M A JOR L E AGUE BA SEBA L L
PLAYERS TRUST 20 YEARS OF CARING, ACTING & INSPIRING
As Major Leaguers, we’re passionate about baseball and improving t h e l i ve s o f o t h e r s. Over the last 20 years, through the Players Trust, thousands of players have supported the causes most important to us in our local communities and around the globe. Together, we look forward to spreading the spirit of volunteerism and continuing to care, act, and inspire in the years to come.
Former Major Leaguer LaTroy Hawkins, pictured here in 2013 during a softball game for disabled youth hosted by Dallas-area Action Teams, was a constant presence at Trust events throughout his illustrious career.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST 2016 ANNUAL REPORT A Message from the Trustees and Director........................................................ 1 What is the Players Trust?................................... 2 Our Causes......................................................... 4 Youth Baseball Experiences............................... 6 Volunteerism.................................................... 7 Humanitarian Aid.............................................. 8 Programs and Partnership Highlights................ 10
Our Communities..................................................12 Acting Locally, Nationally, and Around the Globe...............................................12 2016 Beneficiaries............................................13 What We Do for Players......................................14 Players Choice Awards.......................................15 Financial Report...................................................16 Let the Players Trust Work for You........................17
On the cover: Kenny Lofton, still active in Players Trust affairs, participating in a Trust City Clinic in Los Angeles.
A Message from the Trustees and Director
PLAYERS TRUST 20 YEARS OF CARING, ACTING & INSPIRING
In 1996, Major Leaguers created the Players Trust as a vehicle to channel our collective voices and caring, and to raise awareness and provide funds for important child-focused causes around the world. Five years later, the Trust expanded its mission beyond children, to include volunteerism and the promotion of community involvement. We have increased our scope to support those causes players consider most important and meaningful. Yet, even as we’ve grown, what was true at the Trust’s inception remains true today: all Major Leaguers are passionate about improving the lives of those in need. Players are grateful our “celebrity” status affords us unique opportunities to raise awareness and inspire others to action. We embrace this important responsibility. It is rewarding for us to be able to assist people from all walks of life and address the needs of underserved populations around the world. On almost a daily basis for the past 20 years, we have strived to exemplify our motto — Care. Act. Inspire. During 2016, we: • Treated hundreds of disadvantaged youth to an unforgettable trip to a Major League ballpark; • Hosted free, hands-on baseball instructional clinics for the physically and intellectually challenged, and inner city youth, as well as for children of our military servicemen and women; • Worked to improve the living conditions of hundreds of children around the world, including the birthplace of many Major Leaguers, the Dominican Republic; and • Inspired and trained legions of high school students to become the next generation of volunteers. The Trust’s work continues to evolve and change as the needs of our neighbors and the world change. In the pages that follow, you’ll learn more about our key service areas, diverse programs, and dedicated partners. You’ll also see how you can become more involved. We encourage you to visit PlayersTrust.org, sign up for our quarterly newsletters, and follow our social media handle @MLBPlayersTrust to keep up to date with all of our charitable endeavors. We tip our caps to all players for their dedication to service and we look forward to another 20 years of working together to address and meet the challenges and needs in our communities.
Tony Clark, Trustee
Curtis Granderson, Trustee
Carlos Villanueva, Trustee
Melissa Persaud, Director
What is the Players Trust? The Trust is the charitable arm of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Major Leaguers care deeply about the places where we live and work. For 20 years, we have been making a difference in our communities and around the world through the Players Trust. When it was created in 1996, the Players Trust was the first 501(c)3 charitable foundation in professional sports run by the players themselves. Through the Players Trust, Major Leaguers contribute time, money, and celebrity to call attention to important issues affecting the needy and encourage others to get involved.
• As players, we recognize our unique position; we understand and appreciate that our status as Major Leaguers provides a platform to make a positive impact. We take that responsibility to heart. • The Trust does not replace players’ individual efforts in their communities, but rather provides a collective voice for players; it amplifies our ability to impact the world around us through our words and actions. • Players lead by example; we know that through the Trust we can inspire others to get involved with causes about which they are passionate. • The Trust makes a real difference on a daily basis. As a result of our programming, teens are volunteering in their own communities, underserved populations are being treated to incredible baseball experiences, and lives are being changed through medical and financial assistance.
