What we do
Veterans Opportunity Program Inc. was founded in 2015 around a simple observation: the hardest part of veteran benefits isn’t earning them — it’s claiming them. So we publish free, plain-English guides to VA disability claims, education, home loans, healthcare, and pension benefits, used by nearly 1,000 veterans and families every month. No accounts, no paywalls, no selling anyone’s information.
Behind the guides are three programs donors make possible: donated properties placed with veterans across the country, jump-start funding for veterans disability sports, and a retreat where veterans decompress from PTSD.
Where the volunteer program went
If you arrived here looking for our volunteer pages: we’ve simplified how we work with helpers. The best ways to support the mission today are a donation, a property gift, or simply telling a veteran about the free guides. Reach out if you want to help in another way — we read everything personally.
DonateLand — our land-donation program
Much of our funding comes from an unusual place: donated real estate. DonateLand.com is our program for land and lot donations — parcels that cost their owners money every year but won’t sell. Owners get a fair-market-value tax deduction; veterans get the proceeds — or sometimes the property itself.
Verify us — please
You should never give to an organization you haven’t checked. We are a registered 501(c)(3); our EIN is 47-3763471. Look us up in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, or review our Candid (GuideStar) profile, where we hold the 2026 Gold Seal of Transparency. Donation receipts and IRS Form 8283 signatures come from the registered entity.
Who runs it
A small team with low overhead, listed here so you know exactly who is behind this site. Reach any of us at [email protected].
- Katy Garvey — Executive Director
- Cindy DePaola — Program Manager
- Kelly Smith — Director
- William (Bill) Inman — Veteran Advisor
- Robert (Bob) Lemon — Veteran Advisor
- Will Bower — Veteran Advisor
- Dominick DePaola — Active Duty Advisor
How we operate
Small team, low overhead, direct answers. Every message gets a personal reply within one business day. We’re honest about what we are — we’re not the VA, we can’t file claims for you, and when another organization can help you better, we point you there. What we can do is make the system understandable and put real support where it’s missing.