Helping Associations Help Members in Need
Tragedies such as line-of-duty deaths and near-fatal injuries not only draw a strong emotional reaction from the law enforcement community, but also galvanize them to do anything they can to help the officer or their family get back on their feet. Often this help comes in the form of donations collected via online fundraising and crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe and JustGiving. Seeing that many members and associations stepped up to help in this way inspired PORAC to create Fund a Hero, an in-house fundraising platform specifically developed for law enforcement, by law enforcement.
Fund a Hero is free for PORAC members, which is especially important because many outside platforms subtract costly fees from the overall funds raised in a campaign, which means the intended recipients receive less than what was actually contributed by donors. Believing that every cent should benefit those in need, PORAC to created its own system so that members can be assured that their money is going to a trusted source that will quickly and efficiently distribute 100% of the proceeds safely and securely to the recipients.
Another important aspect of Fund a Hero is that it protects members from donating to fake campaigns. Far too often, after a line-of-duty death, there are thieves who capitalize on the tragedy by creating fundraising pages posing as family members of the fallen officer and stealing funds meant for survivors. PORAC feels a responsibility to protect members and law enforcement families from scammers by providing a free fundraising platform that ensures legitimacy and offers peace of mind to donors.
With Fund a Hero, you can rest easy knowing that your campaigns, donations and payouts are not being overseen by a faceless non-law-enforcement entity, but by real people at PORAC Headquarters who care about our members.
How It Works
In order to start the process, associations must first register their fundraiser to be approved by PORAC here and choose one of the fundraising campaign categories:
- Line-of-duty deaths
- Catastrophic events – includes medical needs/expenses
- Other Charitable Purpose – Requires additional approval by the POREF Board of Directors
*Self-inflicted injuries or death are expressly EXCLUDED as LODD or catastrophic events eligible for Fund A Hero campaigns.
PORAC will ask for the goal amount to be raised, the campaign title and more information about what the funds will be used for. There are also a few questions for the individual requesting the campaign. Once approved, the fundraiser will be added to PORAC’s campaign wall. Associations and members will then be able to raise awareness for their fundraiser and increase campaign engagement by sharing information about it on their social media pages or at chapter meetings.