The Impacts of Dog Tag Inc.: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of an Entrepreneurial Fellowship for Veterans, Military Spouses, and Military Caregivers

Dog Tag Inc. is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help veterans, their spouses, and those who serve as their caregivers reintegrate into civilian life. The organization runs the Dog Tag Inc. Fellowship Program, a five-month entrepreneurial fellowship program designed to enhance reintegration into civilian entrepreneurial and employment opportunities. This report describes research to help Dog Tag Inc. better understand how its fellowship program shapes the careers and life trajectories of its alumni. The authors first conducted focus groups and interviews with program alumni to better understand their experience with the fellowship. Using this information, as well as existing quantitative data on Dog Tag Inc. alumni outcomes, the authors worked with Dog Tag Inc. to revise the organization's existing alumni survey to more adequately and meaningfully capture the longitudinal impacts of the Dog Tag Inc. Fellowship Program at scale. They then fielded two waves of the revised survey in 2020 and 2021, the results of which are presented here and complemented by qualitative data. In addition to providing valuable information to Dog Tag Inc. as the organization continues to expand and refine its programming, these findings are likely to be of interest to other organizations serving veterans, spouses, and caregivers.