NFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2023 CHARITABLE PARTNERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) announced the six non-profit organizations that will serve as its official charitable partners for 2023: FORCE BLUE, GOODProjects, Laureus Sport for Good, Men’s Health Network, The Conscious Kid and The Elephant in the Room.

The NFLPA Charitable Partnership program recognizes organizations that are making a positive impact in their local communities and benefit our player membership and staff. Through this initiative and its six pillars -- children, mental health, men’s health, military, social justice and women’s health -- the NFLPA has had the privilege of working with a variety of organizations to further their cause and increase the number of lives impacted around the world.

Each partner will receive a $25,000 grant from the NFLPA to help fund programs that further the mission of their organization and align with the union’s core values.

“It's been a great privilege for the NFLPA to team up with these non-profits as they provide essential services to their communities," NFLPA Communications and Strategic Partnerships Director Carl Francis said. "We are excited to continue this important work with this year's partners in using our shared platform to further their important missions."

Applicants eligible for this program must have focused their charitable efforts on one of the aforementioned pillars and been in existence for at least five years. Following a careful review of each applicant’s proposal, which outlined how the grant would help them and their beneficiaries, the following organizations were selected:

• FORCE BLUE was established to address two unrelated problems impacting veterans -- the declining health of marine resources and the difficulty that service members experience adjusting to civilian life. By focusing on retraining and redeploying Special Operation veterans to work on conservation missions, they help service members reassimilate back into society while positively impacting the environment.
  
• GOODProjects is on a mission to empower youth and their families to live fulfilling lives free from poverty. With a commitment to ending poverty globally, this non-profit seeks to help families thrive in their own communities by eliminating roadblocks to basic needs so that they can define success for themselves.

• Laureus Sport for Good works to improve the lives of women and girls by uniting communities through the power of sport. By investing in youth development programs around the country, they hope to enhance physical and mental health through the promotion of equity, empowerment and safety.

• Men’s Health Network is a national non-profit whose mission is to reach men, boys and their families where they live, work, play and pray through health awareness and disease prevention messages. Its tools for engagement include screening programs, educational materials and advocacy opportunities.

• The Conscious Kid is an education, research and policy organization dedicated to equity and promoting healthy racial identity development in youth. It supports organizations, familes and educators in taking action to disrupt racism in kids. During its first two years as a NFLPA charitable partner, The Conscious Kid has provided hundreds of diversity-based books to children through player-led visits to schools that are a featured part of the NFLPA Community MVP program.

• The Elephant in the Room’s purpose is to create a safe space and promote healthy minds through education and open dialogue, all with the goal of erasing the stigma associated with mental health.

For the duration of the partnership through December 31, each non-profit will have the opportunity to work with active and former players through the NFLPA’s numerous programs and volunteer opportunities, request autographed memorabilia and attend special events throughout the year.

For more information about the NFLPA’s Charitable Partnership program, please visit our website.

###

About the NFL Players Association:
The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through the 2030 season. Learn more at www.nflpa.com