First Responder Relief Fund
Standing Strong for Those Who Stand for Us
Bring Support Home to Your Community
First responders give everything to protect the people they serve. FRRF Chapters make sure they’re never doing it alone. Our local chapters empower volunteers and community leaders to support first responders in meaningful, personal, and lasting ways—right in the communities they call home.
Each chapter follows the mission and direction of our national organization, yet retains the flexibility to respond to the specific challenges and priorities of its local first responder community.
Current FRRF Chapters
First Responder Relief Fund currently has chapters in the following areas:
- Dallas, Texas
- Houston, Texas
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Miami, Florida
- Chicago, Illinois
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Denver, Colorado
- San Antonio, Texas
- Charlotte, North Carolina
Interested in starting your own chapter? We’ll walk with you every step of the way.
What Our Chapters Do
FRRF chapters exist to connect communities with the first responders who serve them. Each chapter focuses on three core pillars:
- Support: Providing resources, morale boosts, appreciation events, and assistance during difficult times.
- Engage: Bringing the public together with their local fire, police, EMS, and dispatch agencies through outreach, volunteer projects, and education.
- Uplift: Recognizing and celebrating the dedication of first responders and their families.
Every chapter reflects the needs and personality of its unique community—but all share the same heart: serve the people who serve us every day.
Why Chapters Matter
Across the country, first responders face rising demands, increased stress, and fewer resources. Many communities want to help—they just don’t always know how. FRRF chapters fill that gap.
Local chapters:
- Create immediate, real-world impact
- Strengthen the relationship between departments and the public
- Ensure support remains consistent, local, and community-driven
- Empower volunteers to turn gratitude into action
When people ask how they can help first responders, an FRRF chapter gives them the answer.
How Chapters Operate
Every chapter follows a simple structure designed to maximize impact while keeping things manageable for local leaders.
- Local Leadership Team
Each chapter has a small volunteer leadership team responsible for organizing activities and building community partnerships. - Guided by National FRRF
FRRF provides training, branding, tools, and ongoing support. Chapters operate with autonomy but follow a unified mission, safety standards, and operational guidelines. - Community-Driven Initiatives
Chapters choose projects that matter locally—whether it’s appreciation meals, equipment support, mental-health resources, family assistance, public outreach, or disaster-response support. - Financial Transparency
Chapters fundraise locally, with donations staying in their community unless designated otherwise. A small percentage of donations do go to FRRF National to provide training, resources, insurance coverage, administrative systems, and the tools that allow every chapter to function effectively. - Consistent Impact Reporting
Each chapter submits simple quarterly activity updates so we can celebrate wins, share stories, and ensure best practices nationwide.
FRRF National vs. Local Chapters
FRRF National provides the backbone of the organization—offering training, resources, branding, administrative support, insurance, and guidance to help local chapters thrive. National also leads large-scale disaster response efforts and coordinates support when communities face major emergencies. Local chapters focus on day-to-day outreach, appreciation events, and direct support for first responders in their own communities. Together, National and local chapters create a unified network that delivers both local impact and national strength.
Support You Receive
Starting a chapter doesn’t mean starting alone. FRRF provides:
- Chapter Leader Training Program
- Branding + Marketing Materials (logos, templates, brochures, social content)
- Fundraising Toolkit (online donation system, event templates, sponsor packets)
- Volunteer Management Tools
- Chapter Handbook & Policies
- Mentorship from FRRF HQ & other chapter leaders
- Publicity and media support
- Legal & compliance guidance
Our goal is simple: You focus on serving your local first responders—we handle the heavy lifting behind the scenes.
What It Takes to Lead a Chapter
You don’t need nonprofit experience. Most of our Chapter Leaders are first responders or family of first responders, but that's not a requirement -- You don’t need special qualifications. You just need:
- A heart for serving first responders
- Basic leadership and organization skills
- The ability to build community connections
- A commitment to FRRF’s mission and values
- 5–10 hours a month (on average)
Everything else—we teach you, guide you, and support you through.
Impact Stories
Real Stories. Real Communities. Real Change.
Every chapter creates ripple effects that reach far beyond the first responders themselves—boosting morale, strengthening community trust, and uplifting families when they need it most.
“Our local FRRF chapter delivered meals and support during a devastating multi-alarm fire. What they did for our team went beyond appreciation—it reminded us why we do what we do.”
— Battalion Chief, Texas
“The chapter in our area brought the whole town together for an appreciation weekend. The turnout was unbelievable. Our responders still talk about it.”
— Community Volunteer
No prior nonprofit or leadership experience is required. FRRF provides all the training, tools, and guidance you’ll need to feel confident from day one. What matters most is a passion for supporting first responders, a willingness to learn, and the ability to connect with people in your community. Our team walks with you through every step, so you can focus on building relationships and creating meaningful local impact—even if this is your first time leading something like this.
It depends. In most cases, we aim to have one strong, unified chapter serving each area to ensure resources and efforts remain focused. However, in larger regions with diverse or high-demand communities, we may authorize multiple chapters as long as each one serves a clearly defined geographic or operational area. This approach helps us maintain efficiency while ensuring every first responder community receives dedicated support. If you live in an area that is already covered by a local chapter, we will put you in touch with them. If you believe your area is not adequately covered by the local chapter, we are certainly willing to consider adding another chapter.
Most chapter leaders volunteer an average of 5–10 hours per month, depending on the size of their team and the types of activities they choose to organize. Some months may require a little more time—especially around events—while others may be lighter. FRRF is designed to be flexible, so you can scale your involvement up or down based on your availability. Many chapters start with a small group of friends or coworkers who share responsibilities and split the workload, making the time commitment very manageable.
No—there is no fee to start an FRRF chapter, and we provide all training, branding materials, and administrative support at no cost. However, because chapters organize their own local activities, you may need to do some initial fundraising or cover small start-up expenses for your first events. FRRF does not directly fund chapter events, but we equip you with a full fundraising toolkit, donation platform, and event templates to help you build community support quickly. Most chapters start with simple, low-cost initiatives and grow their impact as local donations and partnerships develop.
Chapters have the freedom to create projects that best fit the needs of their local first responders. Common activities include appreciation events, meal deliveries, morale boosters, wellness initiatives, holiday support, community outreach, educational events, fundraising efforts, partnerships with local businesses, and assistance to first responders and their families during challenging times. Whether you’re organizing a simple thank-you campaign or hosting a large community event, FRRF provides templates, ideas, and support to help you design meaningful projects that make a real impact in your area.
Ready to Bring FRRF to Your Community?
You can make a real difference for the people who serve and protect your community every day. Start your chapter application process, and we’ll guide you through the entire process.
First Responder Relief Fund is a program of Foundation For Humanity, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 93-3206189).
Donations may be tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Copyright 2025