Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

Founded in 1904, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society operates over 200 offices ashore and afloat at Navy and Marine Corps bases throughout the world. The Society provides financial, educational, and other assistance to active duty and retired members of the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps, their eligible family members, and survivors to help them achieve financial self-sufficiency and find solutions to emergency financial needs. In 2021, the Society provided over $29.5 million need-based interest-free loans and grants, including $1.6 million in critical incident response related aid, to approx. 34,800 Sailors, Marines and their families around the world. The assistance provided by NMCRS directly impacted the mission-readiness of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and the quality of life of those who are serving our country in uniform, or retired from service.

As a non-profit, volunteer service organization, we use both financial and non-financial resources t

Goal One: NMCRS’s focus on education and health has resulted in the scholarship program growing by more than 100% over the past year. The Society has also expanded the Visiting Nurse program by over 33%.

Goal Two: NMCRS created the COVID-19 Rapid Response Loan to aid Sailors and Marines impacted by the pandemic. Up to $1,500 was available to those who had lost an income, needed virtual learning supplies, etc.

Goal Three: To better serve our clients, NMCRS is making a one-time investment to update current software. This will result in a more streamlined process for loan applications and payment disbursements.

NMCRS has a robust training program. The Society's training department has area trainers that provide one-on-one and group training at each of our locations around the globe, in addition there is an internal online training program that both staff and volunteers have access to that cover a multitude of topics. Five of the six members of NMCRS leadership team are new in their roles. As the team learns to work together through monthly leadership meetings, the officers benefit from the decades of experience and military leadership of the CEO and COO. As the officers learn the strengths and weaknesses of the Society and its programs and services a strategic plan will be implemented for leadership training. Both new board and the members of the newly formed Advisory Council have on-boarding education packets.

COVID-19 severely impacted the way NMCRS operated, as all programs were based on face-to-face appointments. With 52 field offices and over 150 smaller locations both ashore and afloat, the Society had relied on personal contact to fulfill client’s needs. Social distancing and health conditions across all global locations impeded the ability to continue to operate in pre-COVID conditions. Offices had to reduce hours or close completely, and the Society’s 31 thrift shops were closed as a safety precaution. While COVID-19 brought on challenges, it allowed the Society to innovate and finds new ways to fulfill the mission and remain focused on the wellbeing of active duty and retired Sailors, Marines and their families. The NMCRS local offices processed budgets over the phone and scheduled appointments to limit in-office contact for loan and grant applications. The Society created virtual budget for baby classes, and Visiting Nurse program began telehealth appointments. NMCRS offered electronic payments instead of providing a check for those who received assistance. As we move forward, we continue to offer telehealth appointments and are looking to expand the electronic payment types currently offered. NMCRS created the COVID-19 Rapid Response Loan to aid Sailors and Marines impacted by the pandemic. Up to $1,500 was available to those who had lost an income, needed virtual learning supplies, etc