Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation

What Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation does

The Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation (GFBF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 1985 to support burn survivors and advance burn prevention education across the state. The foundation operates a portfolio of survivor-services programs including the Summer Camp Oo-U-La residential camp for child burn survivors, Family Weekend retreats, the Belli Memorial Scholarship, the Chesney direct-assistance grant, and the Project R.E.A.C.H. statewide prevention and education initiative. It also runs an international camper exchange with Camp B.U.C.K.O. in partnership with Camp Twin Lakes.

GFBF's revenue model is community-driven and diversified across individual donations, corporate sponsorships, county fire-department fundraising, grants, and recycling revenue. The flagship fundraiser is the Give Burns The Boot interstate campaign, through which Georgia firefighters conduct roadside collections that have raised more than $18 million cumulatively since 1990. Operations are supported by a small staff of 6-14 employees, and the organization documented a return to in-person programming in 2025 following a pandemic-era pivot to virtual engagement.

The foundation's competitive position rests on its decades-long brand equity within Georgia's fire service, its embedded distribution access to county and municipal fire departments, and its multi-stakeholder ecosystem spanning survivors, families, firefighters, and corporate partners. It does not employ AI or advanced technology platforms; its digital footprint consists of a virtual programming channel and standard nonprofit web presence. GFBF's mission and structure position it as a stable, mission-locked organization rather than a high-growth enterprise, with expansion signals concentrated in programmatic depth and geographic buildout within Georgia rather than commercial scale.

Name

Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation

Legal name

Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation

Website

https://gfbf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that supports burn survivors through residential camps, scholarships, direct financial grants, and statewide prevention education, funded primarily by community donations and firefighter-led fundraising campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Burn Survivor Support Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Burn survivor support
• Nonprofit services
• Fire safety education
• Community fundraising campaigns
• Peer support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Give Burns The Boot Campaign: Annual fundraising campaign conducted through Georgia fire departments. Started in 1990, has raised over $18 million total. Fire departments collect funds at intersections and events, with 10% reinvested to local communities for fire safety programs. Also includes online/virtual component.
2. Business Supporter Program: Corporate sponsorship at annual levels: Chief $5,000, Captain $3,000, Lieutenant $1,000, Firefighter $500, Friend up to. Provides company branding, community visibility, social media alignment, and promotion to GFBF constituency.
3. Project R.E.A.C.H. (Aluminum Can Recycling): Year-round aluminum can recycling program partnering with 30+ Georgia fire departments and businesses as drop-site locations. Over 34 years, recycled 4+ million pounds of aluminum raising $2.2 million. YTD July 2024: 72,000 pounds = $47,700.
4. Chesney Fallen Firefighters Memorial Grant: Grant program in memory of fallen firefighters. Fire departments apply for funding to develop or enhance public life safety programs focused on fire safety and burn prevention education.
5. Belli Memorial Endowment Scholarship: One million dollar endowment from Belli family provides scholarships for burn survivors attending universities, colleges, and technical colleges. Provides educational assistance to severe burn injury survivors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation provides free burn survivor support programs and fire safety education through partnerships with Georgia's fire service. Core offerings include residential summer camps (Camp Oo-U-La), family weekends, young adult retreats, peer support groups, educational scholarships (Belli Endowment), and fire department grant programs. The organization's flagship fundraising campaign, Give Burns The Boot®, engages over 200 fire departments statewide and has raised more than $18 million since 1990.

Product overview

The Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a portfolio of burn survivor support programs and fire service assistance initiatives. The core offerings include Summer Camp Oo-U-La for burn-injured children ages 7-17 and their siblings, and Burn Survivors Family Weekend retreats—both held at Camp Twin Lakes Will-A-Way in Winder, GA. The Belli Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund provides educational assistance to burn survivors pursuing higher education. For fire service support, the Chesney Fallen Firefighters Memorial Grant funds fire safety education programs, and Project R.E.A.C.H. is an aluminum can recycling initiative generating revenue. The flagship fundraising campaign, Give Burns The Boot® (GBTB), involves over 200 fire departments collecting donations annually, with participating departments receiving 10% reinvestment for local programs. The organization also offers an online virtual fundraising platform as a modern complement to the traditional campaign.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Give Burns The Boot®: Annual fundraising campaign in which fire departments collect funds to benefit the organization's mission and programs. Began in 1990 and has raised over $18 million since inception.

