The Police Benevolent Foundation, Inc. is a tax-deductible 501(c)(3) organization established by the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, Inc. (SSPBA) in 2005. SSPBA is a professional law enforcement organization that has been serving its membership for over 20 years. The PBF provides funding to support SSPBA member benefits.

To provide financial support for the families and survivors of officers whose deaths occur in the line of duty
In the event of a death in the line of duty, the federal government and most states provide a death benefit that will help the families recover, but it may take up to a year or more before the request goes through the channels necessary to reach the family of the slain officer. In the meantime, the family has to suffer not only the death, but also financial hardship.

To fund scholarships
The Foundation, through donations from individuals, businesses and grants, assists SSPBA in its efforts to support families with education expenses. The high cost of providing continued education for children is often out of reach for many American families. The PBF and SSPBA help to bridge this gap with scholarships for deserving students of law enforcement families and those pursuing degrees in criminology. Scholarship applications are available online at here.

To continue to provide assistance for law enforcement officers affected by natural disasters
While all citizens affected by disasters focus on getting their lives back together as soon as possible, law enforcement officers have the additional burden of providing the services to their communities for which they were hired. The Police Benevolent Foundation supports officers and their families through financial assistance and providing material needs. (Learn More)

"Behind the Badge" is the PBF’s initiative established to combat law enforcement officer suicide. Research shows that the biggest threat to an officer’s career may be the officer himself. (Each year more than 150 officers die in the line of duty; the suicide rate is double that amount.) The CDC and suicide researchers rank law enforcement suicide among the highest segments in the nation. Job-related stress is a major contributing factor that affects the high rate of suicide in the profession.

The purposes of Behind the Badge are to provide training, education and resources to law enforcement professionals and their families about the dangers of on the job stress for law enforcement officers; to encourage law enforcement administrators to provide adequate resources and outreach for law enforcement stress; to provide support for law enforcement officers in managing stress; to obtain and conduct research of PTSD and its effect on law enforcement officers; and to prevent officer suicides. (Learn More)

More officers die by their own hand than from the hand of another.