2 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
For 20 years, we have embodied our motto, Care. Act. Inspire. We’ve distributed more than $22.7 million to 990 charities. NATIONALLY We’ve donated more than $18.7 million to support a wide variety of programs in communities across the U.S. including more than $1 million to support Gulf Region hurricane relief and rebuilding efforts. We’ve treated close to 26,000 disadvantaged youth to unforgettable baseball experiences. We’ve inspired more than 91,000 high school students to “get involved” helping more than 280,000 people in need. GLOBALLY We’ve contributed more than $1.7 million to charities in the Dominican Republic, a place that so many Major Leaguers call home. We’ve assisted in the long-term relief and rebuilding efforts following natural disasters in Haiti, Japan, and the Philippines through donations of more than $2.3 million.
2016 Report 3
THE PLAYERS’ CHARITY The Players Trust Serves as the Collective Charitable Voice for All Major Leaguers As players, we are united in our desire to give back, and we use our foundation as a vehicle to do just that. We recognize that in addition to the thousands of charities we support individually, together we are able to impact tremendously the communities where we live and work. Players Trust partnerships and programming reflect our diverse backgrounds and interests. Knowing that we are uniquely positioned to lead by example, we embrace the volunteerism mission, encouraging and inspiring the next generation of volunteers. Players are passionate about the game of baseball and we are dedicated to sharing the game with others, especially children in need. We also recognize that we can use our celebrity to call attention to important causes — including the needs of impoverished communities in Latin America where so many of our fraternity were born, and areas that have been struck by natural disasters here in the U.S. and abroad. Together, we contribute our time, money, and passion. We share a common desire to shape and guide our organization, and to position it to best support the causes most important to us as a group. And we are proud of what we have accomplished and will continue to accomplish through the Players Trust.
PLAYERS TRUST SPOTLIGHT
Continuing the Legacy of the Labor Movement:
Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies Former MLBPA Executive Director Michael Weiner passed away in 2013 at age 51, after fighting an inspiring 15-month battle against brain cancer. As someone who devoted his entire career to the labor movement, Michael believed all employees deserve a voice in the workplace. The scholarship in his name was created by the players to honor Michael’s legacy and to help students in their pursuit of careers dedicated to preserving and growing the labor movement in the United States.
4 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
In early 2016, five outstanding students with a demonstrated commitment to the labor movement were selected from a group of 28 applicants from 26 different graduate and law schools as recipients of the Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies. Each individual received a $10,000 scholarship to assist with his or her academic costs.
YOUTH BASEBALL EXPERIENCES • VOLUNTEERISM • HUMANITARIAN AID
Longtime Players Trust Representative Chris Capuano shares his passion for the game with a young girl during a City Clinic in Arizona.
2016 Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies Recipients Stephanie Ainbinder
Nathalie Contreras
Denis Nolasco
Northeastern University School of Law
Southwestern Law School
Fordham University School of Law
Brian Callaci
UCLA School of Law
Benjamin Kowalczyk
University of Massachusetts Amherst
2016 Report 5
YOUTH BASEBALL EXPERIENCES
Providing Underserved Youth with Lasting Memories 26,000 youth were treated to the game
It is only natural that we are passionate about baseball. For reasons including limited economic resources, physical disability and intellectual challenges, many children do not have a chance to play the game in their own communities let alone attend a Major League game. We believe that all young people deserve the opportunity to enjoy and learn from the experience of baseball.
Buses for Baseball City Clinics
Every year we transport hundreds of kids to a Major League game where we get the opportunity to interact with them, and we treat hundreds more to free baseball clinics where we share our skills and love for the game. These baseball experiences enrich not only their lives, but ours as well. The joy we witness is truly contagious.
through:
“
I am passionate about programs that expose youth of all abilities and walks of life to the game I love. I am inspired to know that these interactions can have a lasting impact on the lives of those involved.� Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson offers encouragement to autistic youth at the annual City Clinics event in Harlem, NY.
