted by July 1, 2022, to receive a grant. 

American Legion posts that received a Mission Blue Post Assistance grant are required to submit a grant report within six months of the grant/check issue date. There is a standardized grant report that is sent out with every inclusion letter to the department for the recipient posts. A fillable PDF version is available. Please send an email request for the fillable PDF to ia@legion.org. 

When completing the Mission Blue Post Assistance grant report, a post needs to only report how the grant was utilized. For example, $250 used for insurance and $750 used for utilities. Reported figures should not exceed the amount that was awarded.

Resolution No. 36 eligibility criteria for posts

1. A Consolidated Post Report on file at National Headquarters.

2. Filed an IRS 990 within the prescribed due date.

3. Filed all other required forms and reports as prescribed by the department.

4. Actively participated in one or more American Legion programs within the last 18 months.

5. A financial need.

6. A certificate of insurance for all liability coverage naming The American Legion doing business as (dba) The American Legion National Headquarters and the post’s department as an additional insured. (Submit declaration page showing coverage.)

7. Documentation indicating that the post is properly incorporated.