National Filanthropy League

Football is back, boys and girls! Well, kind of. I have to admit, though, that even watching the Hall of Fame game (and all the mediocrity inherent to the first pre-season game of the year), I'm excited for the football season. And that excitement seems as good of an excuse as any to take a look at the philanthropic activities of America's favorite sport. (Sorry, baseball!) The NFL takes a five-pronged approach to charitable programs, focusing on Youth, Community, Diversity, Health and Volunteerism.

Youth: In addition to its Teacher of the Year award and Play It Smart program (which focuses on developing classroom skills and leadership abilities in student-athletes), the NFL also runs Youth Education Towns in Super Bowl host cities. Per the NFL's website,:

The NFL donates more than $1 million toward the project annually, with other funding coming from local public and private support. YET Centers offer kids tutoring, mentors, career training, computer education and access to sports programs. Centers are designed to help kids succeed by providing educational assistance, job training, technical instruction, life-skills development and recreational outlets. Facilities are unique and include libraries, classrooms, technology labs and fitness centers.

This program, run in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Club, currently serves thousands of children, at locations in Los Angels, Phoenix, New Orleans, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, San Diego (2) and Tampa (2). There are also several more centers in the works.

Community: The NFL's Community programs are primarily run through both the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl. At the Pro Bowl, held annually in Honolulu, HI, the NFL presents approximately $100,000 in grants to Hawai'ian non-profits focused on youth programs, education and physical fitness. In addition to the Youth Education Towns described above, Super Bowl host cities benefit from events such as Habitat for Humanity "Blitz Builds", youth clinics, and too many fundraisers to list here.

Diversity: Diversity has been at watchword at league offices for many years. The NFL has partnered with Scholastic to create a school curriculum that teaches the value of diversity and inclusion. The league also offers support and mentoring opportunities for minority coaches, and runs youth football programs in several countries worldwide.

Health: Its primary focus is on youth nutrition and physical fitness, but the NFL also run programs that offer scholarships to students studying athletic training, and is developing a website on men's health issues in conjunction with Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline.

Volunteerism: The NFL is big, massive really, but they've realized they can't change the world by themselves. And they're asking for you're help. That's right, little old you. In addition to encouraging their fans to donate just sixty minutes of their time to community projects this year, the league honors local volunteer leaders, promotes youth volunteers with its Student All Star program, and (with help from the United Way) helps pair individual players, coaches, and so forth with projects in their local communities.

So there you have it. Sure, the NFL is making money hand over fist, but they're giving a whole lot of it back. The next time you're cheering for your favorite team, take a moment to stop and think about all the good they're doing off the field.