6 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
VOLUNTEERISM
Increasing Youth Volunteerism Nationwide The Players Trust assists with our social activism. We are dedicated to promoting volunteerism and hope that others will follow our example and “get involved” in their own communities as well. Our motto is Care. Act. Inspire. We live that on a daily basis and we are excited to be galvanizing the next generation of volunteers through the Action Team program. In 2003, the Major League Baseball Players Trust and Volunteers of America created the Action Team national youth volunteer program to recruit and train high school students to become volunteers in their communities. Major Leaguers help inspire and encourage high school students to serve as Action Team Captains, who in turn deliver an important message to their peers: volunteering is cool, fun and personally rewarding.
91,000 high school students were inspired to volunteer through:
Action Team
“
To think that we have inspired tens of thousands of teens across the country to become volunteer leaders in their communities is humbling and it bodes well for our future.” José Bautista
José Bautista and Action Team Captains pack hygiene kits for homeless vets and their families in Tampa, Fl.
2016 Report 7
HUMANITARIAN AID
Stepping in to Lend a Hand During a Crisis $3.9 million in disaster relief
provided through partnerships including:
Japan Society Project C.U.R.E. Volunteers of America
When disasters strike, Major Leaguers respond. Through the Players Trust, Major Leaguers play an active role in providing both financial and in-person support to aid in the immediate and long-term recovery efforts in areas struck by natural disasters. The Players Trust has helped disaster-affected communities in the Philippines, Japan, Haiti and the United States by providing nearly $4 million in financial support for relief efforts that focus on local collaboration, volunteerism, and sustainability, while training and empowering people to rebuild their own communities. In addition, through the efforts of the Trust, many of us have personally traveled to affected communities to participate in and focus attention on the need for ongoing support long after the immediate needs fade from the spotlight.
“
In the wake of a disaster, many people find themselves facing a long and arduous road to recovery. That’s why I’m committed to providing relief, and, most of all, hope to others during their time of need.” David Robertson
David Robertson provides relief on and off the field. Here, he rebuilds a home in Illinois destroyed by a tornado.
8 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
Nelson Cruz returns home to the Dominican Republic each off-season to distribute toys and gifts as part of a Players Trust holiday program.
Touching and Improving Lives Around the World We are also committed to improving the living conditions and health of people around the globe. Currently, much of our international work is focused in the Dominican Republic, a place many players call home. Through long-term partnerships with Medicines for Humanity and Esperanza International, we are providing life-saving vitamins and medicines, improved water and sanitation conditions, and access to microfinance capital for women to start their own businesses. And our dedication to making people’s lives better goes beyond the Dominican Republic. We’re at work in Haiti with our partner Project C.U.R.E., in Cuba with Friends of Caritas Cubana, and in Japan with the Japan Society.
$1.7 million in assistance to the Dominican Republic provided through partnerships including:
Esperanza International Medicines for Humanity
2016 Report 9
Through our collaboration with Volunteers of America, we work with high school students serving as Action Team Captains to recruit, train, and organize other students to deliver a simple message: volunteering is fun and personally rewarding.
The Trust supported Baseball Cares in the Dominican Republic to improve access to education for children with special needs and to combat domestic violence and child abuse through prevention efforts.
For 16 years, we’ve hosted disadvantaged young people at our home ballparks around the country through our popular Buses for Baseball program. Groups receive free roundtrip transpor tation, t-shirts, tickets, food vouchers, and we personally greet and sign autographs and pose for pictures.
Originally created to address the decrease in young AfricanAmericans playing baseball and the lack of resources available to urban youth, City Clinics has evolved to provide children from all walks of life with an opportunity to play baseball. They receive free hands- on instruction from big leaguers past and present, and are reminded of what they can accomplish with hard work.
For more than 10 years, the Trust has par tnered with Esperanza International to free children and their families from poverty through a micro-finance program which helps families generate income and gain access to education and health services.
10 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
ACTION TEAM HIGHLIGHTS • Since the program’s inception, more than 91,000 students at 170 high schools nationwide have volunteered by serving more than 280,000 people in their communities. • Awarded $318,500 in college scholarships to date.
