NVFC Partnered to Give Away $2.5 Million in 2025
January 13, 2026
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is proud to partner with companies and organizations to support the volunteer fire and emergency services with needed funding, equipment, resources, and training. In 2025, this resulted in over $2.5 million worth of grants, giveaways, and scholarships.
“We thank the companies and organizations that teamed up with us in 2025 to provided critical assistance to our nation’s volunteer responders,” said NVFC Chair Steve Hirsch. “With their support, we were able to enhance the safety and readiness of fire and emergency service departments across the country so they can best protect their responders and serve their communities.”
The following programs took place in 2025:
Anheuser-Busch Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters Program: More than 1.5 million cans of emergency drinking water were donated to 638 volunteer fire departments to provide critical hydration during wildfire response and other emergencies. Anheuser-Busch also produced its 100 millionth can of emergency drinking water in 2025.
Columbia Southern University (CSU) Scholarships: Two NVFC members were awarded a scholarship covering up to 60 credit hours towards one online CSU degree program.
DripDrop Hydration Giveback: 1,000 volunteer fire departments received 200 electrolyte sticks each to help keep responders hydrated during wildfires and other long incidents.
MSA and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway: Thirteen volunteer fire departments received four sets of Globez turnout gear and four MSA Cairns® helmets each to enhance responder safety. MSA also sponsored NVFC memberships for the first 500 applicants.
MSA Cairns® 1836 Fire Helmet Giveaway: Four NVFC members received an MSA Cairns® 1836 Fire Helmet.
Nutella® Stacks for Giving Back: Five volunteer fire departments each received a $5,000 grant to purchase needed equipment and resources. In addition, Nutella donated 150 pancake breakfast kits to assist volunteer departments with fundraising events.
State Farm® Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program: 150 volunteer fire departments each received a $10,000 grant to purchase needed equipment. State Farm® also provided the first 2,000 applicants with a one-year NVFC membership.
State Farm® Laptop Donation: 100 fire departments received five previously owned laptops each to aid departments in administrative tasks, training, incident tracking, and more to enhance their capabilities and efficiency.
STEPR™ Health & Safety Giveaway: Three volunteer fire departments received a STEPR PRO+ stair climber, accessory pack, initial warranty, and accompanying training to help foster physical and mental wellness among their members.
Training Summit Travel Stipends: Thanks to grants from FEMA, the NVFC awarded 60 members with a stipend of up to $800 to help them attend the 2025 NVFC Training Summit.
Waldorf University Scholarship: One NVFC member was awarded a scholarship covering up to 60 credit hours toward one online Waldorf degree program.
The NVFC is gearing up for another successful year of grants, giveaways, and scholarships in 2026. Stay tuned to the Dispatch newsletter and bookmark this page to find out about new opportunities as they are announced. Watch this video to learn more about submitting a strong application.
