Nonprofit organizations play a significant role in the ecosystem of support for service members during their transition to veteran status and the civilian job market. The authors describe the philanthropic environment and landscape for nonprofits that provide employment support to veterans, propose a framework for measuring the nonprofits' effectiveness, and consider how public-private partnerships might support the veteran employment mission.

The Role, Effectiveness, and Sustainability of Nonprofit Organizations That Provide Employment Support for Veterans

Edited by Carrie M. Farmer, Kayla M. Williams, Meredith Kleykamp

Contributors: Brandon F. De Bruhl, R. Gordon Rinderknecht, Shaddy K. Saba, Julia Vidal Verástegui, Jennie W. Wenger

ResearchPublished Oct 24, 2024

Nonprofit organizations play a significant role in the ecosystem of support for service members during their transition to veteran status and the civilian job market; the efforts of these organizations have likely contributed to veterans having lower unemployment rates than nonveterans for several years. While this support is essential, we know very little about which organizations and which employment models are especially effective in supporting veteran employment. And at the same time, there has been concern about the sustainability of the veteran nonprofit sector as a whole, which could threaten the continued sustainability of effective organizations that support veteran employment.

RAND researchers sought to describe the landscape for nonprofit organizations that are providing employment support to veterans, provide a framework for measuring and assessing the nonprofits' effectiveness, describe the philanthropic environment in which these organizations operate, and consider how public-private partnerships might help to ensure that high-quality organizations providing effective employment support to veterans can continue to fulfill this important mission. Overall, recent trends in revenue and public opinion about philanthropic donations for this sector were strong; however, strengthening public-private partnerships could diversify funding streams and increase sustainability among organizations the government relies on.

Key Findings

  • Although veteran unemployment is lower than nonveteran unemployment, many veterans who are transitioning still face challenges finding meaningful employment.
  • Veteran-serving nonprofit organizations often supplement federal transition programs and initiatives, especially in providing individualized employment services.
  • Veteran employment nonprofit organizations often monitor and assess their inputs and outputs but do not use common metrics of program effectiveness.
  • Veteran-serving nonprofit revenue appears strong, but some traditionally large organizations are experiencing declining budgets.
  • There is opportunity for more-diverse financial support for nonprofit organizations that assist with veteran employment.
  • Increased collaboration between government and the nonprofit sector could serve the public good in supporting veteran employment, but challenges need to be acknowledged and addressed.

Recommendations

  • Federal agencies should increase transparency about public-private partnership programs to reduce information asymmetry.
  • Federal agencies should appropriately fund nonprofit partners engaged in public-private partnerships.
  • Federal agencies should require veteran employment–focused organizations that receive federal grant funding to report in a standardized way on a common set of program process and outcome evaluation metrics.
  • Federal agencies should consider a long-term strategy using a "whole of government" approach to support public-private partnerships for transitioning service members and veterans.
  • Corporation and foundation donors should require grantees to use similar metrics.
  • Corporation and foundation donors should develop a definition of a high-quality veteran employment organization.
  • Corporation and foundation donors should support additional research on underemployment.
  • Veteran-serving nonprofit organizations should identify opportunities to participate in public-private partnerships.
  • Veteran-serving nonprofit organizations should consider direct appeals for philanthropic support.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 2024
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 118
  • Paperback Price: $32.00
  • Paperback ISBN/EAN: 1-9774-1430-3
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA1363-10
  • Document Number: RR-A1363-10

Citation

RAND Style Manual

Farmer, Carrie M., Kayla M. Williams, and Meredith Kleykamp, eds., The Role, Effectiveness, and Sustainability of Nonprofit Organizations That Provide Employment Support for Veterans, RAND Corporation, RR-A1363-10, 2024. As of May 1, 2025: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1363-10.html

Chicago Manual of Style

Farmer, Carrie M., Kayla M. Williams, and Meredith Kleykamp, eds., The Role, Effectiveness, and Sustainability of Nonprofit Organizations That Provide Employment Support for Veterans. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1363-10.html. Also available in print form.
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The research described in this report was funded by The Heinz Endowments and and conducted by the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute within RAND Education and Labor.

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