Handmade Brigade Inc
Supporting America's military with warmth and gratitude
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
America's military and Veteran communities often do not receive the support and appreciation they so richly deserve. Whether deployed oversea and separated from family and friends or having returned to the States and feeling forgotten and alone, they sacrificed so much for our freedom and safety. Handmade Brigade is proud to give back to these brave individuals with our American-made hats and scarves.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Scarves for Sailors
hand-knit and donate 140 scarves to the crew of the USS Virginia, an attack submarine homeported in Groton, CT -- delivered to subbase New London August 2018
OORAH knits
hand-knit and donate winter hats to active-duty members of the US Marine Corps -- completed March 2018
Oscar Mike Militia donation
hand-knit and donate winter hats to the Oscar Mike Militia, the only all-Veteran wheelchair rugby team in the US -- completed July 2017
Warm A Homeless Vet
handmade winter hats and scarves for homeless and at-risk Veterans in Fort Carson, CO -- completed November 2018
Where we work
External reviews

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?
Handmade Brigade's mission is to thank our military personnel and Veterans for their service to our country through the gift of handcrafted winter hats and scarves. Our items are all lovingly made by volunteers across the USA using only American-made yarns and materials. We are honored to support America's troops and Veterans with warmth and gratitude.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Over the past three years, we have built a network of talented craftspeople from across the country -- knitters and crocheters with the desire to give back to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces. We have connected with many people through social media, where there is a very active crafting community, and have also started reaching out to local civic organizations, churches and retirement communities to grow our volunteer base even more.
We have also had the good fortune to connect with a number of other nonprofits to grow awareness of the need for increased support of our military and Veteran communities as well as expanding into new regions for the donation of our items (i.e. military personnel deployed to overseas combat zones).
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
In three short years, Handmade Brigade has grown from a single volunteer knitter to a team of more than a dozen talented knitters and crocheters spanning from Maine to California, with more volunteer inquiries coming in each month. The more volunteers we have, the more items we receive and the more troops and Veterans we can support with our handmade warmth and gratitude.
We have also worked hard to reach out to individual donors via social media and through local community events. In 2018, we were able to increase our donations 1224% from 2017.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Over the past three years, Handmade Brigade has made and donated:
* scarves to the crew of a U.S. Navy submarine, the USS Virginia
* hats to Marines deploying from Camp Pendleton
* hats and scarves to Warriors Warehouse - a nonprofit in Fort Carson, Colorado, that supports local homeless/at-risk Veterans and low-income military families
* hats for the Oscar Mike Militia - the only all-Veteran wheelchair rugby team in the U.S.
* hats for Veterans at the Denver VA Hospital as part of a holiday gift event
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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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.
Handmade Brigade Inc
Board of directorsas of 07/17/2019
Patricia Howard
Ruth Ann Leather
Carolyn Shearin
Mark Melsa
Diane Schabinger
Liz Howard
Paige Johnson