The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation was established in 1997 before the D-backs ever played a Major League game. The mission of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation is to support three main areas of need: homelessness, indigent healthcare and children's programs of all types, including education and youth baseball field development. In addition, the Foundation has created strategic programs that address the needs of our community including veterans, police, teachers, and firefighters - just to name a few.
To date, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation have made charitable contributions totaling more than $50 million to non-profit organizations form across Arizona. Of the $50 million total, $40 million has been distributed through the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation.
The majority of funds are raised through events and programs such as the annual Evening on the Diamond gala, 50/50 Raffle, D-backs Celebrity Golf Classic, D-backs Race Against Cancer, the D-backs License Plate program, Chase Field tours, Mystery Ball, D-backs Authentics, Online Auctions and major gifts from our players and partners in our community.
Ken Kendrick Grand Slam Awards
In 2016, the Grand Slam Awards were renamed in honor of D-backs Managing General Partner, Ken Kendrick at the 10th Annual Evening on the Diamond. During the evening's festivities, $1 million in Ken Kendrick Grand Slam Awards were donated to 12 local organizations including Ability 360, Chicanos Por La Causa, Make-A-Wish Arizona, Native American Connections/Home Base Youth Services, Neighborhood Ministries, Phoenix Rescue Mission, Resurrection Street Ministry, Sojourner Center, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, The Centers for Rehabilitation, The Society of St. Vincent De Paul and Vista College Preparatory.
The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation began awarding Grand Slam Awards in 2002 to make a larger impact on community organizations by providing a grant in the amount of $15,000-$100,000. Overall, 71 Grand Slam Awards totaling over $5.8 million have been distributed since 2002.
Previous Grand Slam Awards recipients that were awarded $100,000 to improve youth programs included Junior Achievement of Arizona, to prepare children to succeed in a global economy and to Great Hearts Academies' Teleos Prep Academy, to be the first of its kind in the metro Phoenix area to deliver a top-tier, college prep education in a low-income community.
The $100,000 grants have also assisted with indigent healthcare concerns in the Valley by providing Clinica Adelante a 39-foot mobile medical clinic to provide health-care services at 17 schools in 11 rural communities and establishing a D-backs Good DeedWorks program with SARRC to provide teens with autism disorders training, mentoring and volunteer experiences as a means of occupational therapy. Additional grants were awarded to homeless causes such as the Desert Mission Food Bank to provide a refrigerated truck to deliver food throughout the Valley and to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's evening meal program.
The Ken Kendrick Grand Slam Awards are made possible by fundraising efforts by the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and its signature fundraising event, Evening on the Diamond.
Program Grants
In addition to the Grand Slam Awards, Program Grants are given statewide to non-profit organizations in the amounts of $1,000 to $5,000. Program Grants are distributed for programmatic expenses that directly impact the clients served by the organization. Our focus areas for Program Grants are homelessness, indigent healthcare and youth programs of all types. Other requests may be considered but should fall within the human services category. All 501(c)3 non-profit organizations in Arizona are welcome to apply for funding, however funding must be for serving the people of Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation has separate grant programs available for schools (dbacks.com/schoolchallenge) and youth sports leagues (dbacks.com/playball).
The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation has awarded 1,219 program grants totaling more than $5.3 million since 1998.
The application for 2018 funding is now closed. The application for 2019 funding will be available in mid-May of 2018. If you would like to be added to the interest list to be notified of future Program Grant opportunities, please send your organization name and contact e-mail address to dbacksfoundation@dbacks.com.
Diamonds Back Field Building Program
Since 2000, Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation has built or refurbished 39 baseball fields as part of the "Diamonds Back" Youth Field Building Program. The fields are built through the aid of corporate sponsor APS, local businesses, funds from Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and monetary donations from individual players. Fields are dedicated in Diamondbacks players' names and generally feature new lights, an electronic scoreboard, new fencing and backstops, new irrigation and new dirtwork and/or grass. The locations of the fields are determined through a grant process.
Play Ball Fund
The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation are devoted to youth sports across Arizona. The D-backs Give Back PLAY BALL fund, supported by Chase and Western Refining, will support the outstanding efforts of Arizona's dedicated parents, mentors, and coaches to expand the game of baseball and softball and inspire Arizona's kids to PLAY BALL. Our goal is to ensure that every child who has a desire to learn and play the D-backs way -- has that opportunity.