Military Family Advisory Network, Inc.
Connecting Military Families to the Resources They Need
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The military recruits the service member, but retains the family. The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) prepares military families for the challenges associated with military life so they are empowered to take care of themselves and their families.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
MilCents
MFAN created MilCents, a self-guided online financial education program for military families The program works for a couple of key reasons: It’s simple and it’s social. Since we launched the program in 2015, participation has grown by 112 percent.
Military Family Support Programming Survey
Every two years, MFAN conducts the Military Family Support Programming Survey, which gives military and veteran families an opportunity to speak their minds on topics like wellness, education, PCSing, finances, child care, and military retirement. From the survey
results, we gather what modern military families need and how we can best serve them.
MilMap
With moves every 2.5 years, it can be hard to get connected to the local community. MFAN created MilMap, a user-generated resource locator that helps military families find organizations in their area that can offer support and camaraderie. All they have to do is put in their ZIP code or duty station! Military families can also add information about the organizations they are involved with. The MFAN team then vets those programs before adding them to MilMap.
MFAN Advisory Board
One of MFAN’s greatest assets is our advisory board: a group of military and veteran spouses who are also leaders in their communities. All of our advisors bring different backgrounds to the table, giving MFAN a fuller understanding of what military families need and value. Through the diverse networks of each advisory board member, MFAN is able to implement a peer influencer model, which allows for real, authentic connection and information sharing across the military and veteran community.
Advisors meet on a monthly basis through video conferences and three times a year for in-person meetings. We talk about what we are seeing, hearing, and experiencing in our military communities, and when a challenge is raised, we work together to find the best solution. During these meetings, advisors also regularly review programs and resources presented by other organizations, providing candid feedback informed by their experiences as members of a military family. This work really is a group effort — and that approach underscores everything we do.
MFAN Convenings
The purpose of the Military Family Family Financial Readiness Coalition (MFFRC), is to bring together both public and private organizations committed to the financial wellness and stability of military families. The MFFRC provides an opportunity for organizations with a vested interest in the financial wellbeing of military families to share ideas, lessons learned, best practices, challenges, and opportunities; to more effectively serve our families and respond to their evolving needs.
The primary goal of the Military Housing Roundtable (MHR) is to support all military families in their homes regardless of where they choose to live and ensuring access to healthy, safe, and affordable housing. The MHR will serve as one of the primary mechanisms for coordination and collaboration across organizations and will demonstrate the need for transparent and accountable public-private partnerships when addressing the housing needs of the modern military family.
The goal of the Military Family Food Insecurity Coalition (MFFIC) is to move the needle on military family food insecurity through data-driven collaboration with key partners to raise awareness of this issue, identify resources that are currently available to meet immediate needs, and develop programs that will help to reduce military family food insecurity in the future.
Where we work
Accreditations
BBB Charitable Seal of Approval 2020
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of groups brought together in a coalition/alliance/partnership
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Military personnel, Veterans
Related Program
Military Family Support Programming Survey
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
MFAN currently has 3 coalitions/roundtables, with many partners, in addition to our advisory board meetings. This number is a simple estimate of partners, not indicative of how many times they met.
Number of unique website visitors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Veterans, Military personnel, Families
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The MIlitary Family Advisory Network serves three primary purposes: understand military families, connect military families to resources, and deliver impact that yields positive outcomes for military families.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Research: MFAN convenes leaders and influencers in the military community for two primary reasons: to understand the diverse needs of military families, and to tap into the networks of our members to build awareness of the programs and resources designed to serve them. Through what we hear from our members, also known as our advisory board, and insights from our research and surveys, we respond to the needs of military families through collaborative efforts that connect military families with trusted resources.
Strategic Partnerships: MFAN takes a collaborative approach to all efforts. Each programmatic effort is designed to introduce military families to trusted, vetted resources offered by public and private organizations.
Cutting-edge Communications: MFAN uses impact-driven communications tools and tactics to connect with the modern-day military family. We work to connect with military families where they are, and through communications strategies that deliver information in a meaningful, straightforward way.
Program Evaluation: MFAN uses theory of change and web analytics to evaluate the impact of each program. Based on what we learn, we optimize programs to ensure our programs are not only used, but also driving positive change.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
MFAN's talented staff, Board of Directors, and Advisory Board bring a variety of expertise to our organization. MFAN also receives pro-bono communications support from a communicatons firm.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
MFAN has launched three convenings that assess the needs of military families and also deliver on those needs by connecting families to the myriad of diverse programs available for military families.
Through our research, we have also identified military families' concerns, such as inadequate housing, and have brought those concerns to the change-makers.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees,
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
-
What significant change resulted from feedback?
As a national nonprofit, MFAN has uncovered challenges that face military families globally. Our research, agility, and peer advisory board have positioned us at the forefront of national conversations, which has led to policy changes, program development, and national collaboratives. As we look at our data, we know that not all struggles can be solved on a national stage. Many problems require local solutions—this is true for food insecurity. MFAN recently hosted a food distribution event in the Fort Hood area, where data indicated 1 in 6 military family respondents were struggling with food insecurity.
-
With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Military Family Advisory Network, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 2/4/2021
Mrs. Rosemary Williams
Deloitte
Rory Brosius
Jack Benson
Kevin Miller
Erin Ward
Tammy Moore
Rosemary Williams
Joseph Kopser
Denny Darnell
Charlene Austin
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/28/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.