Products and services

• Give Burns The Boot® (GBTB) Campaign The organization's flagship annual fundraising campaign conducted in partnership with fire departments across Georgia. Firefighters collect donations at intersections and storefronts, with participating departments receiving 10% of funds raised for local fire safety programs.
• Summer Camp Oo-U-La A week-long residential summer camp for burn-injured children ages 7-17 and their siblings, held at Camp Twin Lakes Will-A-Way in Winder, GA. The camp provides 'fun with a purpose' programming for children affected by burn injury and trauma.
• Burn Survivors Family Weekend A weekend retreat for burn survivor families to connect with others who share similar experiences of burn trauma. The program welcomes attendees of all ages and is held at Camp Twin Lakes Will-A-Way in Winder, GA.
• Belli Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund A $1 million endowment providing educational and psychosocial assistance to burn survivors. The scholarship fund supports students planning to attend or currently enrolled at accredited universities, colleges, and technical colleges.
• Project R.E.A.C.H. (Recycling Every Aluminum Can Helps) A year-round aluminum can recycling program conducted in cooperation with Georgia fire departments and businesses. The program serves as a revenue source while keeping millions of cans out of landfills, having recycled over 4 million pounds of aluminum and raising more than $2.2 million since 1986.
• Chesney Fallen Firefighters Memorial Grant A grant program founded in memory of Gwinnett County Firefighter Brant Chesney, who lost his life in 1996. Grants are awarded to Georgia fire departments to develop or enhance public life safety programs focused on fire safety and burn prevention education.
• Online Give Burns The Boot Virtual Fundraising Platform A virtual fundraising platform supplementing the traditional boot drive, offering a cashless donation option. Fire departments can create their own fundraising pages and accept credit card donations online, with 10% of online funds designated for local fire safety initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95 children served through week-long residential camping program (2019)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Camp Twin LakescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFBF partners with Camp Twin Lakes to host Summer Camp Oo-U-La and Family Weekend at their Will-A-Way facility in Winder, GA. Camp Twin Lakes provides fully accessible facilities with climate-controlled cabins and program offerings. This partnership enables GFBF to deliver residential camping experiences for burn survivors.
• Camp B.U.C.K.O. (Burn Camp for Kids in Ontario)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational camper exchange partnership with Camp B.U.C.K.O. in Ontario, Canada. Allows campers to attend one another's programs, providing cross-border peer support and cultural exchange opportunities for burn survivors.
• Georgia Fire Sprinklers AssociationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerChief-level business supporter providing funding and support for GFBF mission. Represents fire safety industry stakeholders committed to burn prevention.
• Georgia Association of Fire ChiefsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerChief-level business supporter representing Georgia's fire service leadership. Supports GFBF mission and burn prevention efforts statewide.
• Georgia State Firefighters AssociationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerChief-level business supporter representing career and volunteer firefighters across Georgia. Committed to supporting burn survivor programs.
• Grady Hospital Burn CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFBF collaborates with Grady Hospital Burn Center providing ancillary support for aftercare programming. Dr. Walter Ingram serves as Medical Director and speaker at GFBF events.
• WellStarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system collaboration for aftercare programming support for burn survivors in the WellStar service area.
• JM Still Burn CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with JM Still Burn Center for aftercare programming support, providing continuity of care for burn survivors.
• Georgia Fire Departments (Project R.E.A.C.H.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor30+ Georgia fire departments serve as drop-site locations for aluminum can recycling through Project R.E.A.C.H. Departments include: Bartow County, Calhoun, Cartersville, Cedar Town, Chatsworth, Clayton County, Dalton, Decatur, DeKalb County, Gordon County, Gwinnett County, Jefferson, John's Creek, Lee County, McDonough, Mitchell County, Morrow, Peachtree City, Putnam County, Rockdale County, Rockmart, Rome, Sandy Springs, Savannah, Spalding County, Thomasville, Valdosta, Walton County, Waycross.
• Georgia Fire Departments (Give Burns The Boot)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 200 fire departments participate in Give Burns The Boot campaign, collecting donations at intersections and events. Departments receive 10% of funds raised for local fire safety programs.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: National nonprofit supporting fallen firefighter families and fire service safety. Overlaps with GFBF's Chesney Fallen Firefighters Memorial Grant program and firefighter community engagement, but operates at federal/national mandate scale.
• Shriners Hospitals for Children (Burn Care): Major hospital system with specialized pediatric burn treatment centers across the U.S. Provides acute burn care and aftercare programming that overlaps with GFBF's survivor support mission, but at national clinical scale.
• IAFF Charitable Foundation: Charitable arm of the International Association of Fire Fighters union. Comparable in mission (firefighter and community support) with much broader international membership base and union-backed fundraising capacity.

Direct peers

• Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors: National nonprofit providing peer support, education, and advocacy for burn survivors. Most direct peer as the leading U.S. burn survivor support organization with similar program categories (survivor community, camps, scholarships) but operating at national scale rather than state-level.
• Burn Institute: San Diego-based nonprofit delivering burn survivor support, fire safety education, and prevention programs. Directly comparable model: regional footprint, partnership with local fire service, survivor camps, and community fire prevention focus.
• Children's Burn Foundation: California-based nonprofit providing free reconstructive surgery, burn recovery, and prevention education for children. Directly comparable in pediatric burn survivor support and family programming, though focused on West Coast.
• Firefighters Charitable Foundation: Nationwide nonprofit run by volunteer firefighters providing disaster relief, fire victim aid, and community safety programs. Closely comparable fundraising model (firefighter-led, community-based) but broader geographic reach.

Regional players

• Camp Courage (formerly Camp Celebrate): Mid-Atlantic burn survivor camp program. Comparable in delivering residential camp experiences for burn-injured youth but operates in a different geographic territory (Maryland/Virginia region).
• Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation: Local fire-service-affiliated nonprofit in GFBF's home market (Atlanta). Overlaps in supporting burn survivors and fire service families through a city-focused lens rather than statewide.

Others

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): National standards body for fire safety, also runs Sparky the Fire Dog® public education program. Thematically adjacent through fire safety education mission and shared mascot asset, though not a direct fundraising or survivor support peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GFBF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJzkfI8cvm1rJfS8r2E0t9Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georgia-firefighters-burn-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation