The ‘Merica Initiative was an idea sparked while Brian Walton was producing his highly praised album ‘Merica in 2022. For over 25 years, Brian, a veteran himself, has supported veterans through charity events and appearances. As the music industry constantly evolves, he and other artists found it increasingly difficult to pledge support in a meaningful way. So, in collaboration with veteran organizations, Brian devised a plan to make it easier for artists to pledge some or all of their proceeds for any event without the burden of organizing or joining a specialized benefit.
Brian reached out to his network and found many artists willing to participate. In its first year, the initiative brought in roughly $10K in donations. The business model also worked well for streaming and physical media sales, but artists themselves received only a fraction of those sales. So Brian used his industry connections to encourage record companies to pledge on artists’ behalf, and donations skyrocketed. By the end of Brian’s 2025 ‘Merica tour in support of the US Army’s 250th Anniversary, donations for participating members and associated charities exceeded $65K.
Each participating member of the initiative has appointed a volunteer to serve as liaison, and together they decide how to route donations. No money changes hands, and all donations go directly to the charities involved, making the project highly efficient and free from impropriety. Brian has no role in the initiative and merely volunteers his time and resources when needed. In 2026, participating membership was expanded to include the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, and Habitat for Humanity, broadening support to not only veterans but all Americans in need.
While still in its infancy and not much more than a few volunteers donating their time, pledges continue to grow rapidly, prompting the participating members of the initiative to begin planning to incorporate and take the project public in 2027. Something to watch out for. In the meantime, if you would like to generously contribute to one of the participating members or associated charities they sponsor directly, please refer to the links below.