Grizzlies Foundation History and Mission
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The Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation was established in July 2004 to make a profound impact on the community and help organizations to fulfill their missions.
The Foundation promotes its family of partnerships, community outreach and a myriad of resources to add value to each monetary contribution. It also fosters collaboration among organizations for the most effective delivery of opportunities to urban youth through mentoring, sports and education programs. It was preceded by the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Fund, a donor-advised fund established in December 2001 to make grants to Memphis-area non-profit organizations.
Since December 2001, the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Fund and Foundation have contributed over $20 million to local nonprofit organizations, including the development of Grizzlies Academy, a public high school for teenagers who are two years or more behind grade level; Memphis Grizzlies House, a short-term family residence on the campus of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; and the Memphis Athletic Ministries' Grizzlies Athletic Center, a first-class public gymnasium available to neighborhood youth.
In June 2007, the Grizzlies Foundation was honored by the Sports Philanthropy Project and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as the top team foundation in professional sports.
In January 2008, the Foundation launched the TeamUp Mentoring Initiative to help raise 500 new mentors for mentoring programs administered by the Foundation's partners.
