2026 BFOA Extended Hardship Grant Program

Broadcasters Foundation of America provides short term, extended hardship grants to broadcasters who must take unpaid or reduced-pay leave because of a serious personal or family need, or who face extraordinary financial strain because of a serious personal or family need.

Applications may be submitted up to 30 days before a planned leave begins and must be received no later than 30 days after the leave begins.

Qualifying circumstances include, but are not limited to:

• Caring for an aging or seriously ill parent or other dependent family member (to apply for care for spouses or dependent children, please see Monthly Grants)
• Arranging long-term care, assisted living, or hospice for a family member
• Providing full-time care for a family member recovering from an accident, stroke, or fall
• Welcoming a child through birth, adoption, foster placement, or kinship care when no paid parental leave is available for either parent. 
• Welcoming a child through birth, adoption, or foster placement when the applicant does not have paid parental leave. Only one parent per household may receive a grant for the same child.
• Providing care while a new arrangement is found after a child-care provider or home health aide becomes unavailable
• Being displaced from a rental home through no fault of their own, such as the sale of the property, a building being condemned, a landlord's foreclosure, or a steep rent increase
• Relocating or securing safety after domestic violence
• Losing a vehicle needed to get to work through theft or an accident when insurance does not cover replacement or repair
• Recovering from identity theft or fraud that drains the applicant's own accounts
• Replacing essential belongings lost in a burglary that are not covered by insurance

Applicant Guidelines

All applicants must:

• Currently work full-time or have worked full-time for a radio and/or television broadcasting company*, a media representative firm, a state broadcast association, or a broadcasting trade association.
• Have worked in the broadcasting industry for a consecutive five (5) year period
• Be in extraordinary financial strain due to a serious personal or family need that requires unpaid or reduced-pay leave. We cannot provide assistance for income loss, unemployment, or business damage/losses.

*For purposes of eligibility, a radio or television broadcasting company is one that provides free over-the-air broadcasting utilizing full-service television and/or radio licenses issued by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”).