ALA Administrative Year Focus

2024-2025 National Focus

As a membership organization, American Legion Auxiliary members make a difference every day for our veterans, military, and their families. 

Our membership numbers change from year to year for various reasons, which can impact the outreach we are able to do. 

The American Legion Auxiliary has seen in recent years that small-town rural environments are struggling, leadership capacity is dwindling, membership is aging and churning, and infrastructure is weakening. 

These reasons related to our membership have led Ward to an ALA national focus on helping reinvigorate our organization through membership — from the ground up.  

Ward is visiting ALA departments (states) during her term as national president to share a content enablement experience to help departments help their units succeed. Leveraging her deep business acumen as a senior lead project manager and corporate trainer, Ward looks to bring her skills to empower departments to build organizational excellence. During the visits, she will focus on how to build leadership capacity and share knowledge on how to stop the trend of units surrendering their charters. 

To help motivate and guide departments, Ward established the Department Merit Medallion Recognition. There are five established areas of focus that, if achieved, will drive business and operational excellence:

• Achieve 85% membership benchmark goal by March 15, 2025.
• Submit department impact report.
• Governance excellence (Constitution & Bylaws annual review, board responsibilities, disciplinary process, meeting and voting authority).
• Financial policies and process (990 compliance, audit standards).
• Financial donation obligations (ALA Foundation Veteran Projects Fund, Auxiliary Emergency Fund). 

Download the Merit Medallion checklist

Merit Medallion Form

Members are also invited to join the Renew Crew. These are the people who get things done — with or without a title; people who, when asked, will jump in to help; people who are looking for actionable items and want to make an impact; people who are interested in moving the needle for our organization; and people who are positive, innovative, and visionary. 

ALA Department Excellence Initiative