Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Receives $4 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

Nonprofit relief society strengthens training, service delivery, and communications to better support the Coast Guard community nationwide.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA) has received a $4 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to strengthen its capacity to support Coast Guard members, families, and the broader Coast Guard community as demand for assistance grows and the Service expands.

The grant is one of 18 awarded by Lilly Endowment to military and veterans service organizations nationwide to help build organizational capacity and enhance direct support for service members, veterans, and their families.

CGMA will use this funding to improve the training and effectiveness of its volunteer CGMA representatives and to modernize communications and outreach, ensuring Coast Guard members and leaders know where to turn for help when they need it most.

Improving service delivery and training for CGMA representatives
CGMA's small operations team works alongside more than 600 volunteer CGMA representatives embedded across hundreds of Coast Guard units worldwide. This grant will help standardize onboarding and ongoing training, reducing variability and strengthening the quality, consistency, and speed of support as case volume continues to grow.

Planned investments include developing standardized training materials; launching a Learning Management System (LMS) for onboarding and refresher training; hosting recurring virtual town halls and an annual training conference; piloting a more secure eligibility verification process; adding surge case-management support; and strengthening program evaluation and impact measurement.

Modernizing CGMA's communications, marketing, and outreach
The grant also supports the creation of a dedicated communications and marketing function to increase awareness of CGMA's services, strengthen donor engagement, and ensure Coast Guard members learn about CGMA early in their careers, before financial stress becomes a crisis.

Planned initiatives include hiring a Chief of Communications and Marketing; expanding creative and digital support; producing video content; redesigning CGMA's website; increasing visibility through sponsorships and community events; and using automation and AI to improve stakeholder communications and donor engagement.

"This investment strengthens CGMA's ability to serve Coast Guard families with greater consistency, speed, and care—while building the infrastructure we need for the future," said Brooke Millard, retired Coast Guard commander and CEO of CGMA. "It ensures we remain ready to Help Our Own, at the speed of need, for generations to come."

About Coast Guard Mutual Assistance
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA) is the official aid society of the U.S. Coast Guard, strengthening financial security across the Coast Guard community. Guided by its vision of eliminating financial worry through shared resources and trusted support, CGMA turns today's challenges into tomorrow's stability. In 2024, CGMA fulfilled more than 6,000 requests for financial help and provided over $8.5 million in support.
For more information, visit https://mycgma.org/ or follow @myCGMA on Facebook and Instagram.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders' wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion.

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SOURCE Coast Guard Mutual Assistance