From the World Cup stage to Olympic competition to neighborhood fields, courts, and boathouses, sports create belonging, build confidence, open doors, strengthen communities, and teach us what it means to show up for one another.
I saw this with my own kids. Our Make It Better partners and Philanthropy Award winners have long proven this. So did my own late-in-life sport — Masters Crew. In a year packed with Olympics inspiration and World Cup excitement, we’re celebrating the most impactful nonprofits making sports more accessible for all.
We hope these stories spark memories of the coaches, teammates, and organizations that shaped your own life. We’d love to hear your sports stories and learn about the nonprofits using sports and fitness to strengthen your community. Share them by submitting a You Said It, and together we can help raise awareness and funding for the organizations making a difference.
Chicago Fire Foundation
“It makes me so happy to see them happy…a lot of our students are not being loved at home… And when I see their day is complete, my day is complete … It’s like a safe haven over here for them.”
For nearly three decades, the Chicago Fire Foundation, a Make It Better Foundation 2021 Philanthropy Award Winner, has used soccer as a vehicle to connect underserved young people with mentorship, opportunity, and life-changing experiences across Chicagoland. Learn more by watching our virtual discussion about the importance of Chicago Fire Foundation’s mission and donate to support it.
Girls in the Game
“You can’t be it if you can’t see it,”
Girls in the Game helps girls discover strength and build confidence through sports and leadership programs.
Read about the Girls in the Game Leader-to-Leader Interview Program, which pairs teen girls with professionals across Chicago to learn about career paths, build confidence, and practice leadership in a professional setting.
Roc E6 Lacrosse
“What becomes possible when young people are given a place where they belong and the chance to imagine new possibilities for themselves?”
Roc E6 Lacrosse is a volunteer-driven nonprofit providing free, year-round lacrosse, mentorship, and life development programming for youth in Rochester, New York. Read how the program illustrates what the best youth sports programs have in common and why those lessons matter everywhere.
Chicago Sky Foundation
“The Chicago Sky is more than a sports team; it’s a solid staple in the betterment of the communities of Chicago.”
The Chicago Sky Foundation empowers communities by advancing women’s leadership, investing in youth education and development, and promoting health and wellness.
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation
“If you’re going to ask athletes to be a role model, you can’t then be upset when they’re role models. You can’t be upset when they speak out for what they feel is right.” — Soccer star Megan Rapinoe
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation helps Team USA athletes thrive on and off the field by funding critical training, mental health, wellness, and recovery resources, ensuring they have the support they need to compete at their highest level. Support Team USA athletes by donating to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, which relies on public generosity, not federal funding, to help athletes pursue excellence in sport and life.
Hear from four-time Olympian Kara Winger and experts from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation in this Make It Better Foundation virtual event.
Surfing for Good
“The Fast Times stereotype, aka a stoner-dropout, has been replaced with a new much broader definition of ‘surfer.’ … The attitude has changed from exclusion to inclusion, stewardship for the earth and living a healthy life.”
Surfing offers far more than the thrill of catching a wave. It builds physical fitness, mental resilience, lifelong friendships, and a deep commitment to protecting the waters that make the sport possible. Support organizations like the Surfrider Foundation and SeaLegacy that protect our beaches, waterways, and coastlines, fostering a healthier, more sustainable future for surfing and other water sports.
Chicago Rowing Foundation
“This is about more than racing. They’ve built something together, something defined by resilience, discipline, and a shared commitment to excellence. They’ve earned this moment.”
Chicago Rowing Foundation works to make rowing accessible to young people across Chicago. Read about how the Chicago Rowing Foundation’s historic trip to the Henley Royal Regatta reflects the power of youth sports to build confidence, leadership, and life-changing opportunities.
Crushers Club
“The juvenile justice system took notice when they realized that 85 percent of the youth in their system who found their way to Crushers Club did not reoffend.”
Crushers Club, a 2014 Make It Better Foundation Philanthropy Award winner, started as a boxing club and now provides at-risk boys and young men with the tools to restore their lives and improve their neighborhood.
Recovery on Water
“I had to do whatever I could to stay healthy and stay alive for my daughter’s sake as much as for my own.”
Recovery on Water offers year-round rowing and fitness programs that empower breast cancer patients and survivors.
Urban Initiatives
“We’re putting kids on an empowering trajectory, giving them a chance to start off right in school, despite the trauma they face daily.”
Urban Initiatives uses uses soccer to help Chicago students build the teamwork, confidence, leadership, and academic habits they need to succeed in school and beyond. Support Urban Initiatives by donating or volunteering to help expand sports-based youth development programs that give children the opportunity to thrive on the field, in the classroom, and in their communities.
Susan B. Noyes, founder of the Make It Better Foundation, which publishes Better magazine, is a mom, writer, strategist, philanthropist, and civic activist. She has served on numerous boards, including the American Red Cross, Chicago Public Education Fund, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Joffrey Ballet, Poetry Foundation, Rush Neurobehavioral Center for Children, New Trier High School District, and her beloved Kenilworth Union Church. Her work is driven by her commitment to helping people live, love, work, play, and give with greater purpose and joy.
