Since 1973, the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) has disbursed over $95 million in grants and direct support to 1,700 JRF Scholars. With the 2022 opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City, JRF will inspire others to embrace the ideals embodied in the legacy of its heroic namesake.
Why Give?
Diversity Matters
Our country’s economic growth and global competitiveness depend on an educated, diverse, and dynamic populace. When we fail to educate those with talent and abilities, we do a disservice to all of society.
While there is no shortage of talent in communities of color, the graduation rate for African American college students persists at an unacceptably low 40.5%, compared to the overall graduation rate of 65.4%. Since its inception in 1973, Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars have maintained a 98% college graduation rate.
Inequities Exist
JRF’s multifaceted approach addresses the financial need of high-achieving underrepresented and under-resourced college students, providing them with four years of hands-on mentoring, leadership development, and a host of extensive support services designed to ensure academic achievement, self-actualization, and professional success. JRF Scholar alumni contribute to the employment landscape and can be found everywhere—classrooms and courtrooms, laboratories and operating rooms, campaign trails, trading desks and concert halls.
History is an Invaluable Teacher
The Jackie Robinson Museum will serve as a destination for innovative, immersive, and dynamic educational programming for students of all ages. Using Jackie Robinson’s life and accomplishments as a backdrop, the Museum will introduce and elevate the achievements of other African American pioneers of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
Community Spotlight
Juma Sei '22
Portland, Oregon-native Juma Sei attends Yale University where he is majoring in American Studies with a concentration in Politics and American Communities. Juma is a member of Yale’s track and field team and is active in several university clubs and organizations. He is a Peer Liaison with the Afro-American Cultural Center, where he advises and mentors first-year students, and a publicist for the Black Men's Union.
Dr. Biree Andemarium '96
Dr. Andemariam creates vital access to medical care, as the former Chief Medical Officer and current Vice Chair for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Tackling an often-painful disease that affects the shape of blood cells making it difficult to provide blood flow to the body, the Boston native has long advocated for populations who frequently suffer in silence.
BMO Capital Markets
At BMO Capital Markets we recognize the importance of building strong communities in which to live in and work. We support many charitable organizations that work to that end, including hospitals, health care organizations, mentorship programs and scholarship funds.