In the news: Charity experts praise NFL after Bobby Wagner wins Walter Payton award
For the first time in nearly a decade, the National Football League named a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award winner who did not create his own tax-exempt entity and solely partnered with existing nonprofits.
The selection of Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner, who partnered directly with hospitals to create a fund in honor of his late mom, is being praised by nonprofit experts because his strategy is among the safest, easiest and most efficient ways to give back to the community; the infrastructure is already in place.
Robert Ashcraft, Saguaro Professor of Civic Enterprise at Arizona State University and the Executive Director of the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, praised Wagner and the first group.
“Those award recipients who chose not to create a nonprofit were astute in scanning the landscape and aligning their purpose with organizations already rooted in a community,” Ashcraft said. “This approach reflects a focus on achieving social impact in the most effective and efficient way possible.
“There are occasions when new nonprofits are warranted — specifically when a genuine gap exists and the work cannot be done any other way. In most cases, however, the deeper and more enduring contribution comes from strengthening what is already working, allowing impact to compound through the reputation, brand, and reach of the Walter Payton Man of the Year efforts.”
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