In March of 1986, a group of members of Disabled American Veterans in Palo Alto, California decided to explore the possibility that entrepreneurial programs for service disabled and prisoner of war veterans (SDV) could be of value in supplementing disability income and increasing quality of life. The Association for Service Disabled Veterans (ASDV) was subsequently founded as a non-profit public benefit organization with the goal of creating opportunities for SDVs to achieve and maintain their rehabilitation through enterprise development and managed employment.

ASDV operated from Stanford, California for 14 years with a volunteer work force. During this time, ASDV sponsored legislation and built a network and interactive database www.asdv.org that became a nationwide model for service disabled veteran business programs.

Today, ASDV is a national association that is establishing greater economic participation for service disabled and prisoner of war veterans and all of the 80 million veteran family members in the United States. Membership is comprised of individuals from the 2.2 million SDVs of the nation and organizations that support the goals of ASDV. To pursue its mission, ASDV has established programs and services that address the areas of legislative and legal advocacy, business development, healthcare, and information access.

ASDV established a staffed office in Washington, DC in 2000. Located on Capitol Hill, the Washington Office serves as a base of operations for legislative advocacy and program management. ASDV California is the founding office and oversees the administrative component of the business development program. ASDV manages activities in the Western United States.

ASDV is the pioneer in the inclusion of service disabled and prisoner of war veterans enterprise (SDVE) in the specially assisted procurement programs of the Federal and State Governments and their Private Sector contractors.

ASDV co-sponsored the newly enacted “SOLE SOURCE and RESTRICTED COMPETITION” provisions of Public Law 108-183 and sponsored Public Law 106-50 and drafted the President's Executive Order of 21 October, 2004 that stressed actions to be taken to accelerate service disabled veteran participation in government procurement programs.

However, SDVE continue to encounter resistance to other participation in government procurement programs, requiring that ASDV apply its considerable expertise and credibility to the actual awarding of federal contracts and opportunities.

ASDV now provides a "new" service for full members; seeking and initiating contracting and procurement opportunities for members in both the government and private sector.