The Pennies from Heaven Fund was established by the Western Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs (WMAFC) in 2001. The fund was originally set up to raise monies for the Public Safety workers killed in NYC as a result of the 9/11 attacks. Following the donation to the EMS, Fire and Law Enforcement in NYC, this fund continued to receive donations. It was at that time that the WMAFC changed the focus of the fund to provide a cash distribution to families of those firefighters lost in a line of duty death (LODD), within the WMAFC membership area.

The goal of the fund is to provide immediate assistance to the surviving family members, when many expenses are incurred before insurance monies are received. The LODD does not have to be a member of the WMAFC but does have to be a member of a Department within the Association's service area.