• VPSF: A Proud History Serving Virginia's Public Safety Community


    The Virginia Public Safety Foundation (VPSF), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 1993 through the merger of two separate organizations, the Virginia Silver Star Foundation and the Virginia Police Foundation. Each existed to provide a single service: the Silver Star Foundation to support the families of police officers killed in the line of duty with financial assistance, and the Police Foundation to provide educational scholarships to the children of police officers killed in the line of duty.

    When VPSF formed through the merger of its preceding organizations, the mission was altered to include as benefactors all public safety officers in Virginia-police officers, volunteer and paid firefighters, volunteer and paid emergency medical technicians, and corrections officers. VPSF serves all public safety officers.

    Under the guidance of a distinguished board of directors made up of all former Virginia governors as well as leaders in business and public safety, VPSF delivers support to Virginia's safety officers through several important missions:

    > Assist the families of officers killed in the line of duty.

    > Provide education scholarships to surviving dependants of officers killed in the
       line of duty.

    > Assist officers unable to work due to an injury in the line of duty.

    > Administer the Commonwealth Public Safety Medal of Valor program.

    VPSF fulfills its mission only through the generous support of Virginia philanthropies, businesses and individuals. Your support of VPSF will make possible the continuation of these important programs.




  • Line of Duty Death Fund: A Helping Hand Within 24 Hours


    VPSF provides immediate cash grant assistance to the families of public safety officers killed in the line of duty, with the goal of delivering this assistance within 24 hours of the officer's death. $2,000 is given to each family, providing reassuring financial support during the traumatic first few days following a line of duty death. During this time, families cope with the unexpected expenses of a sudden death before insurance or work benefits take effect.

    VPSF's Line of Duty Death Fund was established with the belief that public safety officers make sacrifices each day to protect our families, so it is only appropriate that we, the citizens who benefit from their brave service, make some sacrifice to protect their families when their need is greatest.

    For more information on VPSF's Line of Duty Death Fund, contact VPSF LODD Coordinator Matt Gray at 804-648-6299 x5832.


  • VPSF Education Scholarship Fund: Opening Doors to New Opportunity


    VPSF provides educational scholarship opportunities for the dependents of public safety officers killed in the line of duty. VPSF's Scholarship Fund provides for the reimbursement of education expenses for qualified applicants.

    Eligible applicants must meet the following requirements:

    1) Applicant must be the spouse, life partner, child, or stepchild of public safety officer killed in the line of duty whose death has been certified an official line of duty death by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

    2) Applicant must have received a high school diploma or equivalency.

    3) Applicant must be pursuing undergraduate or professional certification from an accredited institute.

    4) "Child" survivors must be under the age of 25 to request assistance.

    5) Adult survivors must request assistance within five years of the line of duty death.

    Funds can be used for any educational purpose and have been used to support students with various goals, including four-year universities, community colleges and trade schools.

    For more information on applying for a VPSF Scholarship, download an application here.


  • VPSF Injured Officer Fund: Support When It's Needed Most


    VPSF supports public safety officers who are injured in the line of duty. In some instances the monetary loss associated with a severe injury can impact a family even more than that associated with a loss of life.

    VPSF provides grants to officers who suffer a severe injury in the line of duty that prevents them from returning to work. In many localities, the benefits associated with an injury in the line of duty are inadequate to cover the correlating expenses and overall loss of income if an injury requires an officer to leave work for a long period of time or permanently.

    For more information on VPSF's Injured Officer Fund, contact VPSF today.


  • Board of Directors


    Leadership of VPSF is provided by directors who are selected from Virginia's public safety community, government, and business chamber. Special attention is paid to recruiting a board that represents Virginia's diverse population and geographic regions.

    VPSF's president chairs the board of directors. Special regard is given to the president emeritus and vice president (president-elect) who, along with the president, form the three-person executive committee. The executive committee is charged with making management decisions that are necessary between quarterly meetings of the full board of directors.

    Members of the VPSF board are required to participate in quarterly board meetings where strategic decisions are made on budgets, programs and public relations. In addition, members are assigned specific fundraising goals to meet each year.

    VPSF takes great pride in its active board of Virginia leaders, which includes all of Virginia's former governors.

    Honorary Directors
    Senator George Allen
    Governor Gerald Baliles
    Governor Jim Gilmore
    Governor Linwood Holton
    Governor Tim Kaine
    Senator Charles S. Robb
    Senator Mark Warner
    Governor L. Douglas Wilder
    Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling

    Executive Leadership
    Assistant Chief C. Hadden Culp, VPSF President, Prince William County Department of Fire & Rescue
    Janet Clements, VPSF Vice President, Janet L. Clements Consulting
    Jeffery Mitchell, VPSF Immediate Past President, Partner, LeClair Ryan

    Directors
    Cassi L. Fields, Ph.D., President and CEO, Fields Consulting Group, Inc.
    Vernie W. Francis, Sr., Sheriff, Southampton County
    Dave Hoback, Chief, Roanoke Fire and EMS
    Hon. Jerry Kilgore, Senior Advisor, McGuire Woods
    Colonel Gerald Massengill, Superintendant, Virginia State Police (Retired)
    Terry McAuliffe, Chairman, GreenTech Automotive Corp.
    Israel O'Quinn, Director of Government and Community Relations, K-VA-T Food Stores
    Curry Roberts, President & CEO, State Fair of Virginia
    Frank S. Warren, Jr., CPA, Harris, Hardy & Johnson