This marks the eighth grant cycle for the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation. The majority of the grants distributed will help K-9 units to purchase dogs and dog safety vests, but other types of needs are also considered.

“My department received a grant from your foundation during the last NFL season to purchase a new K9 for our department. I was chosen to be assigned to the K-9 unit and be the dog’s handler. Let me start off by saying that I am extremely grateful and can not describe in words how thankful I am that our department was chosen for this grant.

K9 ‘Ajax’ and I will be completing our first training school (Narcotics Scent Detection) in approximately two weeks. Then in September we will be starting “Patrol School” together. K9 has always been a goal and a dream of mine and because of your foundation I was able to achieve it. Once again, thank you very much for your generosity and for choosing our department.” – Officer John G. Reuter, Fort Lee (NJ) Police Department, in an email to the website on March 27, 2014.



Police & Fire Departments: The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund grant guidelines for the 2014-2015 grant cycle –

1stDayOnTheJob_wpBen’s foundation will be distributing grants in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers during the 2014 NFL season.

He is inviting police and fire departments in these eight cities to submit proposals detailing their needs.

Also, for each Steelers’ appearance in a playoff game, a grant will be awarded to a non-NFL market city anywhere in the United States that would not otherwise be eligible to apply. In addition, the Foundation will continue to make grants to several police and fire department K-9 units in the Pittsburgh area following Super Bowl XLIX.

The Foundation distributed $157,600 in grants to K-9 units around the country during the 2013 NFL season and has distributed in excess of $1.2 million since 2007.

Eligible departments must apply to The Giving Back Fund by August 15, 2014.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.


You can view the full grant requirements, eligibility and evaluation process, please visit http://www.givingback.org/documents/RFP_2014_BRF_app.pdf.

You can also see the guidelines on Ben’s Foundation page here.

And you can enjoy more photos in the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation album here.