LA Dodgers Give out $1 Million in Grants

• Author: Jeffrey Simmons
• Posted: 2024-01-25

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of California's most beloved sporting franchises since moving to California from Brooklyn, New York many decades ago. Of course, the Dodgers are a franchise with Major League Baseball (MLB) and are actually one of five total MLB franchises the state has in total. However, LA, unlike many other areas in the state, is very much suffering from the pandemic in ways that other counties and cities cannot imagine. So, the Dodgers announced on Thursday, September 3, that they would be rewarding just north of $1 million to local organizations who are involved in the fight to keep Covid-19 at bay.

This donation comes from the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, or LADF Gives, and the organization actually creates thousands of dollars in grants every single year to give to struggling businesses, needy families, and worthy causes. Though with the virus pandemic wreaking so much havoc, the LADF decided that this year they should give more money to help more people. The truly newsworthy thing about any MLB organization donating is that they're also dealing with unprecedented revenue loss. Since no fans are allowed in their stadiums, the only way MLB is making money is through TV contracts, which means that many of the league's teams will ultimately operate at a large loss for the season, once players' contracts are factored in.

The LADF has been planning this for a few months. Earlier in the year, they released a "Covid-19 grantee needs assessment" report which studied a variety of nonprofit organizations in the area dedicated to fighting the virus. A large portion of this grant money is going toward helping the homeless population around Los Angeles county, who number in the thousands. All told, 61% of this funding will be going toward helping the homeless by ensuring that organizations in a position to fight against the issue have increased funding for shelters, meals and medical care. It's very important that the homeless be looked after, as most of them are unable to shelter in place and thus are at a way higher risk of catching the virus.

Not only are the homeless more at risk of catching the virus, but a lot of them also have preexisting conditions, which means they're more likely to suffer severe symptoms and potentially die due to complications with underlying conditions.

However, the LADF have taken it upon themselves, like many other large organizations and corporations, to also act politically in these times. After the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in a viral video that will forever live on in infamy, tens of thousands of people have been protesting, along with some who have rioted and looted and blocked traffic and burned down businesses. Though, to be fair, the bulk of people out there on the streets are peaceful protesters, who want to make clear that they believe America is a nation that suffers from systemic racial injustice, and so the LADF is using the remaining funds to give to organizations who are aiming to fight systemic racism.

Stipulations Based on the Political Climate

Critics of these sorts of political donations cite something that is a fairly frightening fact: For around five decades now, organizations set up to fight systemic racism have been raking in billions upon billions of dollars, making millionaires out of those who head these organizations, yet with all the work they have supposedly done, they claim that the problems are worse today than they have ever been. Organizations like Black Lives Matter openly say that America today is more racist then during the height of slavery and Jim Crow. Many similar organizations claim that they're owed money. And, to date, every single one of these organizations has a losing record against that which they claim to be fighting.

The point is that critics see this as a money grab. According to an anonymous source who blasted the Dodgers for feeding money into the Black Lives Matter piggy-bank, "If you went to a doctor for medicine but just kept getting sicker and sicker every time you saw him, would you keep seeing this doctor or would you understand that he's the one causing your problems so you keep coming back?"

Regardless of where one stands politically, organizations like the LADF are going to continue contributing grants to these sorts of organizations. Hopefully they look out for others in the meantime.