CFA grants more than $200k during 2024 VFD grant cycle

The Community Foundation of Abilene, with support from community contributions and donor-advised funds, has awarded more than $200k to volunteer fire departments in this year's grant cycle.

These grant funds provide added support for volunteer fire departments (VFDs) to purchase the safety and equipment needed to serve and protect our neighbors in communities surrounding Abilene. 

"The average cost to outfit a firefighter is $22,000," said Meagan Harris, rural grants manager. "When you consider other expenses to maintain compliant equipment and supplies, the costs add up."

Their requests ranged from personal protective gear (structural and wildland), fire hoses, radios, SCBAs (self-contained breathing apparatus), partial funding for trucks, additions to fire stations, and fire shelters (wildland). 

The Community Foundation of Abilene's grant cycle for volunteer fire departments (VFDs) opens at the start of each new year. Grants range from $4,000 to $15,000.

"This grant cycle is important to our rural communities," said Katie Alford, Foundation President/CEO. "We're honored to partner with our donors to provide this funding opportunity for our volunteer fire departments."

Since the launch of this grant cycle in 2021, the Foundation has been able to create relationships and support local rural VFDs. The need for these rural communities is significant, and this grant cycle has helped alleviate the burden of the growing equipment costs. 

VFDs from the following counties are eligible: Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Fisher, Haskell, Jones, Kent, Knox, Mitchell, Nolan, Runnels, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor and Throckmorton.

2024 VFDs Grant Recipients:

• Anson VFD in Jones County to purchase hoses and equipment
• Bangs Fire & Rescue VFD in Brown County to purchase extrication tools
• Blanket VFD in Brown County to purchase self-containment breathing apparatus (SCBAs)
• Buffalo Gap VFD in Taylor County to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Cisco Fire Department in Eastland County to purchase radios
• Early VFD in Brown County to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and a battery-powered ventilation fan
• Eula VFD in Callahan County to purchase radios
• Jim Ned VFD in Taylor County to purchase Stryker LUCAS 3 Battery CPR Chest Compression Device
• Merkel VFD in Taylor County to purchase radios
• Potosi VFD in Taylor County to purchase radios
• Rising Star VFD in Eastland County to purchase self-containment breathing apparatus (SCBA) and personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Roby VFD in Fisher County to purchase radios
• Roscoe VFD in Nolan County to purchase extrication tools
• Rotan VFD in Fisher County to purchase fire hose
• Snyder VFD in Scurry County to purchase radios
• South Coleman County VFD in Coleman County to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE), tools, and equipment
• View VFD in Taylor County to purchase radios
• Winchell VFD in Brown County to purchase radios
• Wingate VFD in Runnels County to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE)

About Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) Support:

If you are a VFD organization, click here to explore grant opportunities. 

Funding opportunities within this grant cycle continue through 2025. Looking to partner in providing funding support to VFDs? Click here to learn more.