By Lydia Jane Allison
Nearly $65 million in grants awarded through the program to date, developing and improving more than 435 football fields across the country
NEW YORK – Nov. 19, 2024 – The National Football League (NFL) Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the nation’s leading community development support organization, announced today that community organizations, schools, and parks in 15 cities and towns across the country will receive $3.15 million in grants to fund the development or refurbishment of neighborhood football fields.
These grants are supported by the NFL Foundation – LISC Grassroots Field Grant Program. For 25 years, the NFL and LISC have partnered to help youth stay active and healthy by creating safe places to play through the development of community football fields. Since the program’s inception, nearly $65 million has been distributed to community organizations and schools across the country, resulting in the creation or refurbishment of 437 football fields nationwide.
This year’s funding cycle will support new field development or enhancements in the following locations: Phoenix, AZ; Lamar, CO; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Covington, LA; Gretna, LA; West Roxbury, MA; Baltimore, MD; Detroit, MI; Brooklyn, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; Worcester, PA; Spokane, WA; Appleton, WI; and St. Francis, WI.
The fields in these communities will be newly built or significantly renovated, including improvements such as new irrigation systems, lights, bleachers, scoreboards, goalposts and turf.
The NFL Foundation, the league’s philanthropic arm, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Over the past 50 years, the NFL Foundation has emerged as one of the leading charitable entities in America, contributing to local communities, national and international disaster relief efforts, and societal issues.
“For 25 years, the NFL Foundation and LISC have partnered on the Grassroots Field Grant Program to help our youth stay healthy and have fun through the development of community football fields,” said NFL Vice President of Philanthropy and Executive Director of the NFL Foundation Alexia Gallagher. “We’re privileged to play a vital role in communities across the country and look forward to expanding and building on our impact in the years to come.”
Through the Grassroots Field Grant Program, LISC identifies local nonprofit and community-based organizations interested in building or refurbishing football fields in schools and neighborhood parks. Through the program, the local agencies are provided with the necessary financing and technical assistance to improve the quality and safety of fields in their communities. The local agencies oversee the construction, maintenance, and programming of the fields.
“Investments in athletic fields are investments in a community’s quality of life,” said Michael T. Pugh, LISC president and CEO. “We aren’t just funding new turf, scoreboards and lights; we are supporting community health, youth engagement, and social connections in places that often struggle to attract the capital they need. We’re so grateful to the NFL Foundation for its ongoing commitment to this work.”
“These fields are among the building blocks of vibrant neighborhoods,” said Beverly Smith, LISC’s vice president of Sports & Recreation. “They provide safe, structured venues for young people to engage in sport and fitness. And they are gathering places that contribute to the social cohesion of a community. Every neighborhood should have one.”
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About NFL Foundation
The National Football League Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation and its members, the 32 NFL clubs, support the health, safety and wellness of athletes, youth football, and the communities that support our game. Over the past 50 years, the NFL Foundation has become one of the leading philanthropic entities in America, contributing to NFL team communities, national and international disaster relief efforts, and societal issues. For more information on the NFL Foundation, visit: www.NFLFoundation.org.
About LISC
LISC is one the country’s largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. LISC works with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and places can thrive. Since its founding in 1979, LISC has invested $32 billion to create more than 506,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 82.5 million square feet of retail, community and educational space, and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
COURTESY NFL COMMUNICATIONS