BASEBALL CARES HIGHLIGHTS • The Trust gave Baseball Cares a $50,000 grant to improve education in the Dominican Republic.
BUSES FOR BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS • Since 2000, we’ve treated 17,125 youth from 345 organizations to what has often been their first ever Major League game. • 120 players greeted kids from organizations including Tia’s Hope, Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Heroes League, and the Special Olympics during the 2016 season.
CITY CLINICS HIGHLIGHTS • Provided life-skills and baseball instruction to more than 8,500 disadvantaged youth since 2009. • Donated nearly $120,000 worth of baseball and softball equipment to recipient groups including two Little Leagues that lost their equipment in the 2016 Houston flooding.
ESPERANZA INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS • In 2016, the Trust awarded a $100,000 grant to fund small business loans to family-based micro-enterprises and to facilitate business and vocational training in Santo Domingo, Santiago, and San Pedro de Macorís. An additional $50,000 grant funded two new water purification plants in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Supporting Our Causes to Make a Difference This year, the Trust joined Friends of Caritas Cubana in its effort to make life-changing improvements in the lives of the most vulnerable in Cuba.
The Players Trust aided the Jackie Robinson Foundation in its mission to help advance higher education by awarding generous multi-year college scholarships and attendant support services.
Since 2002, the Players Trust has teamed with Medicines for Humanity (MFH), a nonprofit dedicated to providing effective and transformative healthcare to children and pregnant women to prevent and reduce needless child deaths in the Dominican Republic and around the world.
On World Sight Day, the Trust partnered with the Australia-based global campaign, Our Children’s Vision, to provide free vision screenings for elementary school students and youth baseball players from Gary, Indiana.
The Trust assisted Our Military Kids’ efforts to keep military children engaged in activities they enjoy and to relieve the stress of being separated from a parent on active duty.
For the past 14 years, we’ve partnered with the national human services organization, Volunteers of America (VOA) to provide needed resources to underserved and at-risk populations. Funds have included grants to 77 local affiliates and Gulf Region hurricane relief and rebuilding efforts.
FRIENDS OF CARITAS CUBANA HIGHLIGHTS • The Trust supported Friends of Caritas Cubana with a $100,000 grant to provide humanitarian, emergency, and social services support.
JACKIE ROBINSON FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS • To commemorate the 69th anniversary of the legendary Hall of Famer breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947, the Players Trust awarded a $42,000 grant to assist a Jackie Robinson Scholar with a four-year scholarship.
MEDICINES FOR HUMANITY HIGHLIGHTS • Over the course of the 14-year partnership with MFH, Players Trust donations have purchased medicines with a value of nearly $7 million. • In 2016, the Trust extended its MFH partnership with a five-year commitment to expand the capacity of the health staff at Hospital Rosa Duarte in Elias Piña, Dominican Republic.
OUR CHILDREN’S VISION HIGHLIGHTS • LaTroy Hawkins and Kenny Lofton represented all Players and assisted with comprehensive eye exams for more than 250 children in Gary, Indiana. • Provided free glasses to those children who were examined and required corrective lenses.
OUR MILITARY KIDS HIGHLIGHTS • When the Marlins and Braves played at Ft. Bragg, the Trust presented a $100,000 grant in recognition of the first professional sporting event to be played on a military base.
VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA HIGHLIGHTS • Since 2002, the Trust has supported VOA with more than $11.6 million in cash and in-kind contributions. • Since 2015, the Trust has funded more than 200 Brightening Birthday parties across the country for children whose families are experiencing housing instability.
2016 Report 11
Acting Locally, Nationally, and Around the Globe Our membership spans the globe; our programs and partnerships are global as well. From the United States, to the Dominican Republic, to Japan, to Cuba and beyond, the Players Trust is committed to making a difference in the lives of people everywhere.
