Lightning Community Hero Nonprofit Grant

The Lightning Community Hero program honors grassroots heroes making a positive impact in the Tampa Bay community. Established in 2011, it has awarded $50,000 grants to selected heroes, benefiting various charities. With 634 heroes celebrated and over $34M distributed, the program inspires community involvement and showcases the diverse contributions of individuals. Nominations are open to those aged 13 and older, encouraging participation in making a difference through volunteerism and philanthropy.

Honoring Heroes and a Commitment to Community
The Lightning Community Hero program celebrates grassroots heroes whose noble efforts make a positive impact in our community. Since the launch of the Community Hero program in 2011, it has been our honor to tell the stories of each awardee’s rich history of volunteerism and good works via an in-game video that illustrates how the Hero is using his or her life to help others less fortunate, followed by the Foundation presenting the Hero with a $50,000 grant designated to the charities of their choice. The goal of the Community Hero program is not only to tell the stories of these incredible individuals, but also inspire our fans and those in attendance at our games to get involved and give back to the community.
The Community Hero program has become a beloved part of our game presentation and philanthropic programming, and is a celebration of the diversity of all that is good and great about Tampa Bay. Through fourteen seasons of the program, we have celebrated 634 Heroes and distributed $34.07M in 1214 donations to 709 unique non-profits throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration, each nomination must meet the following minimum criteria:Nominator must be at least 13 years old.All nominations must be submitted online at tampabaylightning.com/heroes.A nominator may only nominate one Hero throughout the season. If a nominator submits multiple nominations, only the first submission will be considered.Nominator must provide the contact information, including email address and telephone number for the nominated Hero.Nominator must live in one of the following seven Florida counties: Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, or Sarasota.Nominator must submit nomination in either English or Spanish.Nominator will be required to complete a publicity release, should his or her Hero be selected as a Lightning Community Hero.Hero eligibility criteria:A Hero may be nominated several times by multiple people, but please remember quality over quantity. To be eligible for selection as a Lightning Community Hero, a nominated Hero must meet the following minimum criteria:Must live in one of the following seven Florida counties: Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, or SarasotaMust complete a publicity release as a condition to selection.Must submit the required information regarding the organization to which he or she would like the funds to be awarded.Organization criteria:To be eligible for selection as a designated organization to receive an award of $50,000, the organization must meet the following minimum criteria:501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with solid local operations, highly regarded organizational and board leadership, and in good financial standing.Headquartered and providing services within the following Florida counties: Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, or Sarasota. A local chapter of a national organization headquartered within such counties will be eligible.Be representative of the cause for which the Lightning Community Hero was nominated (but not necessarily an employee of the organization).Have a track record of quality service delivery and demonstrated resultsDemonstrated fiscal responsibility and long term sustainability of programsBe willing to enter into a contract with the Lightning Foundation agreeing that (i) the organization will use the awarded funds as mutually agreed upon, (ii) the Lightning Foundation will have the right to verify that the awarded funds were so used, (iii) the organization will return any part of the awarded funds that were not so used within 12 months after the initial disbursement of the awarded funds, and (iv) it will assist the Lightning Foundation to do a follow-up story/vignette on how the funds impacted the organization for publication or promotion.General Rules:To be eligible for selection as a designated organization to receive an award of $50,000, the organization must meet the following minimum criteria:All nominations become the property of the Lightning Foundation and will not be returned.The Lightning Foundation reserves the right to use and edit the nomination in its sole discretion for use in publications or promotion.Nominated Heroes may be contacted to provide additional information and have their information verified.Submissions will be judged from among all eligible nominations received.If more than one nomination is received for a particular Hero nominee, the Lightning Foundation in its sole discretion may designate one of the nominators as the nominator to be recognized at the game presentation for the nominated Lightning Community Hero.