The California Fire Foundation

What The California Fire Foundation does

The California Fire Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization established and wholly operated by California Professional Firefighters (CPF), headquartered in Sacramento at 1780 Creekside Oaks Drive. Its mission centers on commemorating fallen California firefighters, providing financial and emotional support to their surviving families, and assisting fire departments and communities affected by wildfire and other natural disasters. Core programs include the California Firefighters Memorial in Capitol Park (honoring 1,500+ fallen firefighters since 1850), the CA Firefighters Benevolent Fund, the Daniel A. Terry Scholarship, the California Last Alarm Service Team (CAL-LAST), the Family Resource Guide online eligibility tool, the Pipes & Drums honor ensemble, and the California Firefighter License Plates program.

The foundation operates no proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint consists of an informational website, a grant application portal hosted on GrantInterface, the Family Resource Guide eligibility tool, and standard communications channels. Its primary distribution mechanisms are direct grant disbursements to fire departments and community organizations, in-person memorial and ceremonial services, and multilingual community safety materials under the Firefighters On Your Side brand.

The foundation's revenue model is donation-driven. Income streams include corporate sponsorships (PG&E, Chevron, AT&T, Southern California Edison, General Motors, Salesforce, RCRC, Cal OES), proceeds from specialty California Firefighter License Plates, the Firefighters' Memorial Tax Check-off on California state tax returns, individual donations (including Big Day of Giving), and major gifts such as PG&E's $5 million memorial expansion donation. The foundation's flagship recurring program is the PG&E Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Grant partnership, now in its ninth year, which distributed $12.25 million across 431 grants from 2018 through 2025 and is funded at $1.8 million total in 2026 with $1 million in direct grants. Customer segments are surviving families of fallen firefighters (primary), local fire departments and firefighter associations (primary), and California communities affected by wildfire and disaster (secondary). The foundation operates with 1–10 employees and does not sell products or services, distributing all support at no cost to qualifying recipients.

Name

The California Fire Foundation

Legal name

California Fire Foundation

Website

https://cafirefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The California Fire Foundation is a Sacramento-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operated by California Professional Firefighters that supports families of fallen firefighters, funds fire department wildfire preparedness grants, and maintains the California Firefighters Memorial in Capitol Park.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Firefighter Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB), Wildfire Suppression & Incident Response (AFAMAEAE), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Wildfire preparedness grants
• Firefighter memorial services
• Disaster relief programs
• Firefighter family support
• Fire safety education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Corporate Donations and Sponsorships: Corporate partners such as PG&E, Chevron, AT&T, Southern California Edison, General Motors, Salesforce, and RCRC provide donations and sponsorship funding to support foundation programs including wildfire grants, memorial expansion, and disaster relief.
2. Firefighter License Plates Program: Specialized California Firefighter License Plates are sold, with proceeds funding the California Firefighters Memorial and ongoing maintenance. This is a self-funding mechanism where firefighters and supporters purchase license plates.
3. Memorial Tax Check-off: The Firefighters' Memorial Tax Check-off allows California taxpayers to contribute to memorial maintenance through state tax returns.
4. Direct Donations from Public: Individual donations through Big Day of Giving and general fundraising campaigns support foundation programs and services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The California Fire Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization operated by California Professional Firefighters that provides memorial services for fallen firefighters, disaster relief to communities affected by wildfires and other emergencies, wildfire preparedness and safety education grants to fire departments and community organizations, financial assistance to firefighter families in crisis, and educational programs on fire safety.

Product overview

The California Fire Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization operated by California Professional Firefighters that provides a portfolio of programs supporting fallen firefighters, their families, and California communities. Core offerings include the California Firefighters Memorial in Sacramento with annual ceremonies, the Family Resource Guide Online Tool for surviving families, and the CA Firefighters Benevolent Fund. The Foundation also operates the CAL-LAST support service, Pipes & Drums honor ensemble, Daniel A. Terry Scholarship, and Firefighter License Plates. Community programs include Wildfire & Disaster Relief, SAVE, Fire Safety Education, and FCTC Financial Awards. Through its Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program, the Foundation partners with PG&E to distribute grants to fire agencies in high-risk areas. The Memorial Expansion Capital Campaign is underway to expand the Memorial wall.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Firefighters On Your Side: Multi-lingual, culturally relevant disaster preparedness safety messaging materials free to download
• CAL-LAST
• SAVE
• CA Firefighters Benevolent Fund

Products and services

• California Firefighters Memorial Memorial monument and associated services honoring California firefighters who have died in the line of duty; for surviving family members, the firefighter community, and the general public.
• CFF Wildfire Preparedness & Safety Education Grant Program Grant program funding community wildfire preparedness and safety education initiatives for California fire departments and partner community organizations.
• Disaster Relief Programs Programs providing immediate and longer-term relief to California communities and families affected by wildfires and other disasters.
• Family Relief and Support Financial assistance and support services for families of firefighters who have died or are facing financial hardship.
• Fire Safety Education Educational programs and resources promoting fire safety awareness and prevention in California communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed $12.25 million through 431 grants to fire departments and community organizations since 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner supporting disaster preparedness and emergency response initiatives in California.
• RCRC (Rural Counties Representatives of California)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner representing rural California counties, supporting wildfire preparedness and fire safety initiatives in high fire-risk rural areas.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheCafirefoundation
• Xx.com/CAFireFound
• Facebookfacebook.com/CAFireFound

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The California Fire Foundation