501(c)(3) Status
FIR operates with full transparency. Our tax-exempt status, governance, and financial accountability are documented here.
Tax-Exempt Determination
The Foundation for Infrastructure Resilience, Inc. is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations to FIR are deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Legal Name
Foundation for Infrastructure Resilience, Inc.
State of Incorporation: North Carolina
EIN: Contact FIR to verify — published upon request
IRS Determination
501(c)(3) tax-exempt status granted
Deductibility
Contributions are tax-deductible under IRC 170
Classification
Public charity
Transparency & Governance
FIR is committed to the transparency standards expected of a public charity operating in the national security space. The framework is published, not paywalled. The threat assessment series is sourced exclusively from public documents. The Fresh Start assessment is free. BSE 099 is free. Bronze certification costs nothing. FIR does not gate critical preparedness information behind a paywall.
Addressing the Self-Dealing Question
FIR authored the Diamond Blue certification framework, and FIR delivers training and assessment services based on that framework. This creates a perception that FIR benefits from the standards it sets. FIR addresses this directly:
The framework is published and available for independent review. Any qualified organization can evaluate FIR’s standards against existing federal guidance (NIST, NERC CIP, FERC, EMP Commission) and determine whether they are rigorous and appropriate. The Executive Order template FIR authored for BSE resilience is tool-agnostic — it does not name FIR or require FIR’s involvement. Revenue projections are modest ($99K–$610K range) compared to the utility industry lobbying budgets that have prevented grid hardening for twenty years. FIR wrote the framework because the people who should have written it did not — in twenty years of documented failure to protect the grid that sustains American life. If that creates a perception problem, FIR is willing to own it — and to let the quality of the product speak for itself.
Documents Available Upon Request
The following documents are available to donors, grant agencies, and partner organizations upon request to fir.foundation:
IRS Determination Letter. Articles of Incorporation. Bylaws. Conflict of Interest Policy.