Heisman Charities

The Heisman Trust assumed stewardship of The Heisman Memorial Trophy following the closure of the famed Downtown Athletic Club. Over the last twenty years, the Heisman Trust has donated more than $20 million to worthwhile charities that provide greater opportunities for disadvantaged and special needs youth.

As the Heisman Trust’s philanthropic endeavors continued to grow, the Trustees sought professional support to manage their charitable giving program. In 2017, the Heisman Trust proudly formed a partnership with The New York Community Trust. Established in 1924, the NYCT is one of the largest community foundations in the United States. Building on the charitable legacy of the Heisman, our Trustees worked with the NYCT to establish the Heisman Trophy Fund for Youth Development which supports charitable organizations within New York City that use sports to engage underprivileged and special needs youth in educational activities.

The fund seeks to make sports programs that offer educational services widely available to disadvantaged and special needs youth, regardless of their athletic ability. These programs also help young people learn respect, compromise, persistence, teamwork, good sportsmanship, and the pursuit of excellence with integrity. OVer the last few years, the Heisman Trophy Trust has annually donated an average of, $1.5 million to such organizations. These free community programs attract young people who might shy away from academic programs, and offer low-income youngsters the opportunity to engage in sports that might otherwise be beyond their reach.

 

Our Charitable Mission

 

Below is a partial listing of some of the organizations that the Heisman Trophy Trust has been proud to support over the years. For a complete list of Heisman-supported organizations, please click HERE