Foundations

 

The Giving Back Fund provides philanthropic consulting and foundation management to high-profile individuals and others committed to philanthropy.

 

In some cases, The Giving Back Fund provides tax-exempt status by establishing donor-advised foundations, which function as component funds of The Giving Back Fund. In other cases, The Giving Back Fund provides consulting to independent 501(c) (3) organizations. Current donors include:

 

The AWard Foundation was established by former NBA point guard, Charlie Ward, and his wife, Tonja Ward.  The Foundation's mission is to improve the lives of young people through mentoring and educational programs, as well as sports and Gospel music programs.

 

Be Counted, a sponsored project of The Giving Back Fund, was established by internationally acclaimed artist Michael Kalish. Using reclaimed pieces of steel from the twin towers, Kalish and his team will embark on a journey to create an interactive tribute piece to honor the 10-year anniversary of 9-11.

 

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation was established by NFL Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his family. The mission of the Foundation is to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the U.S. with a particular emphasis on support for service dogs in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

The Bobby Jackson Foundation was established to assist children in California who have lost a parent due to cancer or have a parent that has cancer. The Foundation helps children develop coping skills and connects them with other children who are in similar circumstances.

 

The Frye Family Foundation was established by NBA star Channing Frye, together with his wife Lauren, to focus on providing life-changing opportunities to youth and families in the communities important to the Fryes, particularly Portland, Oregon and Phoenix, Arizona.

The Gerald Wallace Foundation was established by the Portland Trailblazers Forward to provide life-changing opportunities for underserved children and their families with a special emphasis on recreational activities in Childersburg, Alabama, Gerald's hometown, and Portland, Oregon, Gerald's NBA playing city.

The Giving House, a sponsored project of The Giving Back Fund, was established to give working real estate professionals a simplified way to “give back” to the communities in which they live and work.  

 

The Halladay Family Foundation was established in late 2010 by MLB's star pitcher Roy Halladay with his wife Brandy. Roy Halladay has been nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award several times for his work with underprivileged children.

The James H. Warsaw Foundation to Cure Parkinson's Disease was established by sports-marketing pioneer James H. Warsaw to fund research that will lead to a cure for Parkinson's disease.

NBA All-Star Joe Johnson established The Joe Johnson Foundation to accomplish his dream of helping low-income children and their families stand tall through empowerment with his three-point mission of entrepreneurship, physical fitness, and hunger relief.

The John Thompson Foundation was established by former Georgetown University coach John Thompson in 2000 to help improve the quality of life for disadvantaged children within the District of Columbia and other communities. The Foundation awards grants primarily to 501(c)(3)charitable organizations that enhance children's lives, provide for continuing education, or support rehabilitation.

 

New Orleans Saints defensive linebacker Jonathan Vilma established The Jonathan Vilma Foundation to support the building of a charter school in Haiti. More than 50 schools were destroyed in the 2010 7.0 earthquake. Jonathan's parents emigrated from Haiti and family members remain in the country. Jonathan is deeply committed to assisting in the long-term rebuilding efforts.

The Kenyon Martin Foundation was established by the Denver Nuggets' power forward to focus on providing life-changing opportunities to underserved youth throughout the country, with an emphasis on assisting families without father figures in Denver, Dallas, and Cincinnati.  

The Mellanby Autism Foundation was established by professional hockey player Scott Mellanby and his wife Susan to provide needed funding to organizations that provide services and care to families affected by autism. The Foundation accepts grant applications in May.

 

The Justin Morneau Foundation was established by MLB player Justin Morneau and his wife, Krista, to support underserved communities with an emphasis on those where the Morneaus have lived.

 

The Morris Peterson Jr. Foundation was established by NBA star Morris Peterson to help provide affordable dental care to underserved youth in the communities he has played and lived with an emphasis on his hometown, Flint, MI.

Pearl Sinn-Bonanni, 15 year LPGA tour veteran, and her husband Greg established the Pearl Sinn-Bonanni Foundation to support Southern California youth-oriented charities in need.

 

Retail Orphan Initiative was organized to raise awareness and provide real solutions to the more than 400 million vulnerable children worldwide.  The focus of the charitable foundation is to provide grants to charities and zero interest loans that focus on orphan and foster care and adoption support.

 

The Ronny Turiaf Heart to Heart Foundation was established by NBA player Ronny Turiaf to raise money for heart health and to make echocardiograms accessible to people who would not otherwise be able to afford them.

The Sharper Kids Foundation was established by NFL stars and brothers Darren Sharper and Jamie Sharper to help improve the quality of life for disadvantaged children. The Foundation awards grants to 501(c)(3) charitable organizations and creates programs that enhance children's lives and provide for continuing education.

NBA star Shawn Marion established The Shawn Marion Foundation to provide life-changing opportunities to single parent families.

 

Thrive/Survive Los Angeles, a project of The Giving Back Fund, was established by young cancer survivors, Nico Juber and Sunshine Esteves, to provide young cancer survivors access to various medical and lifestyle resources as well as a host of networking events and informational seminars.

 

Sponsored project WE ADVANCE was established in 2010 by a group of women already working in Haiti including actress Maria Bello. WE ADVANCE aims to create a grassroots movement empowering Haitian women to collaborate toward making healthcare a priority, and putting an end to gender based violence within their communities.

The Yao Ming Foundation was established by NBA superstar Yao Ming to help rebuild schools in China that were destroyed during the May, 2008 earthquake and to support youth programs in China and the United States.

 

 

 

The Giving Back Fund has had the pleasure of working with a number of foundations since its founding in 1997. Some of the donors with whom we have worked in the past include:

Carlos Arroyo, Carlos Arroyo Foundation

Carlos and CeCe Boozer, Boozer's Buddies

Antoine Bethea, The Antoine Bethea Foundation

Chauncey Billups, The Chauncey Billups Foundation

Tammy and Dee Brown, The Tammy and Dee Brown Foundation

Elton Brand, The Elton Brand Foundation

Bill Daughtry, Fund for Fighting Asthma

Eric Flaim, The Flaim Foundation

La'Roi Glover, The La'Roi Glover Foundation

George Hegamin, The George Hegamin Foundation

Magic Johnson, The Magic Johnson Foundation

Maurice Jones-Drew, The Maurice Jones-Drew Foundation

Nancy Kerrigan, The Nancy Kerrigan Foundation

Sam and Saskia Madison, Madison Avenue for Kids

Amobi Okoye, Amobi Okoye Foundation

Edgar Rentaria, The Edgar Rentaria Foundation

Jalen Rose, The Jalen Rose Foundation

Arvydas Sabonis, The Arvydas Sabonis Foundation

Takeo Spikes, Takeo Spikes Foundation

Tonja and Charlie Ward, The AWard Foundation

Leonard Weaver, Leonard Weaver Family Foundation

Val Whiting, The Val Whiting Foundation

Kara Wolters, Kara Wolters Foundation

Piper Billups, The Spread Her Wings Foundation

Josh Willingham, The Josh Willingham Foundation

Ben Gordon, Ben Gordon New Life Foundation