CANADA Montreal Oshawa Toronto Westmount
NETHERLANDS
UNITED STATES & TERRITORIES Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana
Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
12 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
BAHAMAS
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PANAMA CUBA VENEZUELA HAITI Cap-Haïtien Deschapelles Gonaïves Les Cayes Mirebalais Port-au-Prince
Barahona Consuelo El Seibo Elias Piña Guaricanos Haina Hato Mayor La Romana La Loma Las Matas de Farfán Paraiso Quisqueya San Cristóbal San Pedro de Macorís Santiago Santo Domingo
AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND PHILIPPINES Leyte Province Bohol Tacloban
JAPAN Chofu Fukushima Ishinomaki Iwate Miyagi Ogatsu Osawa Shinchi Tohoku Tokyo Yamamoto
2016 BENEFICIARIES 19 For Life Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Amigos for Christ Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation The Arc of Greater Beaumont The Arc of South Florida Association of Professional Baseball Players of America Assumption College Athletes & Causes The Austin Peay University Foundation Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter Baseball Assistance Team Baseball Cares Baseball Chapel Baseball New Zealand Baton Rouge Area Foundation Be the Change Volunteers Bear Creek Little League Beat NB Cancer Foundation Beech Brook Bellingrath Dixie Boys and Girls League Best Friends Animal Society Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region Big League Impact Boys & Girls Club of Greater San Diego Boys & Girls Club St. Joseph County Boys and Girls Club of South Central Alabama Brace for Impact 46 The Brian Duensing Foundation Bruin Community Parents C & WS Rustic Hollow Shelter C2k Ministries, Inc. Cabrillo College Cajon de Oro Senior League Cal Poly State University Foundation Cal Ripken, SR. Foundation Camp Twin Lakes Campus Outreach Houston Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy CJ Wilson’s Charity Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Indian Charities College of William & Mary Foundation Community Cooperative Inc. Comunidad Siervos de Cristo Vivo Inc.
Cool Kids Campaign Cornerstone of Hope The Culinary Institute of America Cumberland University DC Grays Deering Athletics Donnie Moore Ministries DonorsChoose.org Double Nickel Foundation Dr. Phillips High School The Dream Center Drexel University Duke University Duquesne University Emerald Corridor Foundation, Inc. Encanto Boys & Girls Club Encanto Little League Esperanza International Estrella Youth Sports Falcon Athletic Boosters Club Feeding Cleburne Fellowship of Christian Athletes Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund First Christian Church of Thousand Oaks First Tee of Anaheim Florida A&M University Foundation Food Bank of the Rockies Fordham University School of Law Friends of Caritas Cubana Fundación Gogui Grace United Methodist Church The Grand Kids Foundation Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger Habitat For Humanity Hanahan Athletic Booster Club Harlem RBI Heart of the Outdoors Hope Animal Rescues Hostos Community College Fund The Humane Society of New York Immaculate Conception School Jackie Robinson Family YMCA Jackie Robinson Foundation Japan Society Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation The Josh Willingham Foundation K9s for Warriors Kids Cancer Foundation The Kula Project Las Vegas High School Lemon Grove Little League Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (National Chapter) Lifeline Children’s Services Links Players International
Louisiana State University Lower Columbia College Make-a-Wish Foundation of San Diego Meals on Wheels Medicines for Humanity Mentoring Viable Prospects Merrimack College Midwest Innocence Project Mike Coolbaugh Diamond Dreams Milwaukee Rescue Mission Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association Miracle League of Arkansas Miracle League of Kansas City Miracle League of Myrtle Beach Miracle League of the Gulf Beaches Miracle Temple Church Mission St. Louis MLBPAA Montverde Academy Mount Pisgah Lodge 53 Nashoba Learning Group National Christian Charitable Foundation Network for Good Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation New York Center For Autism Charter School Northeastern University Oasis Ministries Oregon State University Foundation Orlando Monarchs Our Children’s Vision Our Lady’s School Our Military Kids The Parish School Pastime for Patriots The Pedro J Martinez and Brothers Foundation Peggy Browning Fund Perfect 33 Foundation Philadelphia Futures PitCCh in Foundation Pitch in for Baseball Pittsburgh Kids Foundation Police Athletic League Princeton University Pro Athletes Outreach Project C.U.R.E. Punxsutawney VFW Teener League Baseball Association Inc. The Puppy Rescue Mission Pure Charity Purple Rose Theatre Company RBC Ministries/ Our Daily Bread Ministries RBI Austin
