WARMINISTER, PA – March 6, 2023 — Pitch In For Baseball & Softball (PIFBS) and the Tull Family Foundation (TFF), founded by Alba and Thomas Tull, today announced the opening of the 2023 Equipment Grant Program which makes the sport a possibility for disadvantaged youth in the Pittsburgh area. Similar to previous years, the Equipment Grant Program will provide 20 youth organizations with essential baseball and softball equipment necessary to enable their 2023 seasons, allowing athletes the opportunity for safe and enjoyable play on the field.
The Tull Family Foundation Equipment Grant Program is a community initiative open to all baseball and softball leagues and schools that serve disadvantaged youth in the greater Pittsburgh area. Grants will vary based on each program’s needs, with an average allocation of around $2,000 per program. Since the grant program’s inception in 2018, PIFBS and TFF have provided more than 16,000 young athletes with nearly $400,000 in equipment and uniforms necessary to participate in baseball and softball programs.
“The current economic landscape paired with continued supply chain challenges have made it even harder for families to access equipment to participate in baseball and softball.” said Meredith Kim, CEO of PIFBS. “With the generous support from the Tull Family Foundation, we are pleased to be able to offer this unique grant opportunity to ensure all leagues, teams, and organizations in the greater Pittsburgh community can play ball this year. We believe in the power of the game on kids’ development and quality of life, and we are incredibly thankful to the Tulls for their continued support.”
“Sports played an incredibly critical role in my life growing up in a single-parent household,” said Thomas Tull, Co- Founder of the Tull Family Foundation. “They have the power to establish healthy habits, a team mindset, discipline and perseverance in children, and can also provide opportunities for higher education, like they did for me. PIFBS is an incredible organization, providing essential programming in the most needed areas, and Alba and I are honored to continue to partner with them.”
Once all applicants are chosen, representatives from each youth organization will work with PIFBS to identify the greatest equipment needs for their respective organizations. PIFBS and the Tull Family Foundation will then work to ensure these needs are met and the equipment is shipped to the respective organizations.
Program Eligibility:
- Applicants must serve economically disadvantaged children;
- Applicants must be located in one of 26 eligible Pennsylvania counties; and
- An Impact Report must be submitted by July 1,
To read the full application guidelines and to submit an application, please click here. The deadline to submit all grant applications is Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.
About the Tull Family Foundation (TFF)
The Tull Family Foundation (TFF) was founded by Thomas and Alba Tull to support organizations that are devoted to transforming the lives of the people in underserved and underfunded communities. A private foundation, TFF funds the advancement of innovative ideas in education, medical and scientific research, and conservation. Some of the local institutions supported by TFF include: the Carnegie Science Center; Community College of Allegheny County to support their workforce development program; the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to support pediatric research and art therapy programs; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to support Neuro Imaging and Therapeutics; Robert Morris University to support the RMU Century Initiatives and Innovation Fund; the National Little League to fund access to better equipment for teams in underserved areas of Pittsburgh; the Mel Blunt Youth Leadership Initiative; and the Best of the Batch to support their STEAM program.
About Pitch In For Baseball & Softball
Pitch In For Baseball & Softball (PIFBS) is a registered 501(c)(3) not for profit organization that helps give the gift of play and contributes to positive youth development by providing equipment to under-resourced and overlooked children around the world. By removing equipment as a barrier to participation, PIFBS is working to make the game more accessible so that all kids can play ball. Learn more at https://pifbs.org.
Contact
Meredith Kim
CEO, Pitch In For Baseball & Softball
meredith.kim@pifbs.org
267.263.4069