Strategic Plan
Empowering student veterans and connecting them with resources, opportunities, and community.
SVA 2025-2029 Strategic Initiatives
This plan encompasses five goals with a focus on relationships, chapter value, advocacy, academic and employment support, and enhancing infrastructure. By concentrating on these specific focus areas, it will allow us to fulfill our vision and purpose, and to enhance the experience for anyone who calls themselves a Student Veteran of America.
The National President & CEO in conjunction with the Board of Directors and Headquarters Staff designed and implemented the strategic planning process.
01. Deepen SVA HQ’s relationships with chapters and members and scale direct support for chapters
Importance
Only 24% of chapters report having a strong relationship with SVA HQ. Additionally, chapters are underutilizing SVA HQ’s chapter supports, with only about 25% of chapters reporting that they are aware of the chapter supports, such as one-on-one consultations. Further, chapter sustainability challenges, low rates of compliance with SVA requirements, and disrupted communications during chapter leadership transitions make it hard to track which chapters are active. This lack of clarity can make it difficult to allocate resources (including staff capacity).
Vision for Success
A majority of chapters report a strong connection to SVA HQ and know about / seek out SVA’s chapter resources and supports, as measured by the annual survey and the number of chapters that seek out supports from HQ.
Partnerships
Engage funders and companies to sponsor events, as well as, engage alumni as donors.
Objectives
- Additional outreach coordinators to support revised outreach strategy.
- Direct funding for chapters to enable increased engagement with SVA.
- Increased travel to campuses.
- Research capacity to enable feedback loops on chapters’ perceptions of programming and supports.
- Technology investments to support relationships with chapters.
02. Align chapters around the goal of sense of belonging and showcase the value of chapters and belonging to external stakeholders
Importance
At least 20 studies from the last 15 years have demonstrated a link between a greater sense of belonging and better academic outcomes. 51% of chapters are focused on building a meaningful community (and, in turn, facilitating feelings of belonging for members), while the other 49% are divided across 8 other goals that don’t directly tie to sense of belonging. Highlighting how the presence of an SVA chapter impacts student veterans’ success can bolster external support for chapters, including among school administrators and funders.
Vision for Success
SVA can show that chapters have a positive impact on student veterans’ sense of belonging and, in turn, positively impact academic outcomes, as measured by belonging study and other tools identified by the research team. This evidence base is used to increase attention and support from external stakeholders (e.g., funders, universities).
Partnerships
Continue building pipelines of funders to support the work of chapters and the infrastructure required to measure chapter impact.
Objectives
- Communications / marketing capacity to (1) support the development of materials for chapters that represent SVA’s brand and reflect the ultimate goal of facilitating sense of belonging and (2) refine external communications about the value proposition of chapters.
- Data analysis capacity (including visual data analysis capacity) to measure chapter impact on belonging and academic outcomes.
- Major gifts research and stewardship to source and manage funding that supports chapter-related research and activities.
03. Continue building on research and advocacy efforts to increase political and public support of student veterans
Importance
There is a lack of reliable, accessible, and focused data / research about veterans and student veterans (e.g., graduation rates, economic effects of enlisting). Policy / legislation is not meeting the needs of student veterans (e.g., monthly housing allowance, National Guard and Reserve parity).
Vision for Success
By publishing high-quality and widely accessible data / research on student veterans, SVA becomes regarded as the subject matter expert on student veterans, as measured by inbound requests. SVA HQ and the Policy Liaison Program (PLP) influence changes to state and federal policy to better meet the needs of student veterans, as measured by legislative changes.
Partnerships
Establish partnerships with universities or colleges for IRB-approval and other organizations that contribute to advancing policy efforts.
Objectives
- Grant writing to source and manage funding for research.
- Research capacity to drive qualitative analysis .
- Marketing and Communications capacity to promote data and research.
- Grow the advocacy team.
- Legal fellow to oversee regulatory efforts at the federal level Education Benefits Case Manager to support with 1:1 cases.
04. Address the unmet needs of transitioning service members and veterans through the Advising Center and Career Center
Importance
Pew analysis found the median loan amount for veteran undergrads was $500 higher than nonveteran undergrad borrowers; ZipRecruiter and Call of Duty Endowment found nearly one-third of veteran job seekers are underemployed, which may result from the transition process itself. Many stakeholders named challenges that veterans face in finding a college that fit their needs.
Vision for Success
The Advising Center will help place transitioning service-members into a best-fit pathway, as measured by number of users placed into a best-fit pathway, and will increase chapter membership by connecting users to chapters on campuses. Career Center will be perceived as a trusted agent for employers and veterans, helping place veterans into interest-aligned opportunities that pay an equitable wage, as measured by veterans that attain their career goals through Career Center services. Together, the Advising Center and Career Center are a one-stop shop for supporting transitioning service members and their families.
Partnerships
Engage funders to contribute to sustainability and scalability, as well as, work with third parties to build and/or maintain tech infrastructure. Also, access transitioning service members and encourage the use of the Advising Center and Career Center.
Objectives
- Career and education coaching to provide 1:1 consults with NAAC users, on an as needed basis: 3 FTEs by 2028.
- Campus relations specialists to steward relationships with universities: 2 FTEs by 2028.
- Employer relations specialists to steward relationships with employers: 2 FTEs by 2028.
- Technology expenses to support full suite of services in MySVA.
- Visual data analysis capacity to measure engagement and track impact.
05. Enhance supporting capabilities and invest in infrastructure to unlock the full benefits of the strategy
Build capacity that supports all parts of the organization and develop organization-wide systems and processes.
Importance
Enhancing supporting capabilities and investing in infrastructure are critical for scaling the organization’s impact and achieving long-term sustainability. This initiative includes building the internal systems, technologies, and processes that will enable seamless operations across all functions. It involves the development of a highly effective and efficient infrastructure that fosters innovation, improves performance, and enables the organization to respond agilely to changing needs. By investing in these foundational capabilities, the organization will unlock the full potential of its strategy and maximize value for student veterans and their families.
Vision for Success
Success in this area means having efficient systems that help the organization run smoothly and effectively serve veterans. We envision streamlined operations where staff work together easily, supported by modern technology that improves communication and data sharing. By investing in infrastructure, we aim to increase our capacity to serve more veterans while maintaining or improving service quality. We'll also track improvements in operational efficiency, aiming for a notable reduction in administrative time spent on repetitive tasks through automation and better processes. The result will be a more agile and resilient organization, capable of adapting to evolving needs while driving mission-aligned outcomes.
Partnerships
Achieving this vision will require strategic partnerships with technology providers, higher education institutions, and organizations specializing in operating models, organizational design, and systems integration. Collaborating with funders focused on capacity building, such as private foundations, corporate philanthropy, and federal grant programs, will be crucial. These partners can provide both financial resources and technical expertise, ensuring the organization has the necessary tools to invest in infrastructure that drives long-term sustainability.
Objectives
- Hire additional full-time employees to support: salesforce, fundraising, marketing and communications, data analysis, facilities, and office management.
- Maintain current mix of full-time employees and contracted services for: finance and accounting, IT, marketing and communications, and HR.
- Continue to integrate across platforms and systems.
- Invest in additional technological advancements..
- Complete move to new office space.
How You Can Help
Be part of the solution and help empower student veterans.