Please head to the official Black Play-by-Play Grant and Scholarship Fund Website by clicking HERE
BLACK Play-by-play BROADCASTER GRANT & Scholarship fund
The Cause
AUGUST 18, 2020 — Donations and pledges are now at $25,000, with conversations continuing with companies who are interested in partnering with the nonprofit. The 501(c)3 status of the organization is pending, but the paperwork was received and payment was processed July 20. At the top of this page the logo and branding concept for the nonprofit was completed by Minor League Baseball’s Creative department.
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JULY 19, 2020 — Fundraising and pledges have far surpassed the initial goal of $3,000 and have now totaled in excess of $20,000 from over 200 donors toward the grant and scholarship program.
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JUNE 11, 2020 — After just 72 hours, fundraising has now eclipsed $15,000. There will be a plan in place to distribute the donations in the form of scholarships to current black undergraduates who are pursuing play-by-play.
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JUNE 8, 2020 — The time is now to help begin change in the play-by-play broadcasting industry — and I am not alone in this thought. Since Monday, over 40 baseball broadcasters from all over the country and from all levels of Minor League Baseball and the MLB have expressed an equal desire to be part of a project which creates a program like this.
Simply put, there are not enough black voices in play-by-play broadcasting.
Baseball broadcasting jobs are traditionally low-paid, with broadcasters regularly offered work for $1,000/month and no benefits or housing for the seasonal six-month period they are with the team. The goal is to establish one $3,000 grant- The Black Play-by-Play Broadcaster Grant- for the upcoming 2021 season, reflecting a $500/month stipend from mid-March through mid-September that would make life easier for someone looking to break into the industry.
This grant is not exclusively intended for a black broadcaster in dire need of money. As much as a lack of pay can be prohibitive for many people of a certain background to enter the field, this grant is also a gesture from the industry saying it wants to welcome more diversity with open arms and wants to help lift up an underrepresented group. There are already countless barriers-to-entry when looking to land a job in play-by-play right out of college -- feeling like you're not a welcome part of the majority-white broadcast community should not be on that list.
With your support, the goal is to raise enough money to sustain a $3,000 grant each year for a black broadcaster who accepts a job in Minor League Baseball. Should this effort be fortunate enough to surpass that goal, the next step would be to provide scholarship money for black undergraduates who are pursuing play-by-play broadcasting.
On behalf of the baseball broadcast community, we thank you for your interest in supporting the cause.
HOW TO DONATE
There are lots of groups that use GoFundMe as a primary source of raising money, and I have that option available here. However, we hope you’ll choose to donate directly through a Venmo, PayPal, Cash App or personal check so that none of the money intended for this grant get taken by a third party. On GoFundMe, a $30.00 donation turns into a $28.83 donation after fees. If you opt to donate any of the other four ways, 100% of the donation will be money that directly finds itself in the hands of a deserving aspiring broadcaster.
VENMO: @Adam-Giardino
PAYPAL: AdamGiardino
CASH APP: $AdamGiardino
PERSONAL CHECK: Adam Giardino
160 Fremont St. - Unit 235
Worcester, MA 01603
GOFUNDME: Black PxP Broadcast Grant
Should you choose to donate in any of these forms, please include your e-mail address as a note and I’ll be sure to immediately write back to confirm that your donation was received. By providing an e-mail address, this will also allow for the organization to send out documentation for tax deduction purposes at the end of the year. If paying by check, please make the check out to Adam Giardino and write “Black Play-by-Play Broadcaster Grant” in the memo.
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Lift ev’ry voice and sing | ‘Til earth and heaven ring | Ring with the harmonies of Liberty
“The Black National Anthem” (1899)
-James Weldon Johnson