Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation

Named after one of the greatest humanitarians, philanthropists and entertainers – Will Rogers –the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation perpetuates his legacy through the works of three programs, the Will Rogers Institute, Brave Beginnings and the Pioneers Assistance Fund.

A hospital created for Vaudevillians stricken with tuberculosis, the National Vaudeville Association Hospital was renamed the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in 1936, as a tribute to Will Rogers. The hospital became a national training facility for doctors treating patients with tuberculosis, becoming known as the Will Rogers Institute. In 2002, the Will Rogers charity merged with the Foundation of Motion Picture Pioneers (FMPP) and became the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation. The mission of FMPP continues by helping individuals from the motion picture community who are encountering an illness, injury or life-changing event. In 2015, WRI expanded the grant giving program to hospitals for neonatal intensive care equipment and created Brave Beginnings, to help premature infants survive and thrive.