About Us
How It All Began
ASMBA (Armed Services Mutual Benefit Association) was established in 1963 by a small group of military flyers headed for Vietnam who, knowing they were heading into harm’s way, understood that they needed to provide some added financial security for their families. Finding that they couldn’t obtain insurance coverage through existing channels because they were going to a war zone, they put their heads together and came up with a way to safeguard their families peace of mind. They created ASMBA as a non-profit fraternal military association, which continues to provide security and peace of mind for all members of the Armed Services, whether active and retired, with no rank, duty, or geographical restrictions. They believed then, and still do today, that the men and women who serve our country deserve affordable protection.
In 2006, the ASMBA Board of Governors and the Board of Advisors decided that the time had come to serve the military community in ways other than insurance, and began the process of creating a not-for-profit foundation to assist the military community. Towards that goal, they authorized the establishment of a foundation to be the charitable arm of ASMBA.
About the Foundation
The ASMBA STAR Foundation was created on April 2, 2008, as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, non-commercial, tax exempt corporation located in Nashville, Tennessee. In keeping with the intent of the founders of ASMBA, the ASMBA STAR Foundation is a voluntary association of persons dedicated to improving the quality of life for all military personnel, veterans, and their families. The Foundation is committed to sound fiscal responsibility. You can view our Form 990 here.
Funding
The funding for the ASMBA STAR Foundation is provided by a yearly grant from the Armed Services Mutual Benefit Association, and by financial support from other non-profit organizations and individuals from the military community and the general public. To learn how you can contribute to the Foundation, click here.
The Board
There are seven (7) voting members of the ASMBA STAR Foundation’s Board of Directors, all of whom serve as volunteers, and who meet regularly to review grant applications and make decisions on how to distribute the Foundation’s funds. Voting members of the Board are:
- Major General Timothy Peppe, USAF (Ret.), Chair
- Colonel Edward A. Glowatski, USAF (Ret.), Vice-Chair
- Lieutenant Colonel William P. Acker, Jr., USAF (Ret.)
- Lieutenant Colonel Col. Larry Dagley, USAFR (Ret.)
- HMCM (SS/FMF) Dennis Tonneslan, USN (Ret.)
- Mr. Frank Bumstead, Chair, FBMS Financial, Inc.
- Mr. Carter Howard, President, The Carter Company
In addition, assisting are the following four (4) non-voting members of the Foundation’s Board:
- Colonel Michael G. McConnell, USAF (Ret.), President, ASMBA
- Colonel Joseph Dougherty, USAF (Ret.), Vice-President, ASMBA
- Mr. Brice Smith, Controller, CPA, ASMBA
- Mrs. Cheryl Stone, Vice-President for Operations, ASMBA
Our Mission
The mission of The ASMBA STAR Foundation is to improve the quality of life of the military service member, veterans and their families by contributing to those financial, educational, social, employment and medical needs unmet by the U.S. Government. The ASMBA STAR Foundation attempts to identify and respond to the military and veteran community needs by:
- Cultivating and maintaining effective partnerships with individuals, businesses, government, and other veterans organizations; and
- Communicating with the military service member, veterans, and their families to better identify those needs.
Our Vision
The ASMBA Star Foundation seeks to be recognized as a premier provider of programs, benefits and services designed to improve the quality of life for the military service member, veterans and their families.
Our Core Values
- Excellence in pursuit of achievement. We cannot accept being second best in any task we undertake. Each person, therefore, must accept the challenge of being dedicated to this principle and to the goals of the Foundation.
- Honesty in all our actions. Honesty demands adherence to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interest(s) of the military community. Our responsibility to the military community requires conduct based on honesty and accuracy in all communications and disclosures.
- Maintaining a high level of expertise. We keep our edge through professional development, research and education to enhance our understanding of the needs of the military community and to build credibility with those with whom we serve.
- Loyalty to our membership: Loyalty requires that each person representing the Foundation honor the obligation to serve the interests of the military community. It means keeping the welfare of those we serve in the forefront of our actions.
- Fairness to all. We strive to deal fairly with employees, peers, competitors, vendors, members of the Association, the public, and all those we serve. We are committed to treating all people with fairness, dignity and respect, regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, nationality or disability.
The ICA Seal of Excellence
The Independent Charities Seal of Excellence is awarded to the members of Independent Charities of America and Local Independent Charities of America that have, upon rigorous independent review, been able to certify, document, and demonstrate on an annual basis that they meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness. These standards include those required by the US Government for inclusion in the Combined Federal Campaign, probably the most exclusive fund drive in the world. Of the 1,000,000 charities operating in the United States today, it is estimated that fewer than 50,000, or 5 percent, meet or exceed these standards, and, of those, fewer than 2,000 have been awarded this Seal.
