National Football League Foundation
The National Football League Foundation (formerly known as NFL Charities) is a grantmaking nonprofit organization associated with member clubs of the National Football League. Though most of the foundation’s grants are made to organizations that support football and its players, the organization also matches donations made by current and former NFL players to left-of-center nonprofits under its Player Matching Social Justice Grant program.
Contents
Background
In 1973, NFL Charities was established as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization by the member clubs of the National Football League (NFL), the preeminent professional football league in the United States. Later, in 1998, the NFL and NFL Players Association jointly formed the NFL Youth Football Fund as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation oriented around supporting the sport of football at the junior level. 1
In 2012, following a restructuring of its affiliated charitable initiatives, the NFL merged NFL Youth Football with NFL Charities and renamed the organization the National Football League Foundation. 1
According to the Foundation’s website, the Foundation supports upwards of 45 grants and has since 1973 granted over $148 million to over 1,400 organizations, counting grants made by its two predecessor organizations. 1
Social Justice Grants
Though most of the National Football League Foundation’s grants go to organizations and institutions that support the sport of football and its players, the organization also maintains a grant program that provides nonprofits that support left-progressive social policies with funds directly matching donations made by current and former players in the NFL up to $5,000 per player and two matching grants per organization. 2
Activity
In the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the National Football League Foundation donated $3.4 million to relief efforts conducted by organizations including the American Red Cross, Bob Woodruff Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, CDC Foundation, GENYOUth Foundation, Meals on Wheels America, Salvation Army, Team Rubicon, United Way, and the Wounded Warrior Project. 3
In September 2021, the National Football League Foundation announced its intention to donate $1 million to Hurricane Ida relief efforts and programs through the New Orleans Saints Gold Coast Renewal Fund. 4
In the wake of the 2022 Uvalde Shooting at Robb Elementary School, the National Football League Foundation, along with the Dallas Cowboys (a member team of the NFL), donated a combined $400,00 to the Robb School Memorial Fund and Uvalde Strong Fund, community organizations assisting victims of the incident as well their families. 5
Charlotte Jones
Charlotte Jones is the chair and president of the National Football League Foundation, chief brand officer of the Dallas Cowboys, president of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and a board member of the Texas-based Hilltop Corporation, a financial holding company. 6 Previously, Jones was the chair of The Salvation Army’s National Advisory Board in 2010. Additionally, Jones has worked in a leadership capacity with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Southwestern Medical Foundation, the Dallas Center for Performing Arts Foundation, the Autism Community in Action; the Rise School, Shelton School, Dallas Symphony, and the Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. 7
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $64,840,760 | $86,851,741 | $101,892,540 | |
| 2024 | $51,095,213 | $62,457,269 | $45,347,853 | View |
| 2023 | $59,409,421 | $61,562,329 | $96,390,585 | View |
| 2022 | $60,299,577 | $75,254,926 | $74,310,892 | View |
| 2021 | $56,194,083 | $75,266,095 | $49,750,146 | View |
| 2020 | $58,659,713 | $64,038,852 | $61,715,399 |
Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $470,499
- Number of Grants: 11
- Number of Funders: 9
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $290,700,422
- Number of Grants: 3,334
- Number of Recipients: 1,514
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years: