What Wildland Firefighter Foundation does

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization (EIN 93-1266991) headquartered in Boise, Idaho, founded in the mid-1990s, that provides financial, emotional, and crisis support to active and retired wildland firefighters and to the families of fallen and injured wildland firefighters. Its core programs include immediate financial assistance during injury and hardship, mental health support services, and a Honoring the Fallen memorial program anchored on a comprehensive database of fallen firefighters. Supplemental programs include the 52 Club recurring donation program ($52/year), Legacy Giving through estate planning, and the 100 Fires Project — a historical timeline documenting significant wildland fires from 1825 to the present.

The foundation does not develop proprietary technology products; its operational backbone consists of a website (wffoundation.org), an online donation and merchandise storefront (give.wffoundation.org), the Warriors of the West video series produced in partnership with Coors Banquet, and event infrastructure for large-scale benefit concerts (including Red Rocks Amphitheatre, drawing approximately 10,000 attendees) and the annual Gala of Valor. Community engagement is delivered through Family Fire Weekend, social content, email communications, and direct outreach to wildland firefighting families.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations rather than fees for service. The foundation operates a multi-channel fundraising model spanning one-time individual donations, the 52 Club recurring subscription ($52/year), corporate sponsorships (anchored by Molson Coors / Coors Banquet at over $250,000 annually for more than a decade), legacy / planned giving, and retail merchandise sales. Geographic focus is the United States, with limited cross-border reach into Canadian wildfire services through the 100 Fires Project and memorial programs. The foundation is led by Executive Director Burk Minor, who has run the organization for nearly 30 years, with a small staff of 1–10 employees.

Name

Wildland Firefighter Foundation

Legal name

Wildland Firefighter Foundation

Website

https://wffoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is a Boise-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides financial assistance, mental health support, and memorial services to wildland firefighters and the families of those injured or killed in the line of duty, funded primarily through individual donations, the 52 Club recurring program, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildland Firefighter Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB), Integrated Forest Health & Fire Management Planning (AFAMAEAK)

Keywords

• Wildland firefighter support
• Charitable nonprofit services
• Emergency family assistance
• Firefighter memorial programs
• Disaster relief donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. The 52 Club program offers annual donations of $52 ($1/week) for ongoing support. Donors can give once or set up recurring contributions.
2. Legacy Giving / Planned Giving: Bequests through wills and living trusts, retirement account beneficiary designations, and life insurance policy beneficiary designations allow donors to include the foundation in their estate plans, providing long-term support for the organization.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors like Molson Coors provide significant annual contributions exceeding $250,000 through benefit concerts and other fundraising events. Companies can become corporate sponsors or start fundraisers.
4. Retail Merchandise Sales: The foundation operates an online shop selling hats, shirts, hoodies, accessories, and other merchandise to raise funds while promoting awareness of wildland firefighter support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free charitable support services exclusively to the wildland fire community. Its offerings center on emergency and ongoing financial assistance for injured and fallen wildland firefighters and their families, mental health and wellness programs, educational scholarships, memorial and honor services for line-of-duty deaths, and recurring donation/membership programs funded by individuals and corporate sponsors such as Molson Coors/Coors Banquet.

Product overview

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides a unified support ecosystem for wildland firefighters and their families. The core offerings include Financial Assistance for families facing hardship, Mental Health Support Services, and the Honoring the Fallen Program that memorializes fallen firefighters through a comprehensive database. Supplementary programs include the 52 Club recurring donation program and Legacy Giving planned giving options for long-term support. The Foundation also hosts community events like Family Fire Weekend and the annual Gala of Valor, while the 100 Fires Project serves as an educational resource documenting historically significant wildland fires. Retail merchandise and video content through Warriors of the West complement the support programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 52 Club: Annual donation program where supporters contribute $52 per year (a dollar a week) to support wildland firefighters.
• 100 Fires Project
• Family Fire Weekend
• Warriors of the West

Products and services

• Financial Assistance Program Free emergency and longer-term financial aid for wildland firefighters and their immediate families in cases of injury, line-of-duty death, or catastrophic need, delivered through direct case management.
• Mental Health and Wellness Support Counseling and wellness resources provided to wildland firefighters and their families to address the psychological impacts of wildland fire exposure, trauma, and loss.
• Scholarship Program Educational scholarships awarded to wildland firefighters and their dependents to support continuing education and career development.
• Memorial and Honor Services Memorial ceremonies and ongoing honor programs that recognize and remember wildland firefighters who die in the line of duty, in partnership with federal and state agencies.
• 52 Club Recurring Membership An annual recurring donation membership priced at $52 per year that provides a steady, predictable funding base for foundation programs serving wildland firefighters and families.
• Branded Merchandise Store Online storefront selling branded apparel and merchandise to wildland firefighters, their families, and supporters, with proceeds supporting foundation programs.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Molson Coors / Coors BanquetflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMolson Coors, specifically the Coors Banquet brand, has been a major corporate sponsor of the Wildland Firefighter Foundation for over a decade. They generously donate and raise over $250,000 annually through benefit concerts and other fundraising events. The partnership includes the Warriors of the West video series and regular benefit concerts at venues like Red Rocks Amphitheater, with wildland firefighters receiving free tickets to shows.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Forest Foundation: National nonprofit that empowers private woodland owners through conservation, stewardship, and education programs. Sits in the same forestry-adjacent nonprofit space as WFF, but its mission is land and forest health rather than firefighter family support.
• National Forest Foundation: Congressionally-chartered nonprofit partner of the USDA Forest Service, supporting forest conservation, restoration, and community engagement on national forests. Comparable as a broad nonprofit in the forestry/wildland ecosystem, though focused on land stewardship rather than firefighter family welfare.

Emerging players

• National Wildfire Suppression Association: Trade association representing private wildland firefighting contractors and related service providers in the United States. Sits in the same wildland fire ecosystem as WFF, but represents employer/operator interests rather than the family/hardship support mission.
• Wildfire Conservancy: Nonprofit focused on firefighter health, research, and post-wildfire recovery work, including support for injured wildland firefighters. Highly comparable in mission to WFF, but with a stronger emphasis on research and policy advocacy alongside direct family support.
• International Association of Wildland Fire: Professional association focused on wildland fire science, management, and community, convening researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Comparable to WFF in its wildland fire community focus, but emphasizes professional/technical collaboration rather than family financial and emotional support.

Direct peers

• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Foundation: Charitable arm of the IAFF, the main labor union for career firefighters, providing disaster relief, member assistance, and community support programs. A direct peer in the firefighter-support charity space, though IAFF is primarily structural/urban firefighter-focused whereas WFF targets the wildland community.
• Firefighters Charitable Foundation: Nonprofit that provides financial assistance, disaster relief, and educational support to firefighters and their families across the United States. Operates a similar charity model (donations, community fundraising, family assistance) to WFF, though without the wildland-specific niche.
• National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC): Nonprofit membership organization representing the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services, providing advocacy, training, and support programs including firefighter health and safety initiatives. Comparable in its mission to support and advocate for firefighters, though focused on volunteer rather than wildland segments.
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: National nonprofit dedicated to honoring America's fallen firefighters and providing support to their families and coworkers. The most direct peer to WFF, although its scope spans all firefighters (not just wildland), making WFF the more specialized player in the wildland segment.
• Firefighter Cancer Support Network: Nonprofit that provides education, support, and resources to firefighters and their families dealing with cancer diagnosis. Operates in the same charitable-support-for-firefighters niche as WFF, focused on a specific health outcome of the fire service rather than the wildland-specific mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WFFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wffoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Wildland Firefighter Foundation