PenFed Military Heroes Grant

Amount

$50,000 fixed grant.

Deadline

LOI expected to open January 2026; invitations for full proposals typically follow in spring with decisions in June.

Effort & Priority

Effort: 6 | Priority: Worth Exploring
Success probability: Medium.

Match

No formal match.

Program Snapshot

Focus: Honoring and empowering service members, veterans, and their families—especially in the Legacy track supporting education and remembrance.
Alignment: FOH scholarships help military spouses and children pursue education, reinforcing financial resilience and honoring service—squarely within PenFed’s aims.
Competition: Moderate. FOH must clearly connect scholarships to PenFed’s emphasis on transition, leadership, and community resilience.

Application Checklist

LOI summarizing mission alignment, target population, measurable outcomes, and budget.
Full proposal (if invited) detailing theory of change, evaluation plan, budget, and partnership narrative.
Financial statements, IRS letter, and organizational overview.
Letters of support encouraged—identify partner testimonials (e.g., Travis Manion Foundation, Hiring Our Heroes).

Strategic Fit

Position FOH as advancing PenFed’s “Legacy” pillar—educating the next generation of military families. Focus on how scholarships alleviate financial burdens during transitions (e.g., post-injury adjustments) and foster leadership opportunities for recipients.

Include collaborative angles: mentorship, career pathways, or leadership programming we can integrate with partners to stand out from purely financial aid applicants.

Success Factors

Describe how FOH scholarships stabilize households during a servicemember’s injury, death, or transition.
Share concrete metrics (awards, graduation rates, testimonial quotes) and highlight scholarship recipients who give back to their communities.
Showcase collaborations PenFed loves to see—joint programming with leadership orgs (TMF), mentorship (ACP), or employment partners.

Risks & Mitigation

Fit nuance: PenFed often funds transition/career programs. Emphasize how educating spouses and children directly aids long-term transition success.
Limited award size: Manage effort by repurposing narrative elements from DAV/BWF proposals.

ROI & Next Steps

$50,000 ÷ ~30 hours ≈ $1,600/hour. Submit LOI in January, line up partner quotes, and be ready with data dashboards for the full application in spring.

Draft reusable LOI copy by December 20.
Monitor PenFed’s Military Heroes portal for application launch.
Collect at least one testimonial from a scholarship spouse who exemplifies transition success.