The Mission Continues

The Mission Continues
Name	The Mission Continues
Founded	2007
Founder	Eric Greitens
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	St. Louis, Missouri
Area served	United States
Focus	Veteran service, community development, leadership

The Mission Continues is an American nonprofit veteran service organization founded in 2007 that empowers veterans to continue serving in their communities. It connects veterans with civic projects, partners with municipal institutions, and engages public figures and institutions to support veteran leadership. The organization has operated through volunteer platoons, fellowships, and national events to translate military experience into civic impact.

History

The organization was founded by Eric Greitens in 2007 following his service with United States Navy programs and deployments that connected him to veterans networks, including relationships with Veterans Affairs stakeholders and Department of Defense transition initiatives. Early operations involved collaborations with local civic leaders and public institutions in St. Louis, Missouri, networking with nonprofits such as Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and national service groups like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni. Growth in the 2010s included expansion to multiple cities, engagement with municipal mayors, ties to philanthropic donors including foundations similar to the Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation-style funders, and visibility through events featuring speakers from United States Congress, nongovernmental organizations like American Red Cross, and corporate partners comparable to Google and Goldman Sachs.

Mission and Programs

The stated mission centers on veteran civic engagement, leadership development, and community revitalization, operating programs that mirror models from service organizations such as Teach For America, Habitat for Humanity, and Samaritan's Purse. Core programs have included city-based platoons, leadership fellowships, service projects with local partners like YMCA, United Way, and municipal public works departments, and national initiatives aligned with policy conversations in United States Congress and advocacy platforms like AARP. Programmatic emphasis has been on translating leadership skills from deployments into community-organizing capacities used in partnerships with institutions including public schools, police departments, and urban planning offices associated with mayors and governors.

Organizational Structure

The organization operates with a national headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri and a network of city chapters led by veteran staff and volunteers, echoing governance practices seen in NGOs like American Legion and VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars). Leadership roles have included a chief executive officer, a board of directors drawn from military, nonprofit, corporate, and academic circles—comparable to boards of organizations such as United Way Worldwide and The Salvation Army—and advisory councils with members from institutions like Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University, and think tanks such as the Brookings Institution. Operational partnerships have often involved corporate human-resources departments resembling those at JP Morgan Chase and Microsoft for volunteer mobilization and skills-based hiring programs.

Impact and Outcomes

Reported outcomes include thousands of veteran volunteer hours, dozens of completed community projects in neighborhoods alongside partners like Habitat for Humanity, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and municipal parks departments, and placement of veterans into civic leadership roles comparable to positions in city council offices and nonprofit executive roles. The organization has showcased impacts at events with participants from White House initiatives, collaborations discussed in forums with National Governors Association, and recognition by civic award programs similar to Presidential Volunteer Service Award-type honors. Independent evaluations and media coverage by outlets such as The New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR have chronicled program successes and challenges.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding has come from individual donors, philanthropic foundations, corporate partners, and government grants paralleling relationships with entities like the Department of Veterans Affairs, Corporation for National and Community Service, and state-level grant programs. Corporate partnerships have involved companies and institutions comparable to Google, Goldman Sachs, Boeing, and regional healthcare systems. Foundation support has mirrored engagement from organizations like the Kellogg Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; fundraising events have drawn donors and public figures from United States Congress, corporate boards, and arts and sports communities.

Notable Initiatives and Events

Notable initiatives have included city platoon deployments for neighborhood revitalization, leadership fellowships that place veterans into civic roles, and national summits that convened leaders from Congress, Mayors of United States cities, nonprofit CEOs, and corporate executives. Events have featured keynote speakers from institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University, United States Naval Academy, and veteran leaders with ties to organizations like Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars. The organization has participated in national remembrance events, partnered on disaster response projects with groups like American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency, and collaborated with arts institutions and sports franchises on community engagement campaigns.

Criticisms and Controversies

The organization and its founder have faced scrutiny in public discourse, generating media investigations and scrutiny by civic watchdogs and reporters from outlets such as The New York Times, Washington Post, and ProPublica. Criticisms have involved governance questions, transparency in fundraising practices, and leadership transitions, echoing controversies seen in nonprofit sectors involving figures connected to political careers, public offices, and academic institutions like Princeton University and Naval Academy-affiliated networks. Responses included board changes, independent reviews, and leadership restructuring in ways similar to reforms undertaken by other nonprofit organizations following public scrutiny.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States