The National Football League (NFL) Foundation, previously known as NFL Charities, is a non-profit making

charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ...

, established by the member clubs of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

(NFL) in 1973. It enables the clubs to collectively make grants to charitable and worthwhile causes at a national level.

Youth initiatives

The NFL Foundation works with

USA Football USA Football is the national governing body for amateur American football in the United States. It is an independent non-profit based in Indianapolis, Indiana. USA Football designs and delivers premier educational, developmental and competitive p ...

to teach children the fundamentals of playing football safely. To help do so, the Foundation gives grants to youth and high school football teams. Working with USA Football, the NFL Foundation also developed NFL FLag, a non-tackle version of football. The NFL Foundation is also responsible for creating a program called FUNdamentals which introduces the game of football to kids who have never played the sport before.

Heads Up Football

USA Football created Heads Up Football, in part funded by the NFL Foundation, to focus on improving several areas of football that relates to the safety of the players. This program teaches coaches better safety procedures and proper tackling drills. The NFL Foundation, as well as USA Football, have claimed that the program has helped reduce injuries by 76 percent and concussions by about 30 percent. However, research cited by the Foundation shows that Heads Up Football has shown no reduction of concussions and a significantly lower effect on injuries than claimed.

Grants and charitable work

Grants amounting to $10 million each year are donated to organizations such as the

Boys & Girls Clubs of America Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, h ...

and the

American Heart Association The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deat ...

. One of the youngest athletes to donate to the Boys and Girl Club is Jacquese Williams. The NFL foundation supports several charitable initiatives: *Play 60 – An initiative aimed at getting kids out and playing for 60 minutes to help fight obesity. *A Crucial Catch – The NFL foundation partnered with the American Cancer society in an effort to raise awareness. Every October the NFL also participates in raising awareness for breast cancer by wearing pink on their uniforms. *Salute to service – The NFL Foundation provides grants to supports those who have served or are currently serving in our military. *Player Foundation Grants – The NFL Foundation provides grants that give assistance to those currently in the NFL and to those who have previously played in the NFL. *

Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award is presented annually by the National Football League (NFL) honoring a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field. Prior to 1999, it was called s ...

– This award recognized a players contributions on and off the field. *Super Bowl Legacy Grants – The NFL Foundation gives the city that hosted the Super Bowl one million dollars as a grant.

Leadership

The current chair of NFL Foundation, Charlotte Jones Anderson, was appointed chairman by the NFL commissioner

Roger Goodell Roger Stokoe Goodell (born February 19, 1959) is an American businessman who is currently the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). On August 8, 2006, Goodell was chosen to succeed retiring commissioner Paul Tagliabue. He was chose ...

in December 2012. Charlotte Jones Anderson is also the Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...

Notes

External links

NFL Foundation's website
Sports foundations based in the United States National Football League {{Americanfootball-stub