RC22 Foundation Rising Star Baseball Academy Ryan Howard Big Piece Foundation Sacred Heart Catholic Church Santa Barbara City College School District of West De Pere School of Imagination Shane Victorino Foundation Shockers Youth Sports Development, Inc. Singing Hills Little League South End Community Center Southwest Boys Club Southwestern Law School Southwestern Oklahoma State University Special Olympics Chicago Special Olympics Massachusetts Special Olympics Oklahoma Sportsmen’s Outreach, Inc. St. Agnes Academy St. Joseph Orphanage St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital St. Lawrence University The Stacey & Bo Porter SELF Foundation Summit School of Ahwatukee Sunshine Acres Children’s Home Teammates for Kids Foundation Three Square Tia’s Hope Tidewater Youth Services Foundation Toni & Trish House Triple Crown Sports Academy Tufts University Turn 2 Foundation Turning Two U Deserve a Chance Foundation UCLA School of Law Unclub Ministries United Heroes League United Ways of Alabama University of Georgia Foundation University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Washington Unlimited Potential Vanderbilt University Volunteers of America Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy West Oaks Little League Wildlife Conservation Network William E. Miller Elementary School Wounded Warrior Project ziMS Foundation
2016 Report 13
Providing Financial, Administrative, and Tax-Related Benefits for Players The Players Trust can function as a player’s personal foundation, relieving the player of the administrative burden and expense of setting one up himself. Alternatively, the Trust offers players assistance in identifying established charitable partners.
Donor Advised Funds
These funds allow players to make individual contributions to the Players Trust and recommend the charitable purpose their dollars should serve. Additionally, players who wish to contribute to non-U.S. charities are able to do so without losing the ability to deduct their contribution on their U.S. income tax filings.
Matching Grants
Players’ individual charitable donations to valid 501(c)3 organizations of up to $2,500 per year are matched by the Trust. Since the program’s inception, the Players Trust has provided more than $2 million in matching funds on behalf of 900 individuals.
Equipment Purchasing and Matching
Through the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, the Trust is able to offer players a 50–65 percent discount on baseball and softball equipment. The Trust then matches up to $2,500 of a current player’s equipment donation. In 2016, the Trust provided more than $15,000 worth of baseball and softball equipment to youth in the United States and Puerto Rico. For more information, email PlayersTrust@mlbpa.org.
PlayersTrust.org and Social Media Support PlayersTrust.org provides us with an online platform to communicate to the public the various ways Major Leaguers give back to the places where we work and live. In addition to coverage of Trust programs and events, the website hosts individual player charity pages that feature each player’s charitable efforts and fund-raising activities. From sharing live video from Trust events to Tweeting our charitable messages, the MLBPA is using its social media feeds to shine a spotlight on the causes that are important to players.
Youth from Indiana Harbor Little League receive new baseball and softball equipment.
14 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
Celebrating Big League Results Since 1996, the Players Trust has annually recognized Players Choice Awards winners by contributing a total of $260,000 to charitable organizations personally selected by award winners. Players honor the outstanding player, rookie, pitcher, and comeback player in each league. Two additional awards given to players are without regard to league: The Player of the Year and the Marvin Miller Man of the Year, named for the founding executive director of the MLBPA and given to the player whose excellence on and off the field most inspires others to higher levels of achievement. In addition, each team’s Marvin Miller Man of the Year nominee designates a charitable organization to receive a $2,500 Trust grant in his honor.
2016 WINNERS Outstanding Player (NL)
Daniel Murphy Outstanding Player (AL)
José Altuve Outstanding Pitcher (NL)
Kyle Hendricks Outstanding Pitcher (AL)
Rick Porcello Outstanding Rookie (NL)
Corey Seager Outstanding Rookie (AL)
Michael Fulmer Comeback Player (NL)
José Fernández Comeback Player (AL)
Mark Trumbo Player of the Year
José Altuve Marvin Miller Man of the Year
Curtis Granderson
The Trust has contributed
$4.5 million Kris Bryant receives his 2015 Outstanding Rookie Award from teammate Jake Arrieta.
to charities selected by PCA winners.
