OVERVIEW: The 49ers Foundation supports the safety and education of underserved youth in the Greater Bay Area.
IP TAKE: This is one of the NFL teams that is most involved in charity work. Finding ways to connect sports and STEM education is something that has been of particular interest to this funder lately. Application for funding is by invitation only.
PROFILE: Established in 1991, the 49ers Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the San Francisco 49ers NFL football team. It is considered to be the nonprofit community funding extension for the team. Foundation areas of interest are youth and education.
The main funding priority for this sports team foundation is underserved youth. It has also recently shown a strong interest in STEM education for youth and in efforts to tie an interest in sports to STEM subjects. Past 49ers Foundation grantees include Center for Youth Wellness, Mission City Community Fund, Silicon Valley FACES, Santa Clara Police Athletic League, and Inn Vision Shelter Network. It does not fund building purchases, personal scholarships, drives or groups based outside the Bay Area. Collaboration with major corporations in the region has been a recent theme of this funder’s giving.
In a recent year, the foundation gave $4 million to nonprofits. View the foundation’s recent tax records to learn more about local giving. San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area are the focuses of this foundation. In addition to nonprofit grants, the foundation hosts dozens of community outreach events each year and puts in hundreds of community services hours through its players, coaches, staff, owners, and alumni.
Foundation giving is typically conducted on an invitation-only basis, and the foundation does not generally accept unsolicited applications for grants. Direct general questions to the foundation staff at 408-986-4897 or foundation@49ers.com.
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