Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter's Fund

What Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter's Fund does

The Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter's Fund (WODFF), doing business as "Give to A Hero," is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization (Tax ID 95-6205446) founded more than a century ago and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Its sole mission is to provide direct financial assistance, health insurance, durable medical equipment, and memorial scholarships to the families of Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) firefighters who are injured or killed in the line of duty, or who face other qualifying crises such as the 2025 wildfires. The organization operates as an affiliated program of the L.A. Firemen's Relief Association (LAFRA), which serves as its parent entity and channels beneficiary identification through the LAFD community.

WODFF's core service is a Financial Assistance Program supported by a portfolio of roughly seven recurring fundraising events (Annual LAFD Golf Invitational, Salute to Firefighters Festival, Pickleball Tournament, Hook & Ladder Desert Race, Softball Tournament, Drill Tower Graduations, online auctions) and a broad set of donation channels (online portal, GoFundMe, Amazon Wishlist, Ralphs Rewards, Evite Giving, vehicle donations, employer matching, planned giving, and product/service donations). Revenue is sourced entirely from voluntary individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants (notably the JMM Foundation/JM Eagle), and net proceeds from fundraising events. The organization operates with a 5-person staff and provides no technology products, APIs, or paid services.

The beneficiary pool is structurally limited to LAFD-affiliated families in the Los Angeles region, making the organization's impact concentrated by design. Strategic emphasis in recent years has been on deepening corporate partnerships, expanding event variety, and broadening digital donor acquisition (YouTube subscriber growth, social media engagement, third-party fundraising platforms). No M&A, investment activity, or external funding rounds are associated with the entity.

Name

Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter's Fund

Legal name

Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter's Fund

Website

https://givetoahero.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter's Fund is a 501(c)(3) charity affiliated with the L.A. Firemen's Relief Association that provides financial assistance, health insurance, medical equipment, and memorial scholarships to families of Los Angeles City Fire Department firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty, funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Firefighter Family Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Firefighter family support
• Nonprofit charitable services
• Line-of-duty assistance
• Memorial scholarship programs
• Community fundraising events

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting firefighter families. Includes one-time and recurring donation options.
2. Corporate Sponsorships & Grants: Corporate giving programs, grants, and employer matching programs from businesses supporting the organization.
3. Fundraising Events: Revenue from charity events including golf invitationals, pickleball tournaments, softball tournaments, car shows, online auctions, and firefighter festivals.
4. Product & Vehicle Donations: Accepts donations of vehicles, products, and services that are sold or utilized to support operations.
5. Planned Giving & Legacy Donations: Bequests and planned giving programs for long-term donor contributions.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter's Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that provides financial assistance, health insurance coverage, durable medical equipment, and memorial scholarships to families of Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty. The organization sustains its mission through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, grants, fundraising events (golf invitationals, pickleball tournaments, festivals, car shows), and vehicle/product donation programs.

Product overview

Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter's Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides comprehensive support services to families of Los Angeles firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty. The organization operates as a single unified charitable program rather than a platform architecture, offering direct financial assistance (living expenses, health insurance, medical equipment, scholarships), multiple fundraising events (golf invitational, pickleball tournament, softball tournament, desert race, firefighter festival), and various donation programs (vehicle donations, Amazon wishlist, go bag donations, online auctions). The portfolio centers on the core Financial Assistance Program and Memorial Scholarship Award, supplemented by a robust calendar of community fundraising events and giving mechanisms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers2 records

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• LAFD FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025LAFD Foundation donated brand new Thermal Imaging Cameras to the department after twenty years, supporting firefighter safety technology. This partnership provides critical equipment to protect firefighters.
• Los Angeles Firemen's Relief Association (LAFRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization's parent/affiliated entity. The L.A. Firemen's Relief Association works closely with WODFF to support LAFD families. WODFF is affiliated with and supported by LAFRA, a key partner in providing firefighter family support services.
• JM Eagle / JMM FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor that hosted a fundraising event at the LPGA Championship. Walter and Shirley Wang of the JMM Foundation organized relief aid for LAFD families affected by 2025 wildfires at the JM Eagle L.A. Championship.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Leary Firefighters Foundation: Foundation funding training, equipment, and family support for firefighters. Comparable mission of supporting firefighter welfare and family assistance.
• Gary Sinise Foundation: Foundation supporting first responders, veterans, and their families through financial grants, home modifications, and wellness programs. Comparable mission (first responder family support) with a celebrity-driven fundraising model.
• IAFF Charitable Foundation: Charitable arm of the International Association of Fire Fighters that distributes grants to families of fallen or injured firefighters. Comparable beneficiary population and grantmaking model, with broader geographic coverage than WODFF.
• Firefighters Charitable Foundation: Nonprofit providing assistance to firefighters and their families, including disaster relief and family support. Similar mission, donation-based funding, and event-driven fundraising.
• National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: National nonprofit that supports families of fallen firefighters across the U.S. through financial assistance, memorial programs, and survivor resources. Most directly comparable in mission (firefighter family welfare) though at a national rather than city-specific scope.
• Tunnel to Towers Foundation: National nonprofit supporting families of fallen first responders (firefighters, police) and catastrophically injured military veterans. Comparable in targeting fallen first responder families and delivering mortgage-free home and financial support.
• Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.): National nonprofit providing resources and support to families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Analogous model to WODFF but for police families, reflecting the same line-of-duty survivor niche.

Regional players

• California Fire Foundation: Statewide California nonprofit supporting firefighters, victims of wildfires, and communities. Comparable in targeting California firefighter families and disaster-driven family aid, with broader geographic scope than WODFF.
• Boston Firefighters Relief Fund: City-specific firefighter relief organization serving Boston firefighters and families. Closely comparable structure (municipal firefighter relief fund) though operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• LAFD Foundation: Nonprofit supporting the LAFD more broadly with equipment, training, and community programs. Directly overlaps WODFF's geographic and institutional footprint, including documented equipment-donation partnership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/givetoahero
• YouTubeyoutube.com/GiveToAHero
• Facebookfacebook.com/wodff
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/givetoahero
• Instagraminstagram.com/givetoahero

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter's Fund