The Red Sox Foundation is the official team charity of the Boston Red Sox. Our primary focus is in serving the health, education, recreation, and social service 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.

A registered 501(c)3 charity, the Foundation was founded in 2002, immediately after the group led by Principal Owner John Henry and Chairman Tom Werner bought the Red Sox. They and their partners 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, in just 5 years, the Red Sox Foundation has become the largest professional sports charity in New England and one of the most successful in all of Major League Baseball.

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 4 Cornerstone programs, which include:

• The Jimmy Fund
• Dimock Community Health Center
• Red Sox Scholars
• Youth baseball programs, including RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) and Red Sox Rookie Leagues.

The relationship between the Jimmy Fund and the Red Sox is over 54 years old, and represents the one of the most remarkable partnerships between a team and a charity in the history of sports.  

Under the ownership of Principal Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, President CEO Larry Lucchino and the team’s generous 22 partners, The Red Sox Foundation has donated or helped raise over $10 million for the Jimmy Fund in the past 4 years alone. For the past three years, the Red Sox Foundation has been a title sponsor of the Pan Mass Challenge, the cross-the-state bicycle ride that annually raises half of the Jimmy Fund. In addition, the Red Sox are key sponsors of the WEEI /NESN Jimmy Fund Telethon which has raised millions for this. Throughout the year, Red Sox players and staff also continue the team’s long held tradition of visiting the patients at the Jimmy Fund.

In 2004, the Red Sox Foundation established a partnership with the Dimock Community Health Center in Roxbury to support this extraordinary non-profit’s efforts to open the doors of opportunity to some of the children in Boston’s most disadvantaged urban settings.

Faced with budget cutbacks, Dimock was poised to close its Teen Center. However after John Henry toured the facility and saw the life-changing work that occurred at Dimock, the Red Sox Foundation made a donation which, according to its director, “literally saved” the Teen Center

“The Teen Center is an island of security for kids who are growing up in very tough circumstances,” Dimock President/CEO Ruth Ellen Fitch says. “By reaching out in support of this community and these kids, the Red Sox Foundation is providing a real beacon of hope for all of us.”

Founded in 2003, The Red Sox Scholars program currently serves 210 students, with the most recent 10 Scholars selected to join the program in spring of 2011. The goal of the Red Sox Scholars program is to encourage at risk and low income Boston Public School students to live up to their potential, including graduating from high school and enrolling and completing college.

In addition to tutoring and mentoring, the Red Sox Foundation offers each Scholar a college scholarship of up to $10,000, pending graduation from high school, enrollment in an accredited college and continued good citizenship. Serving as an incentive right from the start of the program, the funds are invested by the Red Sox Foundation in each Scholar’s name immediately when the Scholars are selected. The scholarships are redeemable only directly to the college or university in which the Scholar enrolls. Neither the student nor their parent/guardian will access the funds for any other purpose. Understanding that some students must work to obtain additional funds for college, the scholarships are held for up to 3 years after a student graduates from high school, with additional time offered for approved military service or health reasons.

All Red Sox Scholars also live in low-income neighborhoods throughout the Greater Boston area. Many, parents/guardians do not have a car and younger Scholars cannot travel alone on public transportation. For Scholars to fully participate in academic prep and enrichment programs sponsored by local colleges/universities and corporations, Red Sox Foundation staff have also personally driven Scholars to/from their program. The dedication, time commitment and sacrifices made by our staff in an effort to improve the futures of our children is immeasurable.

Red Sox Rookie League introduces baseball to young children, aged 5-12. Now celebrating its 15^th year, the Rookie League program serves children from Chelsea, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hill House, North End, Mission Hill, Roxbury, South End, and South Boston.

RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) is an initiative started by Major League Baseball that brings baseball to children from economically disadvantaged areas, aged 13-18. Led by Jose Ruiz, RBI promotes positive conflict resolution, resistance to drugs and alcohol, and school retention along with programs that seek to raise self-esteem on and off the field. The Red Sox Foundation furnishes teams with equipment and uniforms and helps pay for umpire fees.

In addition to the above programs, The Red Sox Foundation also focuses on children who live in New England’s group homes, or what were once known as orphanages.

This outreach, made at the suggestion of Principal Owner John Henry, brings attention, warmth, and financial help to children in need of all three. Usually taken from their parents because of abuse or neglect, the children now live in state-licensed facilities.

Henry, Werner, Lucchino, the team’s players, coaches, alumni, and front office staff have visited and welcomed children from six group homes to games here at Fenway Park. These include: The Webster House in Manchester, New Hampshire; The Wheelock Institute in Plainville, Connecticut; Quanacut House run by Youth and Family Services in Providence, Rhode Island; The Allenbrook Home outside of Burlington, Vermont; two group homes run by Youth Alternatives in Saco and Portland, Maine and the Home for Little Wanderers in Boston.

Each year on days celebrating the individual New England states, the Red Sox invite kids living at each group home to Fenway Park, where they are treated to a private lunch, a ballpark tour, and visits with players and Wally the Green Monster. Before the game, the children are honored in a special on field ceremony.

The Red Sox Foundation also is a leading sponsor of Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields, a new youth baseball/softball and soccer recreation area at Lederman Park along the Charles River in Boston. This extraordinary project is the result of a public- private partnership with the State of Massachusetts and three terrific nonprofits – Hill House, The Esplanade Association and The Red Sox Foundation. Created in honor of a devoted young Red Sox fan who died at the age of 14, the project was completed in 2006 and now provides a fabulous new free recreation area for families and children for generations to come. Click here for more information on this project or to make a tax deductible donation.

The Foundation also supports hundreds of other nonprofits and charities throughout New England. The Red Sox Foundation, owners, players and fans have also joined together to respond to natural disasters including devastating hurricanes and floods.