Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) announces record grant totals in 2014

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) announced today a benchmark in giving totaling more than $1 million in 2014, an 82 percent increase from 2013, which impacted more than 50 non-profit organizations. This milestone year focused on Education + Literacy, Health + Wellness and Sports + Recreation and organizations who benefitted from grants served more than 800,000 youth and families in need throughout the greater Los Angeles region. The average grant size awarded was $20,000 and several non-profits were first-time LADF grantees.

"The vision of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is to remain a philanthropic force in Greater Los Angeles," said Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Dodger owner and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation board member. "We are inspired by the work we were able to do in 2014 and grateful that we can continue to unite the Dodger brand with LADF's impactful programs which address some of the region's most critical challenges."

Founded in 1995, LADF is focused on helping traditionally underserved families, with a particular emphasis on underserved youth, in a coordinated, thoughtful and strategic manner. Within the last year LADF has narrowed the scope of its giving to align with the foundation's pillars. In 2014, within Education + Literacy, the focus was middle-school and college-access programming exemplified through its support of organizations, including Spark LA, City Year and College Summit. Within the Health + Wellness pillar, LADF focused on supporting organizations that provided services to youth that allowed them to attend school, play sports or be active, including the Orthopaedic Institute for Children and UCLA Mattel's Children's Hospital. Within Sports + Recreation its support focused on organizations working on inclusion, preservation and promotion of sports in communities. Organizations impacted include the East LA Weingart YMCA, Kids in Sports and non-profit organizations who work in partnership with LADF to deliver its Dodgers RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program, as well as City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton and Venice Boys & Girls Clubs. Additionally LADF invested $1.5 million into its cornerstone programs: Dodgers Dreamfields and Dodgers RBI. 

LADF's largest grants were provided to four organizations referred to as Strategic Partners, organizations with a shared vision who commit to large-scale impact in the L.A. community:

Union Rescue Mission was awarded a $100,000 grant in partnership with Andre Ethier to revitalize and rename the Learning Center, now The Maggie and Andre Ethier Learning Center which provides more than 400 hours of classes to homeless men and women in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Fund for Public Education was awarded a one year, $200,000 grant supporting School Fuel, a program now in its third year that provides breakfast to nearly half a million students in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) received $150,000, payment three of four, on a four-year commitment to provide scholarships and leadership development to LADF/JRF Scholars. 

Vision To Learn received $50,000, payment two of three, on a three-year commitment to provide free eye exams and free glasses to elementary school students in low-income communities throughout Los Angeles. 

LADF is largely focused on cornerstone programs and strategic partnerships, however through a quarterly grants program it seeks to support programs or projects aligned with its cornerstone programs. Grants typically range between $500 and $15,000. Grant applications are presented to the LADF Board of Directors Grant Committee for approval. In 2015, LADF will continue to hone its giving focus within its pillars as follows:

Education + Literacy: Emphasis on middle school engagement, during and after-school programs and college access and success. 

Sports + Recreation: Emphasis on inclusion, preservation and promotion of sports in communities.

Health + Wellness: Emphasis on health challenges that prevent children from engaging in school or recreational activities.

The programs must be located in the Greater Los Angeles Area with geographic priority being given to those in LA County. For more information please visit www.dodgers.com/ladf.