Continuing Support of the Jackie Robinson Foundation

Capital One is continuing its partnership with the Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) for a second year in a row.

Founded in 1973, the JRF seeks to carry on the legacy of Jackie Robinson’s civic engagement and commitment to social justice and equal opportunity.

Throughout the 2023 season, Capital One will donate $1,000 to the JRF for each “Capital One Walk-Off” (game-winning hit) this year — committing to a minimum total donation of $250,000 for the season.

This donation will support the Foundation’s initiatives including its JRF Scholars program, which provides scholarship and leadership development opportunities to students as they pursue higher education.

“We are so thrilled to be a part of this exciting initiative and grateful to Capital One for their continued generous support of our mission,” says Della Britton, President and CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. “Last year’s Capital One Walk Off was a home run, and we look forward to another season of working with a company that is dedicated to supporting the same values we espouse both to our scholarship recipients and to visitors of the Jackie Robinson Museum.” 

Robinson’s Legacy

Robinson was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black person to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era.

On April 15, 1947, Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field for his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers. At the end of his explosive nine years on the Dodgers, he boasted a .311 batting average, 137 home runs, 734 runs batted in and 197 stolen bases. In 1955, he helped the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees to win their first World Series Championship. Robinson took home the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, the Most Valuable Player Award in 1949 and in 1962 became the first Black player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Providing Education, Career and Leadership Development Opportunities for Students of Color

Founded in 1973 by Rachel Robinson, the JRF Scholars program is distinctive for the depth of its mentoring curriculum, which cultivates self-actualization and community engagement among JRF Scholars, who consistently achieve a nearly 100 percent graduation rate.

There are 233 JRF Scholars participating in the program throughout the current academic year. These students hail from 34 states and are enrolled at 111 colleges and universities across the United States.

JRF Scholars attend the New Scholar Orientation at the University of Texas at Dallas | Courtesy of the Jackie Robinson Foundation

The Foundation also makes elements of its 42 Strategies for Success curriculum available to a broader group of students through JRF IMPACT — an online community for Black college students across the country to connect and share experiences, access college advice and find free resources to support academic and personal goals on campus and beyond. 

The JRF also makes elements of the JRF Scholars Program available to a broader group of students through JRF IMPACT — an online community for Black college students across the country to connect and share experiences, access college advice and find free resources to support academic and personal goals on campus and beyond. JRF IMPACT seeks to scale key elements of JRF’s 49-year-old college Mentoring and Leadership Development Program, as well as comprehensive program services delivered through a mentoring curriculum dubbed “42 Strategies for Success in College”.

The public launch of JRF IMPACT took place during the 2021-22 academic year, and supported over 4,300 rising college freshmen. 

The Jackie Robinson Museum

Opened in July 2022, the Jackie Robinson Museum  is a fixed tribute to Jackie Robinson  which enhances the Foundations’ mission to promote higher education and serves to educate, inspire and challenge the public around the values and aspirations that Robinson embodied. 

Exhibitions chronicle Robinson’s achievements on and off the playing field against the backdrop of U.S. history. They invoke his role as a champion for racial, social and economic equality, and focus on critical issues that continue to challenge our society today. 

The Museum was formally opened to the public in September 2022 and has welcomed thousands of visitors through its doors, including a multitude of school groups from the New York metropolitan area through the Jackie’s Legacy, Your Leadership field trip program. Capital One cardholders enjoy the benefit of discounted admission to visit.

Capital One Enters Second Season as MLB’s Official Bank and Credit Card Partner

Capital One’s support to the JRF comes as part of its larger commitment to MLB’s efforts to drive community impact, philanthropy and positive contributions both on and off the field.

In 2022, Capital One presented MLB’s annual Roberto Clemente Day and baseball’s most prestigious individual honor, the Roberto Clemente Award, which celebrates the humanitarian legacy of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.

Capital One’s support for the community comes to life through the Impact Initiative, a multi-year commitment that strives to advance socioeconomic mobility by closing gaps in equity and opportunity. 

Update: Capital One has extended its support to the JRF into the 2024 season. Read more here.