The Green Bay Packers Foundation announced this week it has distributed $1.5 million in annual grants to 398 civic and charitable groups throughout the state of Wisconsin in its annual distribution of grants. Wilson Jones, chairperson of the Foundation, made the announcement, honoring and recognizing the outstanding efforts and services performed by each of the organizations.
Of the Foundation’s contributions, 54 grants – aggregating $210,550 – were awarded to Brown County organizations. Additional grants, totaling $1,289,450, were made to 344 other groups around the state.
“We’re proud to award $1.5 million through our annual Packers Foundation grants this year,” said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. “We are incredibly grateful for the work the recipient organizations carry out each and every day. The Packers are honored to recognize and support their dedication to positively impacting their communities.”
This year’s grant cycle focused on organizations that will direct the funds toward the need areas of arts and culture, athletics and education. Grants were awarded to organizations located in 55 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, with 143 grants going to arts and culture, 66 to athletics and 189 to education.
The grants awarded by the Foundation are not recurring and must be used for the specific program or initiative for which the organizations applied.
To learn about where each organization will be focusing the grant dollars and for more information on the grant cycles, please visit packers.com/foundation and navigate to Project/Program Focus Area.
The Foundation now has distributed more than $25,797,000 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 $610,000 since 2006. As in recent years, the Packers Foundation will also distribute additional dollars to various NFL Foundation programs in the coming months.
The Green Bay Packers Foundation Trustees, in addition to Jones, include Dexter McNabb, Jan Allman, Michael Barber, LeRoy Butler, Eddie Garcia, Mike Haddad, Bill Jartz, Laurie Radke and Mike Simmer. This year, the trustees were assisted by former trustees Marcia Anderson, Nancy Armbrust, Tom Cardella, Susan Finco and DJ Long, Jr. The Packers Foundation and its annual grants are 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, cash and in-kind donations, Make-A-Wish visits and community events.
Including $1.5 million in annual grants and a total of $1.5 million in impact grants and other miscellaneous grants, more than $3.5 million has been awarded through Packers Foundation grants this year.