Folds of Honor provides life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled U.S. service members. The foundation’s mission has now expanded to America’s first responders including police, fire, EMTs and paramedics.
There are over 2 million first responders in the US; made up of 800,000 law enforcement officers, 1,062,800 firefighter personnel, and 241,000 full-time EMTs and paramedics. They respond to approximately 240 million calls made to 911 each year.
“This move reflects our purpose to meet sacrifice with hope. The decision to launch our first responder scholarships is in reverence to those who paid the ultimate price on September 11th, 2001. The following day was a defining moment in our history, as Americans responded to tragedy by putting differences aside, rallying together, and standing as one. It is our hope that the expanded Folds of Honor mission will inspire unity once again. Without question, it will let first responders and their families know that they are not alone.” – Folds of Honor Founder and CEO, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney.
The story of Folds of Honor began when Rooney was on a flight home from his second tour of duty in Iraq. As his flight landed, the pilot announced they carried the remains of Corporal Brock Bucklin on board. Rooney watched through the window as Bucklin’s twin brother walked somberly alongside the flag-covered casket to meet his family on the tarmac. Among them was the deceased Corporal’s young son. At that moment, Rooney truly understood the meaning of the term “freedom isn’t free.”
Since that night, Rooney has committed his life – through the Folds of Honor – to provide scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members. From its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded nearly 44,000 scholarships totaling nearly $200 million. The scholarship recipients are as diverse as the place they call home. Minority recipients represent 41% of all scholarships awarded.
Helping the dependents of American heroes pursue their educational dreams is possible only with the generosity of corporations and everyday citizens. If you would like to support our nation’s military and first responder families, you can become a Squadron member by joining thousands of committed American patriots who pledge $13 every month.
The Folds of Honor needs the help of corporate partners for this mission to be successful. The expansion into America’s first responders creates a powerful opportunity for new corporate partners to show their community where their values lie. Those corporations interested in partnering should contact the foundation for more information.
For those interested in a scholarship, the application window is open between February 1 and March 31 each year. More information can be found on our scholarships page.
Folds of Honor is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of military members who have fallen or been disabled while serving in the United States armed forces. Beginning in 2022, Folds of Honor expanded its mission to include first responders. Its educational scholarships support private-school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12 as well as post-secondary tuition. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on GuideStar. It was founded by Lt Col Dan Rooney, an F-16 fighter pilot, who is currently stationed at Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service Detachment 1, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, TX. For more information visit FoldsOfHonor.org.