Military Family Advisory Network, Inc.

Connecting Military Families to the Resources They Need

aka Military Family Advisory Network, Inc.   |   Shawnee, KS   |  www.militaryfamilyadvisorynetwork.org

Mission

MFAN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to building a community of military and veteran families, at home and abroad, who are well informed about important resources designed to serve them, equipped with tools for success, connected to leaders who serve the military family community, and embraced by the general public. We translate the needs of military and veteran families in a way that service providers can understand and facilitate services that speak coherently to our families. We convene leaders and influencers within the military family community who, through collaboration with outside organizations and effective communications, elevate and amplify the voice of military and veteran families everywhere.

Ruling year info

2014

President & Executive Director

Ms. Shannon Razsadin

Main address

Military Family Advisory Network 22015 W. 66th Street, Box 860635

Shawnee, KS 66286 USA

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EIN

46-3173337

NTEE code info

Military/Veterans' Organizations (W30)

Human Service Organizations (P20)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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.

Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Families

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.

Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Families

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.

Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Families

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.

Population(s) Served
Adults

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.

Population(s) Served
Military personnel
Veterans
Families

Where we work

Accreditations

BBB Charitable Seal of Approval 2020

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

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.

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.

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.

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

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • 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

Military Family Advisory Network, Inc.
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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 directors
as of 2/4/2021
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

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

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 02/04/2021

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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Decline to state

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/28/2021

GuideStar 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

Data
  • 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.
Policies and processes
  • 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.