Volunteer Fire Department Grant

Thank you for your interest in the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation’s Volunteer Fire Department Grant Cycle.  If this is your first time to apply, or you’re just exploring—welcome!  We’re happy to answer any questions you might have. Please review the information below to set up your account and get started. 

Be sure to confirm your eligibility before accessing the WFACF Grant Management Portal below. 

Eligible Counties:

Texas Counties: Archer, Baylor, Childress, Clay, Cottle, Foard, Haskell, Hardeman, Jack, King, Knox, Montague, Stonewall, Throckmorton, Young, Wilbarger, Wise, Wichita.

Oklahoma Counties: Comanche, Cotton, Jackson, Jefferson, Stephens, Tillman.

Information

The Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation (WFACF), in partnership with The Priddy Foundation, established the Volunteer Fire Department Fund in 2006. Since that time, The Priddy Foundation, WFACF, and area citizens have continued to make donations to the fund. WFACF promotes the VFD Fund throughout the year, with special emphasis during Texoma Gives, our annual giving day, which is held in September each year.

  • Grant applications must be submitted through the WFACF Grant Portal (see below). 
  • The deadline to submit grant applications is as follows:   
  • Spring Cycle – Opens Feb 1st – Deadline is Mar 31st
  • Fall Cycle – Opens Aug 1st – Deadline is Sep 30th.  (If you applied for a grant in the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2022 you may apply in this cycle.) 
  • Awards are typically distributed in the last month of the following quarter.
  • All applicants will need to create an account in the grant portal when applying for a grant the first time.  Do not create a new login if your organization has processed an application through the portal previously.  If you are not sure, please contact our office so that we may help you.
  • Once your account is set up, your “dashboard” is displayed every time you log in. From the dashboard, you can edit your contact information, begin the application process, access application drafts and submitted applications, and submit required post-grant evaluation reports and/or receipts.
  • Awards will be made via ACH Direct Deposit. If you are not set up for ACH deposit, please contact our office to begin the process once you have submitted your application.
  • Departments may apply once in a 12 month period. 
  • Please review this Application Tutorial if you have any further questions regarding the grant application process

As you request funding for your Volunteer Fire Department, please consider the following:

Priority Areas of Funding:

  • Personal Protective Equipment such as safety clothing, breathing apparatus, etc. 
  • Communication devices such as radios, and pagers
  • Truck matches, if funds available, WFACF will award 10% of a truck match up to $20,000
  • Truck parts (tires, windshields, transmissions, brakes, etc.)

Secondary Areas of Funding:

  • Miscellaneous fire equipment, such pumps, nozzles, hoses, etc.
  • Miscellaneous equipment, such as jaws of life, chainsaws, etc.
  • First Responder equipment
  • Medical equipment/supplies


Requests will not be considered for:

  • Buildings and/or building acquisitions
  • Equipment losses that are covered by insurance


Additional considerations when submitting an application for the WFACF Volunteer Fire Department Grant Cycle.

  • WFACF raises funds for the Volunteer Fire Department Grant Cycle by writing grants to various foundations, and marketing to individuals.  WFACF has a limited amount of funds to distribute in each grant cycle.  The amount of funds available depends on the amount of donations WFACF has received and any grants we have been awarded from other foundations. The award decisions are based on the number of VFD applications received, the dollar amount of funds requested, and the amount of funding that is available for that grant cycle.  
  • An average VFD grant award ranges from $1,000 to $15,000
  • The WFACF Grant Committee uses the following average cost of equipment for most PPE and other routinely requested items/equipment.  From time to time, WFACF requests quotes from various multiple organizations, and reviews VFD requests, as research to determine our average funding amounts based on the current cost of routinely requested equipment.
    • Bunker Gear – Coat/Pants/Helmet = $3,600 set
    • Wildland Gear – Coat/Pants (Or bibs)/Helmet = $950 set

Helpful tip: For the best user experience when accessing the Online Grant Manager, we suggest using the most current browser version, preferably Chrome. Do not use Internet Explorer.

Please contact Julie Looper or Lori Knight with any questions, 940.766.0829, or wfacf@wfacf.org

Click Here: WFACF Grant Application Portal