The Leary Firefighters Foundation
The Leary Firefighters Foundation is a New York, New York–based public charity established in 2000 by actor Denis Leary. It was created in response to a Worcester, Massachusetts fire that claimed the lives of Leary’s cousin, a childhood friend, and four other firefighters. The foundation supports fire departments with funding and resources for equipment, technology, training, and facilities.
The Leary Firefighters Foundation at a glance
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.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $903,026
- +31.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 59
- +22.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,306
- +7.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $14,439
- Total assets
- $5,766,012
- +0.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 95% first-time grantees (56 of 59, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (8% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Leary Firefighters Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 200 Chambers Street 25A, New York, NY 10007
Phone: (212) 867-1117
Website: https://learyfirefighters.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Leary Firefighters Foundation
Who The Leary Firefighters Foundation funds
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%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it supports fire departments across the country. In 2024, the largest reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were New Jersey and Pennsylvania at 8% each, New York and Missouri at 7% each, and Illinois at 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 59 itemized grants.
States
Cities
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.
Giving History
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.
Grants by year
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 |
Ready to take the next step with The Leary Firefighters Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The grant figures in the table are the filing data’s grant sums; the foundation’s separate 2024 narrative reports $910,163 awarded to 62 grantees.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,766,012 | $1,425,552 | $1,444,612 | $903,026 | 59 | $574,832 |
| 2023 | $5,712,024 | $547,639 | $1,257,605 | $685,866 | 48 | $58,112 |
| 2022 | $6,126,842 | $943,276 | $1,465,853 | $844,214 | 53 | $-341,757 |
| 2021 | $7,496,522 | $5,138,431 | $1,910,367 | $1,101,386 | 69 | $328,859 |
| 2020 | $3,151,629 | $614,272 | $918,363 | $486,783 | 23 | $76,978 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
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 2024 filing describes support for equipment, training, technology, and facilities.
The 2024 grants included fire departments and related organizations. For example, the North Belle Volunteer Fire Department describes its mission as serving Belle Vernon and surrounding areas; Ringwood Borough Volunteer Fire Co. describes its work as volunteer firefighting and community safety education. The FDNY Foundation says it funds FDNY programs in community fire and life safety, as well as equipment, training, education, and health and wellness needs for FDNY members. The Lieutenant Joseph P. DiBernardo Memorial Foundation says it aids fire departments and members needing firematic equipment and safety training.
Grantmaking
The 2024 filing lists 59 itemized grants totaling $903,026. Grant amounts ranged from $5,081 to $28,931, with a median of $14,439. Separately, the foundation’s 2024 filing narrative reports that it awarded 62 grantees a total of $910,163. These are the two distinct 2024 figures reported by the organization.
Among the largest itemized 2024 grants were $28,931 to Moscow Fire Department for equipment; $28,000 to North Belle Vernon VFD for equipment; $26,660 to Verona Fire Department for equipment; $26,071 to Mid-County Fire Protection District for equipment; and $25,000 to FDNY Foundation for a program grant. The Lieutenant Joseph DiBernardo Foundation and Ringwood Borough Volunteer Fire Co. each received $25,000 for equipment.
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.
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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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 2024 filing describes support for equipment, training, technology, and facilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Leary Firefighters Foundation?
The Leary Firefighters Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check learyfirefighters.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
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 October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Leary Firefighters Foundation funds
Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Leary Firefighters Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Leary Firefighters Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-leary-firefighters-foundation-morg_050801d6a8124493bf85e2e8bd722d00
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_134125074_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Leary Firefighters Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-leary-firefighters-foundation-morg_050801d6a8124493bf85e2e8bd722d00},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Leary Firefighters Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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