The San Francisco 49ers have announced nine recipients for their social justice grant initiative. The initiative was annoucned following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and compromised of a $1 million commitment to organizations creating societal change. To qualify for a grant, the orgnizations had toe hav a focus in racial equality in policing, ending mass incarceration, or educational and economic advancement for young black people.
The selection process included staff members from the Black Employee Resoruce Group and players. The funds were determined by the Niners representatives of the Players Social Justice Council, led by DL Arik Armstead, OL Ben Garland, DL Dee Ford, DL Solomon Thomas, OL Laken Tomlinson and former CB Jamar Taylor.
The orgnizations chosen were the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, African American Community Services Organization, Californians for Safety and Justice, Dream Corps, Operation Hope, Pico California, SPAAT, The Innocence Project, and The Players Coalition.
“Simply put, if it were not for faithful support from invested partners like the 49ers, the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area would not exist,” said Muhammad A. Nadhiri, Chairman of the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area. “This funding will be essential to the work we do to make a difference in the lives of the young men with whom we work. We look forward to this partnership with the 49ers organization and seeing all it can do to support our community.”
“Thanks to the support of the 49ers, Dream Corps’ programs #cut50 and TECH will work together to unlock opportunity into the tech sector for people who have been locked out of our economy because of a criminal record,” said Nisha Anad, Dream Corps CEO. “While we work all across the country to close prison doors and open doors of opportunity, we are honored to partner with the 49ers right here in our backyard to combat racial injustice in all its forms.”
This past offseason, 49ers players started the Subject to Change, with the first two episodes focusing on race and police brutality, voter education, and steps to take in the Bay Area for progressive change. In 2016, Jed York matched former QB Colin Kaepernick’s million-dollar donation to improve racial and economic inequality and foster communication and collaboration between law enforcement and the communities they serve in the Bay Area.
“More than ever, actionable items and plans are of vital importance, so we are honored to support these nonprofits who are doing grassroots work in these crucial spaces. We are committed to creating real and lasting change throughout our community and country” said CEO Jed York. “We’re so proud of our players and staff for the way they’ve responded and come together to influence change in tangible ways.”