The IAAI Educational Foundation was formed in 1992 in response to an opportunity to participate in the distribution of funds developed from the sale of the Ben Franklin Commemorative Coin. This government program made funds resulting from the sale of the coins available to recognized fire service IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to be utilized to support initiatives of each organization.

The IAAI Educational Foundation utilized its allotment to fund grant requests:

1. to underwrite fire investigation training programs for the IAAI and its member chapters
2. to fund grant request to obtain specialized equipment to be used in fire investigation
3. to fund creation of new fire investigation training facilities or upgrades of existing training facilities

In 2009 the IAAI Educational Foundation merged with the IAAI Foundation to create a strategic organization that could provide enhanced benefits to the IAAI and the fire investigation profession. After the merger, the IAAI Foundation continued its original activities while it assumed responsibility for the John Charles Wilson and Robert Doran Scholarship programs providing individual college scholarships annually. In 2011, the IAAI Foundation entered into an agreement with the IAAI to assume production responsibilities for the annual IAAI International Training Conference, a week long training conference providing detailed scientific instruction in the field of fire/explosion investigation to conference attendees.

Today the IAAI Foundation promotes strategic initiatives including programs underwriting and producing progressive scientific educational programs that broaden the knowledge of today's fire/explosion professionals in order to enhance their abilities in all aspects of fire investigation.

One of the ways the IAAI Foundation accomplishes these objectives is by hosting and producing the IAAI International Training Conference (ITC). This conference is held annually and delivers five days of intense scientific training and education for professionals involved in fire and explosion investigation. The IAAI ITC is the premier training event consisting of individual training courses taught by the leading experts in specific fields of forensic fire analysis and investigation. Each year the ITC provides in excess of 18,000 hours of advanced training over a five-day period. The ITC provides advanced training opportunities for fire investigation professionals from across North America and over 25 countries around the globe.

Along with this direction, the IAAI Foundation is developing concepts and ideas to create a state of the art training and research facility that can conduct in-depth research and evaluation of actual fire events.