Broadcasters Foundation of America

What Broadcasters Foundation of America does

The Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA) is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1956 and headquartered at 125 West 55th Street in New York City. It is the only charity in the United States exclusively devoted to providing financial assistance to radio and television broadcast professionals facing acute hardship from critical illness, severe accidents, natural disasters, or other serious misfortune. Over more than 70 years of operation, BFOA has distributed over $20 million to more than 1,000 broadcasters and their families across 45+ states and territories, with grantees drawn from 200+ broadcasting companies including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, iHeartMedia, Audacy, Gray Television, Nexstar, Sinclair, and Hearst.

BFOA's core offerings consist of Medical & Disaster Relief Grants (monthly grants for broadcasters unable to work due to critical illness and emergency grants for natural disaster recovery), a newly launched BFOA Scholarship Program (May 2026, one-time $10,000 awards for college students from broadcast families), an Internship Program, and a portfolio of fundraising and outreach events including Media Mixers in major U.S. cities, the annual Golden Mic Gala at The Plaza Hotel in NYC, the Celebrity Golf Tournament, the Leadership Breakfast at the NAB Show, the PJL Golf Tournament, and an annual Giving Day campaign. The organization holds the highest external accountability ratings available to U.S. nonprofits—Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, and a 100% Give With Confidence Score.

The foundation has no proprietary technology and operates with a small staff of 1-10 full-time employees led by President Timothy McCarthy and Chairman Scott Herman, supported by five vice presidents across Programs & Outreach, Grants & Fundraising, Finance, and other functions. Revenue is generated entirely through charitable donations via three streams: the Guardian Fund (personal donations), the Angel Initiative (corporate contributions), and the Legacy Society (planned giving/bequests), augmented by event-based fundraising. Grant applications are processed through the third-party Submittable platform, and the website is powered by Neon One. The Board of Directors is composed of executives from major U.S. broadcasting companies, providing institutional embeddedness across the industry.

Name

Broadcasters Foundation of America

Legal name

Broadcasters Foundation of America

Website

https://broadcastersfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Broadcasters Foundation of America is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1956 that provides monthly and emergency financial grants, scholarships, and internship programs to U.S. radio and television broadcast professionals facing critical illness, accidents, or natural disasters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Guardian Fund (Personal Donations): Personal donations from individuals in the broadcasting industry used exclusively to support the Foundation's mission of providing financial assistance to broadcasters in acute need.
2. Angel Initiative (Corporate Contributions): Corporate donations from broadcasting companies to support colleagues through the Angel Initiative, allowing the Foundation to reach more broadcasters in need.
3. Legacy Society (Bequests): Planned giving through bequests, which can be a specific amount, an asset, or percentage of estate, ensuring the BFOA's ability to help broadcasters in the future.
4. Katz Media Group Annual Membership Drive: Annual company-wide donation drive by Katz Media Group supporting the Stu Olds Memorial Fund, which has raised nearly $500,000 since inception.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Broadcasters Foundation of America is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides monthly financial grants to radio and television broadcast professionals unable to work due to critical illness or family medical crisis, and emergency grants to those recovering from natural disasters or emergencies. It also runs a Scholarship Program for broadcast students from broadcast families, an Internship Program, and a calendar of community outreach and fundraising events.

