The Red Sox Foundation is the official team charity of the Boston Red Sox.
Our primary focus is in serving the education, recreation and health needs of children and families in need across New England. Our goal is to harness the passion our fans have for the Red Sox and transform into a vehicle for positive change in our community.
The Red Sox Foundation was founded in 2002 by Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, President/CEO Emeritus Larry Lucchino, and their partners. They have generously supported the Foundation and additional funds have been provided by sponsors, fans and through special fundraising events held in association with the Red Sox players and their wives. As a result, the Red Sox Foundation has become the largest professional sports charity in all of professional sports.
As the funding source for the team’s philanthropy, The Red Sox Foundation supports a wide variety of nonprofits and runs several of our own programs. A substantial portion of our efforts are focused on our Cornerstone programs, which include:
Education
- The Red Sox Scholars program provides $10,000 scholarships, tutoring, and mentoring for academically-talented middle school students from the Boston Public Schools. The program received the first-ever Major League Baseball award for philanthropic excellence in 2010. The program has served a total of 274 Boston Public School students since its creation in 2003.
- The New England Red Sox Service Scholarships program of $1,000 for college are awarded to students who have engaged in community service from public high schools in the five New England states outside of Massachusetts.
Youth Sports
- RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) introduces urban youth in Boston to baseball and softball, and uses the sport to promote healthy choices and valuable life skills. RBI serves more than 700 youth, ages 9 to 18. The Foundation also supports six “Rookie Leagues” throughout Boston, annually serving 900+ youth, ages 5 to 12. These leagues often serve as a pipeline to RBI.
- The Boston Area Church League brings more than 600 Boston children to baseball fields during the summer to play Saturday doubleheaders with pastors as coaches, police as umpires, and assistant district attorneys as volunteers.
- Lindos Sueños takes American teens to the Dominican Republic each summer to play with their teenage counterparts at the Red Sox Academy. Before taking the field, the children build homes for local residents. The program was created in partnership with Charlene Engelhard in 2004.
- The Red Sox Foundation provides the 317 Little League programs in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine — “Wally’s Team” — with funding assistance as well as leadership and instructional skills training for coaches and administrators.
Health
- Since 2002, the Red Sox and Red Sox Foundation have helped raise millions of dollars for cancer treatment and research for The Jimmy Fund, supporting the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in its mission to provide treatment to children and adults with cancer while developing cures through cutting-edge research.
- Created by Red Sox Foundation Chairman Tom Werner, Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital program, has helped over 11,000 veterans and their families suffering from the “invisible wounds of war,” such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The Red Sox Foundation has raised over $22 million for Home Base through the program’s largest fundraiser, the Run to Home Base, a 9K/5K charity race presented by New Balance.
- The Red Sox Foundation is the largest contributor to The Dimock Center, a comprehensive non-profit health and social services facility in Roxbury that is a regional leader in addressing opioid addiction.
