The Rays Baseball Foundation Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in St. Petersburg, Florida, affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays baseball organization. Established in 2005 and tax-exempt since May 2006, the foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of community members through youth development, education, and community support initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.8M
-1.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.9M
-13.5% YoY
Grant Count
65
+8.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$29K
-20.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Rays Baseball Foundation, which includes the Rowdies Soccer Fund, is dedicated to improving the lives of those in need within the community, focusing primarily on education, youth development, wellness, and social responsibility.
The foundation operates through several key program areas:
Community Grants: Provides more than $1,200,000 annually to local nonprofits in the Tampa Bay region through various grant programs to support their missions and community impact.
Scholarships: Awards scholarships through nonprofit partners for students in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
Rays Jersey Program: Since 2014, has outfitted more than 105,000 Tampa Bay area tee-ball players and coaches with jerseys and caps across more than 80 different leagues in nine area counties, saving participating leagues more than one million dollars in equipment costs.
Disaster Relief: Committed $1 million to hurricane relief efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, collaborating with community partners and nonprofit organizations.
Employee Community Outreach: Staff volunteer programs and community engagement initiatives.
In-Kind Donation Program: Provides equipment and resources to community organizations.
Reading with the Rays: Educational literacy programming.
Be Water Smart from the Start: Water safety and education initiative.
Rays Wives: Programming involving players' spouses in community work.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis for most grant opportunities.
Grant Range
$5,500 to $500,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in the Tampa Bay region, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, and Sarasota counties in Florida. Grant-making also extends to California and New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $2,802,158
- Total revenues: $2,707,432
- Total expenses: $3,107,778
- Total liabilities: $266,000
Historical Assets (2023):
- Total assets: $2,840,000
- Revenue: $3,160,000
- Expenses: $3,170,000
Staffing: The organization reports zero employees on tax filings.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,802,158 | $2,837,065 | $2,799,147 |
| Revenue | $2,707,432 | $3,156,321 | $1,835,399 |
| Expenses | $3,107,778 | $3,171,537 | $1,656,118 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $61,272 | $213,103 | $20,902 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
245 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Rays Baseball Foundation Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
John Higgins serves as Principal Officer. Jenn Tran is identified as the team's Chief People Officer.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN HIGGINS | CHAIRMAN/SECRETARY/TREASURER | 0.25 | — |
| JENNIFER TRAN | PRESIDENT | 0.25 | — |
| BILL WIENER | PRESIDENT (TERM END 1/11/2024) | 0.25 | — |
| BRIAN AULD | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| JEANE DRURY | DIRECTOR (TERM START 1/11/2024) | 0.25 | — |
| GARY GOLDRING | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| ANTHONY RIOLES | DIRECTOR (TERM START 1/11/2024) | 0.25 | — |
| MATTHEW SILVERMAN | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| STEPHEN THOMAS | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation committed $1 million to hurricane relief efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, working with community partners and nonprofit organizations.
Community Fund Grant recipients on Rays Foundation | 05/26/2024 | MLB.comNearly 40 Tampa Bay Rays staff members volunteered at Feeding Tampa Bay's Causeway Center and The Bistro in November, serving over 500 people Thanksgiving dinners and hot meals. The Rays became the first organization to sponsor a "full takeover" of the food bank, market, and restaurant.
Sing Out and READ Receives Tampa Bay Rays Racial Equity Grant \u2014 Sing\The 2025 Jackie Robinson Grant Program applications were announced, with recipients and details for Jackie Robinson Day previously announced.
Press release: Rays announce application details for 2025 Jackie RobinsonSing Out and READ received a Tampa Bay Rays Racial Equity Grant in 2024.
Sing Out and READ Receives Tampa Bay Rays Racial Equity Grant \u2014 Sing\Community Fund Grant recipients were announced in May 2024.
Press release: Rays announce Jackie Robinson Grant recipients and detailsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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