Product overview

Broadcasters Foundation of America is a 501(c)(3) public charity operating as a single unified charitable mission rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization's core offerings include Medical & Disaster Relief Grants (providing monthly grants for critical illness and emergency grants for natural disasters), the BFOA Scholarship Program (launched May 2026 with $10,000 awards for broadcast students), and an Internship Program for aspiring broadcasters. Community outreach is delivered through a portfolio of events including Media Mixers (networking events in major cities), the Celebrity Golf Tournament, the annual Golden Mic Gala (featuring Golden Mic Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Spirit Award, and Broadcast Personality of the Year Award), the PJL Golf Tournament at NABShow, and the Leadership Breakfast. Annual Giving Day campaigns round out the organization's fundraising initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical & Disaster Relief Grants Monthly grants for radio and television broadcast professionals unable to work due to critical illness or family medical crisis, and emergency grants for those recovering from natural disasters or emergencies.
• BFOA Scholarship Program Need-based scholarship program providing one-time $10,000 awards to qualified college students from broadcast families studying broadcasting or communications with a 3.0+ GPA and demonstrated financial need.
• Internship Program Mentoring program for the next generation of radio and television broadcasters offering professional development internship opportunities during fall, spring, and summer semesters, underwritten by the New York State Broadcasters Association.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $20 million distributed to broadcasters in need over 20 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hubbard Broadcasting / Hubbard | Media That ConnectscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 July 2026Hubbard and BFOA partnered to host the Morning Show Boot Camp (MSBC) Pre-Game Party, combining Hubbard's signature event with BFOA's Media Mixer for the first time. The event takes place August 5 at Hilton Cleveland Downtown, launching the three-day MSBC conference.
• Michael Gelman (Executive Producer, Live with Kelly & Mark)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 June 2026Elected to BFOA Board of Directors, bringing television production expertise and industry visibility to the Foundation.
• Tim Clarke (Former SVP Head of Digital Audio Content, Audacy)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 June 2026Elected to BFOA Board of Directors, bringing digital audio and streaming media expertise to the Foundation.
• iHeartMediacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 May 2026BFOA Media Mixer held at iHeartMedia's NYC studios at 125 West 55th Street. iHeartMedia provides venue for this premier networking event that connects emerging professionals with broadcast executives.
• National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 October 2025NAB hosts BFOA Media Mixer at its headquarters in Washington DC, with President & CEO Curtis LeGeyt hosting. Special guests included NBC's Kelly O'Donnell and Hubbard Radio's Joel Oxley.
• Taishoff Family FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 October 2025Co-sponsor of BFOA Media Mixer at NAB headquarters in Washington DC.
• TVB (Television Bureau of Advertising)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 October 2025Co-sponsor of BFOA Media Mixer at NAB headquarters in Washington DC.
• New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025NYSBA generously underwrites the BFOA Internship Program, supporting broadcast education and the next generation of broadcasters.
• BenztownminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 July 2025Benztown sponsored the BFOA Media Mixer at Morning Show Boot Camp in Austin, supporting industry networking events.
• Skyview NetworksminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 June 2025Skyview Networks made a $10,000 corporate donation to cover employee matches during BFOA Giving Day, demonstrating corporate support for the broadcasting community.
• Katz Media GroupcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2025Katz Media Group conducts annual company-wide membership drive (Stu Olds Memorial Fund) supporting BFOA. Has raised nearly $500,000 since inception. Received 2025 Philip J. Lombardo Spirit Award.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MusiCares: MusiCares is the charitable arm of the Recording Academy/GRAMMYs, providing financial assistance and emergency aid to musicians and music industry professionals. It is the music-industry analog to BFOA's support of broadcast professionals in crisis.
• The Actors Fund: The Actors Fund is a nonprofit human-services organization that provides financial assistance, healthcare, and social services to professionals in performing arts and entertainment — the closest analog to BFOA's mission of emergency and ongoing financial aid to broadcast professionals.
• SAG-AFTRA Foundation: The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is the charitable and educational affiliate of SAG-AFTRA, offering emergency financial assistance and educational programs to performers and media professionals — comparable in mission, funding model, and industry-specific grantmaking to BFOA.
• Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation: Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation provides financial grants and hardship assistance to veterans of the motion picture industry. It shares BFOA's model of industry-specific emergency grants funded by corporate sponsors within the entertainment/media sector.
• Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF): MPTF provides social, financial, and healthcare services to entertainment industry professionals in film and television. Its mission of supporting industry workers through hardship closely parallels BFOA's broadcast-focused grantmaking.

Emerging players

• Country Music Association Foundation: The CMA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association, supporting music education and preservation. Comparable as an industry-rooted nonprofit serving entertainment professionals, though narrower in focus than BFOA's emergency-aid remit.
• Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA): RTDNA is the world's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism, serving broadcast and digital news professionals. Comparable as a broadcast-focused membership organization but lacking BFOA's charitable grantmaking mandate.

Regional players

• TVB (Television Bureau of Advertising): TVB is the trade association representing local broadcast television sales, co-sponsoring BFOA Media Mixer events. It overlaps in the broadcast industry network but is primarily an advertising-sales advocacy body, not a charitable foundation.
• National Association of Broadcasters (NAB): NAB is the primary trade association for U.S. broadcasters and a core BFOA partner (hosts Media Mixers, NAB Show events). It overlaps in serving the broadcast industry but focuses on advocacy and education rather than direct financial aid.
• New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA): NYSBA is a state-level broadcast trade association that underwrites BFOA's internship program. It serves the same broadcaster constituency as BFOA at a sub-national level, providing advocacy and education rather than direct grants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BroadcastersFDN
• Facebookfacebook.com/BroadcastersFDN

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Broadcasters Foundation of America