Packers foundation awards $800,000 in annual grants

Including four impact grants, Foundation grant total reaches $1.8 million; Total Packers charity impact in excess of $8 million in past year

Dec 05, 2018 at 01:00 PM

The Green Bay Packers Foundation on Wednesday awarded $800,000 to 230 civic and charitable groups throughout the state of Wisconsin in its annual distribution of grants. Jerry Ganoni, chairperson of the Foundation, made the announcement.

Overall, including four recent $250,000 impact grants awarded to the Center for Childhood Safety Inc., Encompass Early Education and Care, Inc., HSHS St. Vincent/St. Mary's Hospital Foundation and Give BIG Green Bay, $1.8 million was awarded through Foundation grants this year.

The total amounted donated is a new Foundation donation record.

The recipient groups were guests at a luncheon in the Lambeau Field Atrium, which honored the outstanding efforts and services performed by each of the organizations. Of the Foundation's contributions Wednesday, 30 grants – aggregating $107,500 – were awarded to Brown County organizations. Additional grants, totaling $692,500, were made to 200 other groups around the state.

This year's grant cycle focuses on organizations that will direct the funds toward the need areas of arts and culture, athletics and education causes. In 2019, the focus areas will be animal welfare, civic and community, environmental, health and wellness including drug/alcohol and domestic violence. For more information about the grant cycles, please visit packers.com/community/packers-foundation.

The Foundation now has distributed more than $10.6 million for charitable purposes since it was established in 1986 by Judge Robert J. Parins, then president of the Packers Corporation, "as a vehicle to assure continued contributions to charity."

Additionally, under the Packers Scholarship Program established in 2002, $53,000 was awarded – $26,500 to Scholarships Inc., for distribution to students in four-year colleges, and $26,500 to Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) – for distribution to students in two-year associate degree or apprenticeship trades programs. A portion of the scholarship funds come from National Football League Properties which, at the Packers' request, returns to the Foundation royalty fees paid for using the Packers logo on Wisconsin automobile license plates. Because the royalties do not fully cover the scholarships, the Green Bay Packers fund the remainder of the amount, a figure which totals $301,000 since 2006.

In the past year, the Packers Foundation also has distributed $400,000 in NFL Club Matching Field Grants, $20,000 in Green Bay Packers Give Back Awards; $27,500 in the NFL's "Coach of the Week" program; $10,000 for the Salute to Service Team Program Grant; $46,000 through the Social Justice Team Program Grant; $20,000 through the "Hometown Huddle/Play 60" program; $5,000 through the Crucial Catch Team Program Grant; $7,950 through the Club Matching Youth/High School Football Program Grant; and $6,500 through the Youth Football Team Program.

"We're proud to recognize these outstanding recipient organizations, who are all doing incredible work in our communities," Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said at the event. "As a community-owned team, we are inspired by the efforts of these organizations and the positive impact they have on those that they serve."

The Green Bay Packers Foundation Trustees, in addition to Ganoni, include Marcia Anderson, Tom Cardella, Valerie Daniels-Carter, Ricardo Diaz, Susan Finco, D.J. Long, Jr., Larry McCarren, Mike Weller, and Judge John Zakowski.

The Green Bay Packers Foundation and its annual grants is part of Green Bay Packers Give Back, the Packers' all-encompassing community outreach initiative that comprises appearances made by players, alumni, coaches and staff, football outreach camps, cash and in-kind donations, Make-A-Wish visits and community events.