Executive Director / CEO
This analysis benchmarks the total compensation of Philip Strambler, Executive Director / CEO ($26,000) against every comparable organization that fit the selection criteria — 66 in total — drawn systematically from IRS Form 990 filings, not a hand-picked subset.
Compensation sits at approximately the 58th percentile of comparable organizationswithin the typical range
Benchmarked executive: Philip Strambler — reported title “Chairman President”, selected as the organization's highest-paid individual — no exact title match, so confirm this is a comparable role.
Each figure is Form 990 Part VII columns D + F (reportable pay plus other compensation and benefits; column F may include amounts from related organizations), normalized to MD cost of living (BEA RPP, 2023) and to its filing year (CPI-U); the reported amount is on each linked 990.
| Organization | State | Revenue | Matched title | Comp (reported) | Comp (adjusted) | FY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roa Standing Together For America's | DC | $159,298 | Executive Director | $18,644 | $18,017 | 2023 |
| Kirk Casey Post No 366 Of The American Legion Depa | NY | $157,640 | 1st Vice Commander | $35,500 | $35,326 | 2023 |
| Spencer-ralston Post No 1254 | KS | $163,557 | Quatermaster | $750 | $845 | 2025 |
| Veterans Of Foreign War Auxiliary Department Of Ka | KS | $163,979 | Secretary Jr Vic President | $6,900 | $7,768 | 2025 |
| The Jewish War Veterans Of The United | DC | $154,544 | National Executive Director | $3,021 | $2,919 | 2023 |
| Fleet Reserve Club Of Jax Fl Inc | FL | $166,714 | Manager | $46,375 | $45,398 | 2025 |
| Lexington Vfw Post 8738 | SC | $151,619 | Canteen Manager | $25,476 | $28,428 | 2024 |
| Veterans Of Foreign Wars Of The | ME | $151,224 | Commander | $300 | $321 | 2024 |
| Veterans Of Foreign Wars Post 2832 Pike Memorial | OH | $169,487 | Quartermaster | $1,456 | $1,649 | 2024 |
| Operation Barnabas Inc | FL | $149,300 | Ceo | $24,000 | $24,828 | 2023 |
| Veterans Education Project | VA | $170,000 | Executive Director | $30,000 | $30,983 | 2024 |
| U S Veterans Post 104 Corporation | FL | $170,207 | Quartermaster | $2,000 | $2,069 | 2023 |
| Hero Expeditions Incorporated | CO | $170,678 | Executive Director | $36,000 | $36,923 | 2024 |
| American Legion | NY | $147,565 | Commander | $15,995 | $15,062 | 2025 |
| Veterans Of Foreign Wars Of The United States Inc | NY | $147,445 | Bartender/janitorial | $17,972 | $17,371 | 2024 |
| Us Army Warrant Officers Association | VA | $173,506 | Executive Director/ Editor | $62,398 | $64,443 | 2024 |
| Valhalla Veterans Services | PA | $144,845 | Executive Director | $24,000 | $25,600 | 2024 |
| Semper Fi Flo Foundation | MN | $143,143 | Executive Director | $54,000 | $55,602 | 2025 |
| Acworth & Kennesaw Post 5408 Veterans Of Foreign W | GA | $142,715 | Adjutant | $50 | $55 | 2023 |
| Veterans Of Foreign Wars Department Of | AK | $176,865 | Quartermaster | $5,990 | $6,306 | 2023 |
| American Legion Post 401 | OH | $140,179 | 1st Vice Com | $4,000 | $4,665 | 2023 |
| American Legion Post 169 Inc | MI | $139,586 | Commander, Finance Officer | $2,100 | $2,387 | 2023 |
| Veterans Of Foreign Wars Of The United States Dept Of Florida | FL | $179,435 | Quartermaster | $2,600 | $2,545 | 2025 |
| Whitehall Lodge No 1491 Bpoe | NY | $180,612 | Secretary | $1,500 | $1,412 | 2025 |
| Veterans Of Foreign Wars 9566vfw-mass | MA | $180,705 | Past Quartermaster | $4,410 | $4,239 | 2024 |
Comp (reported) is the figure on each organization's Form 990 (columns D + F); Comp (adjusted) normalizes it to MD cost of living and 2024 dollars. Click any organization to verify the figure on ProPublica.
Comparable organizations were drawn from electronically filed IRS Form 990 returns and matched on sector (NTEE code), budget (a size-adaptive revenue band that tightens as the organization grows), and geography (same-state first, broadening only when too few peers qualify); every organization within the band forms the peer set. To compare fairly across regions and years, peer compensation is normalized to MD cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023) and to the subject's filing year (CPI-U). The figure benchmarked is Form 990 Part VII, Section A, columns D + F — reportable pay plus other compensation, benefits, and deferred amounts (column F may include amounts from related organizations) — with the chief executive matched by role. Related-organization amounts (column E) and institutional trustees are excluded. Full methodology: peerbasis.org/methodology.
Sensitivity — the subject's percentile under alternative compensation definitions:
| Basis | Subject percentile |
|---|---|
| Total compensation (D + F), cost-of-living + inflation adjusted — the PeerBasis default | 58th |
| Total compensation (D + F), as reported (no adjustments) | 59th |
| Reportable pay only (column D), adjusted | 58th |
| All sources (D + E + F), adjusted | 53rd |
If the percentile moves materially across these definitions, the result is sensitive to methodology choices, and the board should weigh which basis best fits its facts.
Compensation paid by a tax-exempt organization is presumed reasonable — shifting the burden to the IRS — when three requirements are met. This report supplies the comparability data for the second. The board should record the following in its minutes concurrently with its decision:
Draft board minutes — executive compensation
Sources: IRS Form 990 e-file data (apps.irs.gov); IRS Business Master File (NTEE classification). Every figure traces to an original public filing — click any organization above to verify it on ProPublica. PeerBasis is a service of Prismind Analytics; its methodology is published, was commissioned for independent adversarial review, and discloses its own limitations. This report is comparability data to support a board's good-faith determination under IRC 4958; it is not legal or tax advice. Generated by PeerBasis on June 9, 2026.