Business

The PBA Foundation

How You Can Make a Difference in Your Barber Community


Community is such a huge part of any barber’s success. From the other barber professionals we surround ourselves with the clients we serve on a daily basis, our careers would be nothing without the help of our communities.

And as barbers, we have a unique platform to be a resource for our community, as well as an opportunity to make positive changes wherever possible. If this idea speaks to you and resonates within you, you’re already on the right track to serving your community—but that doesn’t automatically mean you know where to start.

We’re here to help with that.

Barbers, we introduce you to the Professional Beauty Association Foundation. An association that’s not only dedicated to furthering the careers of the members they serve, but also an association that’s put community first by focusing on establishing and running charities, making positive change, and empowering professionals like you to do the same.

So, if you’re ready to start improving the lives of the community you care for, start reading—in this article you’ll find a complete overview of the PBA Foundation as well as a helpful list of the charities they run (and that you can easily be a part of!)


What is the Professional Beauty Association?

First things first, let’s tackle the big question on everyone’s minds—what exactly is the Professional Beauty Association.

We’ll address that first, then we’ll get to their foundation.

The Professional Beauty Association, often called the PBA, is an organization that’s been around for a long time. The association began as the men’s-only Beauty and Barber Supply Institute in 1904. It then evolved to an esthetician-focused National Cosmetology Institute and then to its final form, a leading producer of the most widely recognized events in beauty.

The association defines itself as a collective group that is knit together by its members, who are barbers, manufacturers, MUAs, stylists, freelancers, salons, spas, beauty schools, students, and so much more.

The overall goal of the group is to provide members (like you) with resources, support, connections, and more to help elevate their career as well as improve the industry overall. They support their members, advocate for them, empower them, and build them up.

But more than that, they use their association to make differences in the lives of people who need it most through their members.

They put together various charities, events, movements, and more through their PBA Foundation to help change lives, make differences, and improve communities—and they do it all through the help of barbers and other members.


What Exactly Does the PBA Foundation Do?

The Professional Beauty Association obviously encompasses a wide variety of beauty industry-related tasks and events that don’t always focus on charitable work. The PBA Foundation, though, is entirely focused on charitable work and driving positive change. 

The PBA Foundation runs and collaborates on three distinct charities that exist to change lives, teach professionals like you how to help, and unite us all together in a beautiful way.

Cut it Out—The Beauty Community Against Domestic Abuse

This PBA Foundation charity is dedicated to mobilizing salon, spa, and shop professionals to fight the epidemic of domestic abuse in communities across the United States. This charity focuses on working with professionals like you to recognize the signs and symptoms of domestic abuse, respond to victims using discreet and empathetic techniques, refer victims to the right resources safely, and understand how to be an ally to their community.

You can get involved with the PBA Foundation Cut it Out Charity by enrolling in a training program, ordering free resources and signage to post in your shop, donating money, spreading the word, organizing fundraising events, and so much more.

Disaster Relief Fund

This fund was created by PBA in an effort to enable salon professionals to rebuild their homes and their lives following the devastation of a natural disaster.

Since it began, the fund has raised almost $2 million and has helped thousands of professionals in their time of need. All of the funds (100 percent) go directly to beauty industry professionals who are in need—they do not have to be PBA members to apply for the fund.

You can donate money, work with the DRF to fundraise, and spread awareness to contribute to this charitable action from the PBA Foundation.

Look Good Feel Better

PBA collaborates with Look Good Feel Better, a non-medical, brand-neutral, national public service program that was designed to help individuals with cancer look good, improve their self-esteem, and manage treatment and recover with greater confidence.

The program is all about improving the quality of life and self-esteem of people undergoing cancer treatment, which they accomplish by offering complimentary group and virtual sessions that teach beauty techniques to help pole with cancer to face their diagnoses with greater confidence.

As a barber, you can volunteer to work with this program through PBA (who’s responsible for recruiting caring and qualified professionals) to work directly with those battling cancer, answer their direct questions, and teach them techniques and tips for improving their self-esteem.


Making a positive change isn’t as complicated as it might seem. By getting involved with the PBA Foundation, you can start your journey toward making a difference in your community today.

Looking for even more advice on how to drive change and make a difference? You’re in the right place. Keep up with NAOB’s regularly updated blog for more advice on foundations to partner with, insight into the barbering business, and of course, tips and tricks on the latest trends.