Do Your Part State Initiative

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Do Your Part for
Military Families

Easy Lift. High Impact.

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Offering a range of policy options, making it easier for military families to live, work, and thrive where they serve.

Military families live in every ZIP Code, bringing unique strengths and needs to their communities. Because they often live beyond the gates of a military installation, state policies play a major role in their access to employment, housing, education, health care, and community connection.

State teams often juggle competing priorities and limited capacity, making it difficult to track and respond to evolving needs in real time.

What is the Do Your Part State Initiative?

The Do Your Part State Initiative is a national, bipartisan initiative led by Blue Star Families and the National Governors Association to help states strengthen support for military families, taking a whole-family approach that extends beyond the service member or veteran.

Our work focuses on:

Highlighting effective policies and programs already making a difference
Sharing these solutions so states can learn from one another
Making proven ideas easier to access, understand, and adapt locally

The Do Your Part State Toolkit is at the heart of this work — serving as a clear, practical resource to help leaders translate commitment into real impact.

The Do Your Part State Initiative exists to make the right actions obvious, accessible, and achievable for every state.

Explore the Do Your Part State Toolkit

Why Start With the Toolkit?

The Do Your Part State Toolkit provides leaders with a clear, actionable starting point to strengthen support for military families.

Understand your state’s current policy landscape at a glance
Identify high-impact opportunities that are feasible to implement
Use real data and examples to inform discussions with governors, legislators, and partners

Whether you have a full military affairs team or one dedicated staffer, the toolkit provides a reliable roadmap for meaningful progress.

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Next Steps:

Explore The Do Your Part State Toolkit

Talk With Our Team About Your State

What will you find in the Do Your Part State Toolkit?

State military policy can feel complex. The toolkit brings everything together into a single, clear, accessible roadmap. You'll see:

various aged youth posing outdoors at a blue star families event

Coverage of all 50 states plus U.S. territories
More than 1,300 policies hand-coded for ease of understanding and implementation
Prioritized recommendations that highlight "easy wins" with meaningful impact
A user-friendly web interface built for anyone looking for creative state-level solutions that work (no specialized expertise needed)

With the toolkit, you can quickly:

See where your state is leading and where opportunities exist
Find concrete policy ideas that support all demographics of the military and veteran community
Understand which actions are easiest to implement and which deliver the most impact

a diverse family at a blue star families neighborhood event sharing a table, meal and conversation with local government official

Explore the Do Your Part State Toolkit

Gubernatorial Honorary Committee

A bipartisan group of governors committed to championing state-level solutions alongside military families, advocates, and policy leaders. Their leadership signals a shared commitment to practical action and long-term impact.

Committee Co-Chairs

Committee

"At the National Governors Association, we’re proud to partner with Blue Star Families on the Do Your Part State Initiative. This effort reflects our commitment to helping all governors strengthen support for military families by elevating proven policies and practical, state-ready solutions."

- Dr. Brandon Tatum, NGA

“The Do Your Part State Initiative is such a practical resource for states. It makes it easy to take proven programs, adapt them locally, and have a real impact on the lives of military families.”

- Jen Goodale, Director of Government Relations for Veteran and Retired Affairs, MOAA

“As a Do Your Part State, Utah is committed to supporting military families in meaningful ways. The initiative’s toolkit gives us practical, ready-to-use solutions that make it easier to implement proven programs and deliver real results for the families who serve.”

- Brian Garrett, Deputy Director for Military Affairs, Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, and Vice President, Association of Defense Communities

"North Carolina is proud to lead as a Do Your Part State, using this platform to engage businesses, communities, and institutions across the state in supporting military families — from childcare to workforce development and beyond."

- Sec. Jocelyn Mallette, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

"This partnership with Blue Star Families and the National Governors Association helps states share proven strategies and strengthen support for military families. Together, we make it easier for states to turn commitment into real, meaningful action.”

- Gov. Kevin Stitt, Chair of the National Governors Association

Let's work together to support our military families.

Get in Touch »

The Do Your Part coalition is led by Blue Star Families with support from Craig Newmark and craig newmark philanthropies.

Blue Star Families
441 Saxony The Hive/Barn 2
Encinitas, CA 92024
(202) 630-2583

Do Your Part for
Military Families

Easy Lift. High Impact.