$12.1M Delivered: See CGMA’s 2025 Impact

CGMA Delivers When It Matters Most: Inside a Year of Momentum

In 2025, as financial pressure mounted across the Coast Guard community, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA) quietly did what it has always done: show up.

The organization delivered more than $12.1 million in financial assistance to over 4,000 Coast Guard members and families, meeting urgent needs ranging from basic living expenses to emergency support. But behind those numbers are real stories and moments where support arrived at exactly the right time.

For one Coast Guard member, that support came during a moment of crisis early in his career.

“Back when I was an Ensign… a young Petty Officer had his car catastrophically explode,” he recalled. “He lost everything… CGMA was able to get him a loan to get a new car and still make it to work. I saw way back then the benefit of CGMA, and I’ve been donating ever since.”

That cycle, receiving help and then paying it forward, continues to define CGMA’s impact.

Relief When It Couldn’t Wait

In late 2025, that impact scaled rapidly when the federal government entered, what was then then, the longest shutdown in U.S. history. While many Americans felt uncertainty, Coast Guard Civilian Employees faced an immediate reality: missed paychecks and mounting bills.

CGMA stepped in.

The organization provided $1.9 million of support to hundreds of civilian employees for families to cover essentials like rent, groceries, and utilities while pay was disrupted.

For many, it wasn’t just financial support. It was communicating the impact of the Shutdown on Coast Guard families, so they didn’t feel forgotten.

Turning Loans Into Lifelines

In one of the year’s most significant moves, CGMA converted $1.48 million in outstanding loans into grants, eliminating debt for more than 700 Coast Guard members and families.

The decision was intentional and targeted toward junior personnel, and those carrying the greatest financial strain.

“Toward the end of 2025, we looked for opportunities to use available funds where they would make the biggest difference,” said CGMA Chief Operating Officer Jason Wong.

For many recipients, the impact was immediate and lasting. It was relief not just from a bill, but from the stress that comes with it.

A Community That Shows Up for Its Own

CGMA’s strength has always come from the community it serves, and 2025 marked a turning point in that relationship.

After more than a decade of decline, payroll allotment giving increased, with the Annual Campaign raising more than $1.71 million. The shift signals renewed engagement across the Coast Guard workforce and a shared understanding of what CGMA represents.

“CGMA embodies the Coast Guard tradition of passing the hat to support a shipmate in need,” one donor shared. “When you’re able, you give back.”

More Than a Moment. We are Building Momentum.

That sense of connection came to life in a new way with the launch of Coastal Grit, CGMA’s first signature community event.

Held in Clearwater, Florida, the inaugural event brought together nearly 300 Coast Guard members, families, and partners to celebrate what makes the service unique and connect like never before. Many of the stories featured in this year’s report were captured there, in real time, from the people CGMA serves.

It marked the beginning of something bigger: a growing network of Coast Guard members and supporters who see CGMA not just as a resource but as their organization.

Looking Ahead

As CGMA looks to the future, that momentum is already translating into expanded capability. A $4 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will strengthen training, scale communications, and ensure more Coast Guard members are aware of, and able to access, support when they need it.

Because if 2025 proved anything, it’s this:

When the Coast Guard community faces pressure, CGMA doesn’t wait. It delivers.

View the full 2025 Annual Report