The Leary Firefighters Foundation
The Leary Firefighters Foundation is a public charity based in New York, New York, established in 2000 by Denis Leary after a Worcester, Massachusetts fire claimed the lives of six firefighters, including Leary’s cousin and a childhood friend. It provides funding and resources to fire departments for equipment, technology, training, and facilities.
Key facts about The Leary Firefighters Foundation
In short: The Leary Firefighters Foundation gave $903K across 59 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), top state New Jersey. 95% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- EIN
- 13-4125074
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $903,026
- Grants made (2024)
- 59
- Average grant
- $15,306
- Median grant
- $14,439
- New grantees (estimate)
- 95% first-time grantees (56 of 59, 2024)
- Total assets
- $5,766,012
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (8% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The program considers grant requests from eligible fire departments. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing
Total Assets
$5.8M
+0.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$903K
+31.7% YoY
Grant Count
59
+22.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
+7.1% YoY
Is The Leary Firefighters Foundation open to new grantees?
95%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 56 of 59 grantees (95%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 2% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−18%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to provide funding and resources for fire departments to obtain the highest level of equipment, technology, and training. Its website also describes support for training facilities, vehicles, and modern tools and technology for firehouses and departments.
The foundation supports fire departments and related organizations. For example, the FDNY Foundation describes its own mission as funding FDNY programs in community fire and life safety, equipment, training, education, and members’ health and wellness needs. Other 2024 recipients describe their missions as providing fire protection or emergency services to their local communities.
Grantmaking
The Jeremiah Lucey Grant Program is listed as active. It considers requests for training, equipment, and technology from paid and volunteer fire departments in the United States and does not make grants to individuals. The stated award range is $5,000–$25,000, with larger amounts occasionally available. Applicants are asked to describe how their department has already acted to address the problem and how the foundation could partner with it. The program particularly prioritizes partnerships intended to achieve impact in response to emergencies caused by natural or man-made disasters.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Leary Firefighters Foundation
Ready to take the next step with The Leary Firefighters Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The grant program supports paid and volunteer fire departments across the United States. In the 2024 itemized grant data, the largest state shares of grant dollars were New Jersey and Pennsylvania at 8% each, followed by New York at 7%, Missouri at 7%, and Illinois at 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 59 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $487K (2020) to $1.1M (2021). In 2024 it made 59 grants totaling $903K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Moscow Fire Department ($29K). Together the top 10 received $259K.
Grant Size Distribution
252 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 250 grants of 252 (99%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Moscow Fire Department Moscow, ID | Equipment | $28,931 |
| North Belle Vernon VFD Belle Vernon, PA | Equipment | $28,000 |
| Verona Fire Department Verona, WI | Equipment | $26,660 |
| Mid-County Fire Protection District Camdenton, MO | Equipment | $26,071 |
| Fdny Foundation Brooklyn, NY | Program Grant | $25,000 |
| LT Joseph Dibernardo Foundation Miller Place, NY | Equipment | $25,000 |
| Ringwood Borough Volunteer Fire Co No 1 Ringwood, NJ | Equipment | $25,000 |
| West Suburban Fire Protection Dist Rockford, IL | Equipment | $24,992 |
| Woolwich Fire Department Woolwich, ME | Equipment | $24,637 |
| Duncan Fire Department Duncan, SC | Equipment | $24,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Itemized grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,766,012 | $1,425,552 | $1,444,612 | $903,026 across 59 grants |
| 2023 | $5,712,024 | $547,639 | $1,257,605 | $685,866 across 48 grants |
| 2022 | $6,126,842 | $943,276 | $1,465,853 | $844,214 across 53 grants |
The foundation reports that it has donated over $17.5 million since 2000.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,766,012 | $5,712,024 | $6,126,842 |
| Revenue | $1,425,552 | $547,639 | $943,276 |
| Expenses | $1,444,612 | $1,257,605 | $1,465,853 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $574,832 | $58,112 | $-341,757 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Denis Leary as president; David Morkal as secretary; and Ronald Nash as treasurer. Directors listed are Mark Bezos, Brian Williams, Rachael Ray, Deanna McDevitt, and Michael Ferdman.
The Leary Firefighters Foundation is led by Denis Leary, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 8 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Denis Leary
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Williams
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deanna McDevitt
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Bezos
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rachael Ray
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Ferdman
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Morkal
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald Nash
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 200 Chambers Street 25A, New York, NY 10007
Phone: (212) 867-1117
Website: https://learyfirefighters.org
Frequently asked questions about The Leary Firefighters Foundation
How much does The Leary Firefighters Foundation give each year?
The Leary Firefighters Foundation gave $903K across 59 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $686K across 48 grants.
What is The Leary Firefighters Foundation's typical grant size?
The Leary Firefighters Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $14,439, and its average grant was $15,306, across 59 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Leary Firefighters Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Leary Firefighters Foundation give grants?
The Leary Firefighters Foundation's top state is New Jersey, with 8% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (8%) and New York (7%).
Does The Leary Firefighters Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 59 grants with a stated purpose on The Leary Firefighters Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 filing were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Equipment" (58 grants).
Who are The Leary Firefighters Foundation's largest grantees?
The Leary Firefighters Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Moscow Fire Department ($28,931), North Belle Vernon VFD ($28,000) and Verona Fire Department ($26,660), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 9% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Leary Firefighters Foundation?
The Leary Firefighters Foundation reported $5.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Its revenue that year was $1.4M.
What does The Leary Firefighters Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to provide funding and resources for fire departments to obtain the highest level of equipment, technology, and training. Its website also describes support for training facilities, vehicles, and modern tools and technology for firehouses and departments. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Leary Firefighters Foundation?
The program considers grant requests from eligible fire departments. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Leary Firefighters Foundation's EIN?
The Leary Firefighters Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4125074. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Leary Firefighters Foundation by hand.
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