PLAYERS TRUST SPOTLIGHT
A good time for a great cause:
12th Annual Players Trust Golf Tournament In 2016, the Players Trust held its twelfth annual fund-raising golf tournament at Cascata Golf Course in Las Vegas, NV co-hosted by All Stars and NL MVPs Kris Bryant and Bryce Harper. In addition, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino hosted a poker tournament for the benefit of the Players Trust. Some of the game’s biggest stars — past and present — competed with sponsors, MLBPA licensees, and friends of the Players Trust, and raised awareness for the Trust and much needed funds for charities in Las Vegas and across the US. Pictured right: Bryce Harper was among 50 Major Leaguers to hit the links to raise funds and awareness for the Trust.
2016 Report 15
OPENING BALANCE as of 1/1/2016
$ 7,333,629
RECEIPTS
2016 RECEIPTS $2.85 MILLION
Player Donations 2015 Player Contributions
$
1,746,969
MLB Donation MLB All Star Game Donation*
800,000
Special Events Golf Tournament Receipts 2016
174,633
Golf Tournament Receipts 2017
41,000
Designated Funds Player Donations................61% MLB Donation.....................28% Special Events......................8% Designated Funds.................1% Interest................................2%
Miscellaneous Fundraising/Designated Funds
29,080
Player Donor Advised Funds
2,084
Interest Checking and Investments TOTAL
54,673
$
$
2,848,439
EXPENSES Grants & Scholarships
2016 EXPENSES $2.1 MILLION
Action Team Scholarships Dominican Republic Grants
32,000 300,432
Equipment Grants - City Clinics
30,270
Executive Director Discretionary Fund
194,979
Matching - Grants/Equipment
347,285
Michael Weiner Scholarship
50,000
Miscellaneous Grants
245,000
Players Choice Awards
195,000
Player Donor Advised Grants Grants & Scholarships........76%
VOA/Brightening Birthdays
Programs.............................6%
Programs
Special Events......................9%
Buses for Baseball
Administration......................9%
City Clinics
40,552 175,000
29,873 102,409
Special Events Golf Tournament 2016
104,159
Golf Tournament 2017
90,710
Administration Annual Trust Meeting
39,685
General Administration
6,729
These funds were received pursuant to the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Investment and Bank Service Fees
6,195
The MLBPA donates certain administrative services, salaries, office space and general office materials to the Trust. These services would need to be purchased if they were not provided and are recorded at fair value. For the year ending December 31, 2016, this amount is estimated to be $670,000.
Professional Fees
24,074
Public Relations/Travel
50,230
A complete copy of our financial statement is available upon request.
CLOSING BALANCE as of 12/31/2016
*
16 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS TRUST
Miscellaneous Program Expenses
65,459
Website
8,125
TOTAL
$
2,138,166
$ 8,043,902
Let the Players Trust work for you.
All-Star Evan Longoria takes a hands-on approach in helping a child experience the thrill of hitting a baseball during a City Clinics event for the Miracle League of Gulf Beaches in St. Petersburg, FL.
Get Involved: The Players Trust is OUR charity, the charity of all Major Leaguers. For 20 years the Trust has allowed us to positively impact the communities where we live and work and improve conditions for populations across the globe. Virtually every player gives back to his community in one way or another. The Trust enables us to support our own individual charitable efforts and maximize our caring, compassion, and commitment. Whether a rookie or a player with 10 or more years of service, the Trust helps us leverage our collective voice and provides opportunities for us to support worthwhile causes and encourage others to do the same.
For more information on ways to get involved, please contact Melissa Persaud:
212.826.0809 PlayersTrust@mlbpa.org www.playerstrust.org
Thank you for your participation. Together, we will continue to care, act, and inspire.
N IATIO OC SS
MAJOR LE AG
SEBALL PLAYER BA S A UE
CARE. ACT. INSPIRE. Through the Players Trust, Major Leaguers show that they care about the places where they live and work, take action by getting personally involved to help their neighbors in need, and encourage others to do the same. 12 EAST 49TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10017
P 212.826.0809 F 212.752.4378
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