YDF, in partnership with the Morgan Wallen Foundation and led by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville, is revitalizing the Parkwood Community Club. This historic baseball and softball complex serves a predominately underserved Black/African-American population with the lowest median household income of Davidson County's 35 Districts. This ballfield renovation is part of a community collaboration that includes the addition of a 59-acre Metro Park and construction of 26 Habitat for Humanity homes that all wrap around the ballparks providing quality of life for so many residents.
MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation Grantees
After the tragic passing of League President Anthony Varvaro, a Port Authority Police Officer and former MLB Pitcher, YDF and Musco stepped in to help the league complete Anthony's project of installing field lighting for all three of the complex's fields. Before this project was complete, Snug Harbor was the only little league on Staten Island that did have lights on their fields. Additionally, YDF provided equipment for the season, as well as funding for building an indoor practice facility for kids to utilize during the winter months.
YDF provided over 100 children with either full or partial scholarships to play, who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to due to financial hardships. This grant also allowed Jackson Parks & Recreation to purchase much needed player, umpire, and field maintenance equipment that has helped the quality of the league and provided the local community with more resources.
In partnership with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, YDF unveiled the 100th Youth Development Park at Reedbird Park in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. The multi-use field supports baseball, softball, and other youth sports next to a fitness and wellness center for the community to make playing more inclusive and equitable.
With the support of YDF, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation built three Dodgers Dreamfields in Gonzales Park. These fields revitalize green spaces to help re-energize the community’s involvement in baseball and softball, while also boosting the safety of local parks, providing a place where neighbors can gather, exercise and play, and serving as resource hubs for communities to get the resources they need to live healthier lives.
YDF partnered with Roundabout Theater Company as their Lead Sponsor of the production of Toni Stone in 2019. This compelling work told the story of the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro League, using Toni’s remarkable life to explore the later years of the Jim Crow era. The production was created to ensure that Toni Stone is no longer a footnote in history after her time with the Indianapolis Clowns in 1953.
Funded in part by YDF, Inglewood Baseball Fund opened a batting cage facility and training center at Darby Park in 2018 with a high-grade artificial turf surface designed for durability and playability. This new facility increased their programming hours exponentially by giving players the opportunity to do more hitting and baseball specific training in a safe and weather resistant environment.
Through a YDF grant, Journey House transformed a dilapidated, urban baseball playing infrastructure into a beautiful, state of the art baseball complex, creating a neighborhood anchor and catalyst for continued development for Journey House’s urban youth scholar athletes participating in the Felix Mantilla Little League program.
Success Stories in the News
- August 5, 2024: MLBPA announces grant to Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
- August 5, 2024: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Set for State-of-the-Art Makeover
- August 4, 2024: MLB,MLBPA announce Negro Leagues Baseball Museum grant
- August 4, 2024: MLB,MLBPA announce Negro Leagues Baseball Museum grant
- August 4, 2024: MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Announces $2 million Grant To Benefit Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
- August 2, 2024: MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation Grants $2 Million to Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for State-of-the-Art Makeover
- August 1, 2024: As Negro Leagues Baseball Museum eyes new home, museum receives $2M grant for new facility
- August 1, 2024: MLBPA Youth Development Foundation announces $2 million grant for Negro Leagues Museum
- August 1, 2024: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum receives $2M from MLBPA Youth Development Foundation
- August 1, 2024: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum gearing up for state-of-the-art makeover
- August 1, 2024: As Negro Leagues Baseball Museum eyes new home, museum receives $2M grant for new facility
- August 1, 2024: Speed Reads…
- August 1, 2024: MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation announces $2 million grant to Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo.
- July 12, 2024: Negro League Family Alliance Uplifts Generations of Influential Black Families Connected to the Legacy of Baseball
- June 27, 2024: Major League Baseball Reckons With Its Past
- June 26, 2024: MLB Turns To Negro Leagues In Search of ‘Diverse Future For Our Game’
- June 21, 2024: MLB Players Association donating $500,000 to the Negro Leagues Family Alliance
- June 21, 2024: MLB Celebrates Magical Night at Rickwood Field
- June 20, 2024: MLB-MLBPA YDF Announce NLFA Grant
- June 20, 2024: For Black baseball, game at Rickwood Field is tribute to past, hope for future
- June 19, 2024: Negro Leagues Family Alliance gets $500,000 grant in Birmingham
- June 19, 2024: Negro league Family Alliance connects with family members to build baseball legacy
- June 19, 2024: MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation announces $500,000 grant to Negro Leagues Family Alliance
- March 7, 2024: WCMS baseball gets grant from pros
- December 29, 2023: Buck Leonard Association gets grant from MLB, players association
- December 19, 2023: YMCA A Recipient of MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation Grant
- November 22, 2023: For Reds, giving back 'part of your culture'
- August 14, 2023: Morgan Wallen: 4 Donations That Made A Difference
- August 13, 2023: Morgan Wallen donates $500k for Nashville youth sports complex revitalization project
- August 13, 2023: Morgan Wallen Foundation & MLB-MLBPA YDF Donate $500K Each To Habitat For Humanity Of Greater Nashville
- August 13, 2023: Nashville Sounds, Habitat For Humanity Partner With MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, Morgan Wallen Foundation, More on Parkwood Community Transformation Project
- August 12, 2023: Morgan Wallen and MLB-MLBPA YDF Partner to Revitalize Nashville Baseball Complex
- August 11, 2023: Morgan Wallen Teams With MLB, Habitat for Humanity for Nashville Baseball Park Renovation
- August 11, 2023: Morgan Wallen Foundation Unites With MLB To Donate $1 Million To Revitalize Historic Parkwood Community Club
- August 11, 2023: Morgan Wallen Teams With Major League Baseball for Historic Nashville Field Renovations
- August 11, 2023: Morgan Wallen Foundation Donates $500k Towards Revitalization Efforts Of Nashville’s Parkwood Baseball Fields
- August 11, 2023: Morgan Wallen Foundation Gives $500K to Restore Historic Black Baseball Complex in Nashville
- August 11, 2023: Morgan Wallen Foundation, MLB Team Up To Pledge $1 Million To Transform Parkwood Community Club In North Nashville
- August 11, 2023: Morgan Wallen, Habitat for Humanity, MLB, Nashville Sounds partner for community project
- May 15, 2023: Black College World Series hopes to launch MLB careers for HBCU players
- May 12, 2023: Black College World Series hopes to spur MLB careers for HBCU players
- May 10, 2023: HBCUs in spotlight as MLB eyes Black American talent
- May 1, 2023: The MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation announces support of the 2023 Black College World Series presented by Tyson Foods
- March 29, 2023: Little League: Snug Harbor LL will finally turn on the lights, honor Anthony Varvaro as Opening Day approaches