Capital One Teams Up with The Jackie Robinson Foundation

As an extension of our partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), Capital One is teaming up with the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which administers one of the nation’s premier scholarship and leadership development programs for minority college students. 

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, Capital One is donating $1,000 to the Foundation for each “Capital One Walk-Off” (game-winning play) this year, committing to a minimum total donation of $250,000 for the season.

This commitment comes as part of Capital One’s support of MLB’s mission and vision for community impact as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. It also aligns with the Capital One Impact Initiative, an initial $200 million, multi-year commitment that strives to advance socioeconomic mobility. Launched in October 2020, the Capital One Impact Initiative seeks to create a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to prosper through advocating for an inclusive society, building thriving communities and creating financial tools that enrich lives.

A Look at Jackie Robinson’s Legacy

Jack Roosevelt 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.

The Foundation 

Founded in 1973, the Jackie Robinson Foundation has perpetuated the legacy of this American icon by providing educational opportunities to Black college students across the nation. JRF is now activated through three initiatives: the JRF Scholars Program, JRF IMPACT, and the soon-to-open Jackie Robinson Museum. 

Through the JRF Scholars Program, participants receive financial aid of up to $35,000 and benefit from a comprehensive, four-year program that includes career guidance, internship and permanent job placement, travel abroad and leadership and practical life skills training. The program was designed to embrace the values that define the Robinson legacy.

JRF Scholars are required to perform community service throughout college, as much to enrich their lives as to impact those whom they serve. They’re encouraged to embrace values that reflect the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson: discipline, integrity, humility, compassion and courage.

The Foundation also makes elements of the 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. 

It includes curriculum pillars such as academic excellence, career and professional development, financial empowerment, health and wellness, leadership, service and civic engagement and personal and character development.

Additionally, the Foundation is opening the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City in 2022, which will explore Robinson’s life through artifacts, narrative and state-of-the-art media, as well as serve as a venue for dialogue on critical social issues and innovative educational programming.

“We are so grateful to Capital One for recognizing the importance of our mission and for such generous support,” said Della Briton, President and CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. “We’re excited to be the beneficiaries of an initiative tied to the most exciting play in baseball – the walk-off win – and to be working with a company that is dedicated to supporting the same ideals embodied in the legacy of our namesake.”

A longtime supporter of collegiate athletics, Capital One has sponsored events such as the Capital One Cup program, men’s and women’s NCAA sports, March Madness, the Capital One Orange Bowl and the College Football Championship.

Capital One has also supported students through programs such as First-Gen Focus, dedicated to helping first year, first-generation college students create pathways for a sustainable financial future. Additionally, the Capital One Foundation supported Common App with a grant to provide low-income and first-generation students with free, real-time guidance through an AI chatbot during the college enrollment process, as well as access to one-on-one coaching through the College Advising Corps.

Learn more about how Capital One is supporting students through its education and workforce development programs.