Organization Positions Itself for the Future and Doubles Down on Investments
WASHINGTON, DC – November 10, 2020
Fight For Children, a pillar in the DC philanthropic community for more than 30 years, today announced a major financial commitment and a renewed focus on harnessing the power of sports for social change.
“As Trustee of the Joseph E. Robert Jr. Charitable Trust, I am today committing to fund 100% of the general and administrative expenses of Fight For Children for at least the next 5 years,” said David Fensterheim, Chairman of the Board, Fight For Children. “The legacy of our founder, Joe Robert Jr., lives on through the tremendous impact that Fight For Children has had, and will continue to have, on this community. This will ensure that every single dollar raised from others will directly benefit the amazing programs, services and grants that Fight For Children provides for the benefit of underserved kids in the Washington D.C. area. I hope this pledge will inspire other philanthropically minded individuals and organizations to support Fight For Children’s transformational work in this community,” Fensterheim added.
Last November, after 30 years and more than $70 million raised, Fight For Children retired its legendary fundraising gala at Fight Night – The Final Round. At the time, Fight For Children told its supporters to stay tuned for announcements of future plans; today, the organization announced that it is stepping back into the ring with three major initiatives:
The Fight For Children Institute: With a commitment of at least $5 million over the next five years, Fight For Children has created the DMV’s first and only youth sports collaborative that provides responsive grants and robust capacity building services to sports-based youth development nonprofits. The 17 nonprofits currently under The Fight For Children Institute’s umbrella provide out-of-school programming across 13 different sports, and collectively serve 20,000 children and youth throughout the DMV. “We are excited to bring together these organizations to help them deliver their best work, which is clearly impacting some of our most vulnerable young people at a time when they need it most,” said Dr. James Kallusky, Chief Program Officer of Fight For Children. “This type of collaborative that focuses on using the power of sport for good is one of only a handful that exist in the US, and we’re very fortunate to have Fight For Children pioneer this important work in our nation’s capital and surrounding areas.”
The Fight For Children Sports Medicine Center at Children’s National: Established with a lead gift of $5 million from Fight For Children, the Center will be the region’s first and only facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of youth athletes. Expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2021, the Center will provide world class clinical care and rehabilitation services for sports-related injuries, injury prevention programs, a state-of-the-art motion analysis and performance lab, research on youth sports-related medical care, and a home for education and community outreach activities. The Center is expected to provide services for over 5,000 children annually. Kurt Newman, M.D., President and CEO of Children’s National Hospital, said, “this world-class pediatric sports medicine facility will elevate our care for young athletes and help them pursue their dreams. We are deeply grateful to Fight For Children for their support to establish this center and for our longstanding partnership, which has greatly benefited our community.”
Fight For Children’s New Annual Fundraising Event: From the producers of Fight Night comes a new, one-of-a-kind event that, post-pandemic, will be a successor to the iconic Fight Night. While the name of this new event and additional details won’t be released until sometime after the New Year, it will be a must-see, inspiring celebration of the power of sports for social change. “Fight Night attendees know our reputation for creating unique and memorable experiences. I’m confident this new event will befit our reputation,” said Keith Gordon, President and CEO of Fight For Children.
“Now more than ever, it’s critical to maximize resources and invest in high-impact strategies. With a planned investment of more than $10 million in these initiatives, we expect to stabilize and strengthen local youth-serving nonprofits, invest in the physical and mental health of children and leverage the power of sports to achieve meaningful social impact,” added Gordon.
More details on the work of Fight For Children is showcased on www.fightforchildren.org.
About Fight For Children
Fight For Children has been a pillar in the DC philanthropic community more than 30 years. Founded in 1990 by the late Joseph E. Robert Jr. with the mission of improving the lives of at-risk children in the nation’s capital, Fight For Children has rallied leaders in business, education, government, and philanthropy to achieve significant improvements in healthcare, education, and policy reform. Through a combination of grant-making, direct service programming, and capacity-building, Fight For Children has impacted the lives of more than 400,000 children and youth in the DMV. The fight continues today with a mission to help individuals, organizations, and communities in the DMV harness the transformational power of sports for social change.
For more information, please visit www.fightforchildren.org.
