The Green Bay Packers Foundation is a charitable organization based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Established in 1986, the Foundation's original purpose was to ensure continued charitable donations by the Green Bay Packers football team. Although it is legally a separate entity from the Packers, a board of trustees consisting of 10 members of the Green Bay Packers board of directors leads the foundation. It receives most of its funding from the team. The Foundation provides grant opportunities to Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) organizations for community improvement projects. The Foundation has donated millions of dollars and maintains an endowment fund.
 | |
| Formation | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Judge Robert J. Parins |
| Type | 501(c)(3) |
| Purpose | Community outreach |
| Headquarters |
|
Region | Wisconsin |
| Affiliations | Green Bay Packers |
| Website | packers.com/community/packers-foundation |
History
editJudge Robert J. Parins, who was the president of the Green Bay Packers from 1982 to 1989, founded the Green Bay Packers Foundation in 1986.[1][2] His desire was for the Foundation to be the charitable arm of the Packers organization and to ensure the team maintained strong community outreach. The Foundation has maintained a close relationship with the Packers organization since its founding.[3]
Organization
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The Packers Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization[4] headquartered at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is led by a 10-person board of trustees drawn from the Green Bay Packers board of directors. The trustees review the yearly grant applications and decide how much money is to be provided to each applicant. Even though the foundation is legally a separate entity and not part of the Green Bay Packers organization, it closely follows the goals of the Packers. It is the primary instrument the team uses for charitable giving.[1] This is reinforced by the fact the Green Bay Packers are the primary financial contributor to the foundation. In 2019, the foundation reported an endowment fund totaling over $40 million.[5]
The foundation also has a unique role if the Green Bay Packers are ever sold. The Packers are the only publicly owned team in the National Football League. Instead of a single owner, the organization is owned by over 537,000 shareholders[6] who elect a board of directors and executive committee each year.[7] If the shareholders were to decide to sell the team, the proceeds of the sale would not go to the shareholders. Instead, the Packer's bylaws state the proceeds would go to the Packers Foundation to fund charitable causes. The original bylaws stated the proceeds of any sale would be given to a local American Legion post to fund "a proper soldier's memorial". However, the shareholders voted to change the bylaws in 1997 to their current wording.[8][9] In September 2023, Forbes estimated the Packers are worth $4.6 billion.[10]
Activities
editThe Foundation offers grant opportunities to Wisconsin-based charitable organizations to fund projects that further its mission. The Foundation's mission is to assist local organizations which promote families, support athletic competitions, improve the welfare of Green Bay Packers players and fans, promote the education and safety of children, and reduce cruelty to animals.[1] The grant opportunities are open to eligible organizations that apply during three-year cycles. Each year has a different focus area that falls under the Foundation's mission.[3] In 2019, the Packers Foundation awarded $2.05 million worth of grants to various organizations that work in the areas of art, athletics, and education; this was the highest total awarded in a single year in the Foundation's history.[11] The 2019 grant awards were not without controversy. One of the organizations that received funding from the Foundation was Planned Parenthood. Pro-life groups noted their disagreement with the grant funding and contrasted it with donations made by the Chicago Bears' charitable organization Bears Cares to the Chicago March for Life.[12][13] in October 2023, the Foundation reported over $19 million in grants since its formation.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Packers Foundation - Green Bay Packers". Packers.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "Judge Robert J. Parins, Packers' first full-time president, dies". USA Today Network. May 27, 2017. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ a b Zizzo, Robert; Frank, Peter; Bomstad, Natalie (December 10, 2017). "Packers Foundation makes year brighter, gives back". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Green Bay Packers Foundation". Pro Publica, Inc. March 2016. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
- ^ Spofford, Mike (July 12, 2019). "Packers' profits fall due to unusual set of expenses". Packers.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ "Green Bay Packers - Shareholders". Packers.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ Zirin, Dave (January 25, 2011). "Those Nonprofit Packers". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ Petchesky, Barry (December 8, 2011). "The Feel-Good Scam of Owning the Packers". Gizmodo Media Group. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ Hruby, Patrick (January 30, 2011). "The right way? The Green Bay way". ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ Ryman, Richard (September 19, 2023). "Forbes says Green Bay Packers worth $4.6 billion, but ranking in NFL is falling". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "Packers foundation awards a record $1 million in annual grants". Packers.com. December 4, 2019. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ "The Green Bay Packers fund Planned Parenthood, the Chicago Bears fund special needs outreach". studentsforlife.org. December 18, 2019. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ Goins-Phillips, Tre (December 17, 2019). "Green Bay Packers Foundation Taking Heat for Donating to Planned Parenthood". faithwire.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.