About the Foundation

Our Mission

The Safe Student Foundation mobilizes charitable donations from the firearms community to protect and support PreK–12 students. We fund school safety infrastructure and training designed to protect against active shooters and extreme violence, while also providing mental health support gifts that help families access counseling and therapy for students in need.

Why We Exist

The Safe Student Foundation prioritizes the safety and well-being of children. Many schools lack the funding needed to improve security infrastructure, provide specialized training, and create safe environments for learning. At the same time, many families face financial barriers when seeking counseling or therapy for a child.

Our foundation supports both the physical safety and mental well-being of students. In addition to funding school safety initiatives, we provide mental health support gifts that help families cover counseling and therapy sessions, giving students access to the care they need to learn and thrive.

Today, schools are not secure and vulnerable to threats, each facing unique challenges with no simple solutions. Ensuring safety requires community-driven efforts to protect students, teachers, and administrators. The Foundation seeks support from the gun community, uniquely committed to children’s safety in educational settings.

Whether strengthening school security, improving infrastructure, providing specialized training, or helping students access mental health care, the Foundation collaborates with the firearms community to create safer, more supportive environments for children.. We urge firearm enthusiasts, merchants, retailers, and manufacturers to contribute in the creating a secure atmosphere for learning and developing.

The Foundation upholds both rights of student safety and well-being, as well as the Constitutional right of the people to keep and bear arms. Further, we honor those who defend our freedoms and work tirelessly for our safety. 

How We Are Different

Schools are challenged by limited financial resources. They rely either on public funding or private donations, both of which are limited and difficult to acquire. We also recognize that student safety extends beyond the physical school environment. Through mental health support gifts, the Foundation helps families overcome financial barriers to counseling and therapy, allowing students to receive continued care when they need it most.

Public schools are constrained by funding cycles that rely on local funding sources and appropriations, or they reach out for grants from federal agencies such as the Department of Education, the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, FEMA, and others, all of which rely on federal congressional budgets and approvals.

Public school fund availability is made via various listservs, email lists, discussion groups , or forums, all of which have to be monitored by the schools administration or through expensive consultants. In contrast, private schools rely on fees from parents and private funding sources bound to philanthropy and donations, all of which is constrained and increasingly difficult to procure.

In response to these challenges, the Safe Student Foundation funds public and private schools with donations from the Firearms Industry, hunters, and shooting sports participants. Schools need only submit a simple application, provide a detailed project assessment, and confirm completion of the work.

Our goal is to break the cycle of financial uncertainty, empowering both the firearms industry to contribute to protection efforts and the educational sector to enhance defensive capabilities for our children.

General

What kind of non-profit is the Foundation?

The Safe Student Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN #99-1344715.

What is the Safe Student Foundation and where does it get its money?

The Safe Student Foundation is a firearms community-supported 501(c)(3) public charity that provides financial support to PreK–12 schools and families. We fund infrastructure improvements and specialized training that help schools protect students, educators, staff, and administrators from active shooters and extreme violence. We also provide mental health support gifts to help families cover counseling and therapy sessions for students.

How can I recommend a school with a security or defensive need which aligns with the mission of the Foundation?

You can share potential grantees with the Foundation through the Recommend a Grantee form. This form is not an application, but rather a referral form. Please remember that the Foundation is unable to guarantee a response or funding for all school applications that are submitted.

How does the Foundation identify potential grantees?

Potential grantees are identified through our network of donors, school administrators, teachers and parents. Additionally, Foundation staff, community advisors and other nonprofits and philanthropic organizations can make recommendations through our Recommend a Grantee form.

Donors

What is the Foundation's tax ID number?

99-1344715

 

Is my donation tax deductible?

Because the Safe Student Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. tax law. If you have questions about deductibility, consult a tax advisor.

Does my donation cover the Foundation's operations or go directly to grantees?

Thanks to the generosity of the firearms community, approximately 92% of donations directly supports school safety grants and programs that protect students’ physical safety and mental well-being.

Will I receive a charitable receipt for tax purposes?

Yes. When donating on our website, you will automatically receive an emailed receipt of your donation.

Do you accept gifts of stock, donor advised funds, estate contributions and the like?

Yes. Please contact us to arrange such contributions.

Schools

How does a school apply for a grant?

Schools can check the eligibility requirements and apply for a grant on our For Schools page.

What can grant funds be used for?

Grant funds can be used on any school upgrades aimed at enhancing the defensive capabilities to better protect school inhabitants from active shooter situations. Grant funds can also be allocated for training administrators, teachers, staff and security personnel. Please note that funds cannot be used for training third-party or contracted security staff.

How are grantmaking decisions made?

The Foundation carefully considers a number of factors when determining grant winners and amounts, including use case and need; amount requested; and the demonstrated risk students, teachers and administrators face on a daily basis.

 

When are grants awarded?

Grants are awarded twice a year; once in the spring, and again in the fall.