[4] IVMF was launched in June 2011 by J. Michael Haynie and then chancellor Nancy Cantor to bring together several pre-existing veterans related institutes at the University.

[3] The institute traces its beginning to The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) which started within the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 2006-2007.

[11] The IVMF also coordinates comprehensive collective impact strategies; and works with communities and nonprofits to enhance service delivery for veterans and their families.

[17][18] In early April 2017 The IVMF and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs' Center for Innovation (VACI) launched a national pilot project aimed at demonstrating the merits of a community-based health care and services coordinated referral system within the Institute’s AmericaServes initiative.

[29][32][33][34][35] As of 2024[update], the IVMF has produced over 1,500 research products, 577+ conferences & Capitol Hill appearances since 2017, 110+ publications & reports, and 119+ presentations & key engagements.

[36][37] The IVMF uses the SAS Analytics software to analyze vast amounts of data on veterans, career opportunities, communities and non-profits.

[44] The four-story, 126,000-square-foot complex has space for a variety of veteran-related organizations and houses a 750-seat auditorium, a cafe, a gallery, a research center, and a banquet hall that turns into a lounge/study area.

[50][51] The IVMF advisory board includes researchers and leaders in policy, military, higher education, and veterans’ affairs fields.