How the Arizona Coyotes Foundation Funds Education, Health and Economic Development

When many people think of hockey in America, teams like the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks might come to mind. However, Arizona has its own hockey following thanks to the Arizona Coyotes, a team founded in 1972 that took its current name starting in the 2014-2015 season. This team is also among the most charitable teams in the National Hockey League and is engaged with philanthropy through the Arizona Coyotes Foundation (ACF) and Coyotes Care programs.

Here's a look at what the Arizona Coyotes Foundation funds and how nonprofits throughout the state can approach it for support.

Three core priorities

The Arizona Coyotes Foundation prioritizes three issue areas. One is education: the foundation focuses its education-related giving on closing gaps and providing grants to nonprofits that support underserved communities, especially students of color, veterans and nontraditional students.

Health is another funding issue for ACF, and the foundation team operates on the belief that healthy people mean healthy communities. The foundation supports programs and organizations that promote better access to health resources for underserved and underinsured people.

ACF’s third issue area is economic advancement, and it relates personal economic security to the health and wellbeing of whole communities in Arizona. ACF funds groups and projects that promote access to financial resources and encourage people of color, people who are underemployed, and other underrepresented groups to participate in economic development efforts.

Other activities

In addition to ACF’s grantmaking, the foundation is involved with local charities in other ways. For example, there are auctions held throughout the season and during home games to raise money by selling player memorabilia, jerseys, ornaments and wall décor. Proceeds from the auctions benefit the foundation and facilitate its giving. The foundation hosts 50/50 raffles online and during the team’s games, and the team splits the proceeds between the foundation and a designated nonprofit for the night. ACF also sponsors volunteer events throughout the season to benefit charities and participates in round-table discussions.

Community requests for funding

Fortunately for Arizona grantseekers, ACF is an accessible funder with an annual grant cycle and a straightforward application process. The grant application period is typically open in July and August, and the funder announces new awards each October.

The minimum grant award from ACF is $10,000 and the maximum award is $30,000. Grantees must be established for at least three years and serve the people of Arizona to be eligible for funding. The application process is conducted online, starting with an eligibility quiz. Grantseekers can view a list of past grantees here to get a sense of the types of organizations that catch this funder’s attention.

Learn more about Arizona philanthropy and the funders giving throughout the state in IP’s Arizona grantmaking guide.

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