Military charities prepare for surge in cash requests during shutdown

The Army’s official charity has already approved more than $7 million in payments to active-duty soldiers and their families facing a missed paycheck next week amid the government shutdown. The Air Force’s designated charity says it has received hundreds of applications for help and has “several million in potential funds available” for airmen and Space Force guardians.

With troops’ Oct. 15 pay date rapidly approaching and no resolution to the federal government shutdown in sight, four major service relief nonprofits are seeing a surge in requests for financial assistance.

“This is untrod ground for us as servicemembers have always been paid during shutdowns,” retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, the CEO of the Air Force Aid Society, or AFAS, said in a statement. “So we’re leaning forward to and are continuing to look at the best ways we can support our Airmen, Guardians, and their families and fill the financial gaps.”

AFAS; Army Emergency Relief, or AER; and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, or NMCRS, are nonprofits that raise funds and distribute a wind range of support services to members in their branch, often to young enlisted troops. Though each group runs programs like scholarship funding, each has a primary mission of providing financial support, usually through cash or zero-interest loans, to troops in need.

Typically, the groups provide quick funds for medical bills, emergency travel or other unexpected financial demands. AFAS says it distributed $14 million to airman and guardians in 2024, according to the group’s websity. AER says it has distributed $1 billion to soldiers since the 9/11 attacks. NMCRS said it provided assistance with living expenses to nearly 24,000 sailors and Marines in 2024.

But each said that the threat of a missed pay cycle was already increasing demand.

A rise in applications

AER has already approved nearly 4,300 requests for financial assistance totaling more than $7.3 million, which will be paid if the shutdown does not end, said Sean Ryan, a spokesperson for the group. More than 6,000 people set up accounts with AER since Wednesday, Ryan told Task & Purpose on Thursday, adding the group estimates that at least 90% of those people will request financial help.

Demand for help has been so great that AER’s online portal, which allows soldiers and families to apply for help, had been working slowly and stopped at one point, Ryan told Task & Purpose. As of Thursday afternoon, the site appeared to be working.

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“Currently, we are receiving applications on the portal for approval and putting them in the queue so they are ready for payment by [October] 15th,” Ryan said. ”We are prepared for $50 million but will make adjustments as needed if more.”

All applications for financial help must be approved by soldiers’ chain of commands, retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Tony Grinston, the group’s CEO, said in a recent video posted on Instagram.

Grinston added that the money AER is making available will not exceed soldiers’ mid-month pay.

While AER has the funds to cover the applications for help, it is requiring a lot of the group’s money to do so, Ryan said,

“However, that is why we exist, to support Soldiers in difficult times,” Ryan said.

AFA has already received several hundred requests for financial assistance during the shutdown and applications are increasing daily, said Chad Briton, a spokesman for the group.

“We’re definitely seeing an increase in requests for financial assistance (as expected during this time of uncertainty),” Britton said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “We are beginning to process applications today and we have several million [dollars] in potential funds available but are still working through our financial plan as lapse in military pay becomes more probable.”

AFAS is offering to help airmen, Space Force guardians, and their families pay a variety of expenses including rent, mortgage, food, gas, and utilities, especially if they do not have access to a paycheck protection from their financial institutions, Britton said.  

So far, Britton said, AFAS has not experienced any technical challenges with its website or internal systems due to the uptick in requests for help, and the group is prepared to handle an even greater increase in demand as the shutdown continues.

The group is also encouraging airmen and Guardians to first check with their financial institutions – such as a bank or credit union – many of which are offering interest-free and no-fee loans or paycheck protection programs, Britton said, 

NMCRS is also ready to help sailors, Marines and their families who are facing financial hardship due to the delay in pay caused by the shutdown, said the group’s CEO, retired Navy Rear Adm. Dawn Cutler.

“We will prioritize support for active-duty service members who do not have access to payroll protection plans or interest-free loans from their financial institutions and eligible individuals may receive a zero-interest loan of up to $2,000,” Cutler said in a statement.

Service members can visit a NMCRS full-service office to request help, Cutler said. A list of office locations can be found here.

Well funded nonprofits

Though it’s unclear how large demand for cash assistance may grow to be, all three groups are relatively well-funded, according to tax returns and financial statements posted on their websites.

AFAS reported roughly $230M in assets at end of 2023, according to the latest tax statements posted on its website, including about $1.4 million in cash and close to $100 million in equities and bonds, which can be converted quickly to cash.

AER reported it held $15.4 million in cash or cash equivalents at the end of 2023, with net assets of $355 million.

NMCRS’s 2024 audit reported the group held about $200,000 in cash with net assets of $144 million, including close to $91 million in tradable equities and bonds.

“We also urge Sailors and Marines to explore resources available through their banks or credit unions, and to avoid high-fee ‘pay advance’ products that may carry hidden costs,” Cutler said.  “This is a challenging time, but NMCRS remains steady, ready, and committed to helping our Navy and Marine Corps families weather this moment with strength and support.”

The official aid society for the Coast Guard has been inundated with requests for help during the shutdown.

“Our phones are ringing off the hook, said Brooke Millard, CEO, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, or CGMA.

The association will offer active and Reserve Coast Guardsmen along with civilian employees interest-free loans to cover food, housing, and transportation  costs to active-duty and Reserve Coast Guardsmen along with civilian employees up to their equivalent level of Basic Level of Housing, Millard said. The maximum amount for loans is $4,500.

CGMA began offering shutdown assistance applications to civilians on Friday and has already received requests for more than $200,000 in support, Millard said. Active-duty members can apply for loans starting on Oct. 13.

“Life doesn’t stop when paychecks pause,” Millard said. “Hurricanes still hit. Medical bills are still due. Families still need to get to work and school. That’s why CGMA remains committed to ensuring no one walks alone — meeting urgent financial needs while maintaining our broader mission to strengthen the Coast Guard community’s financial resilience.”

So far this year, the association has provided $6.5 million in total assistance in response to 6,263 requests for help, she said. 

“During 2019’s 35-day lapse in funding for the US Coast Guard, CGMA provided $8.4 million in assistance to more than 6,200 members of the Coast Guard workforce — and we are prepared to respond quickly and equitably again, if needed,” Millard said.

UPDATE: 10/10/2025; This article was updated with statements from Brooke Millard, CEO, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance.