Inspire Change | Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs.com

The National Football League introduced its Inspire Change initiative to showcase how the players, owners and the league work together to create positive change in communities across America. Over that time, more than $44 million in grants has been awarded to social justice organizations through the program while another $250 million has been committed over the next 10 years, in part to combat the issues of systemic racism and social inequality that have been at the center of conversations taking place around the country recently.

Clubs throughout the NFL have found ways to engage their players, coaches and staff under the Inspire Change umbrella in their own communities over that time. In Kansas City, Chiefs players and the organization have worked to uplift several different groups locally. This work has ranged from plotting the future with students from City Year; to hosting "Day of Beauty" events for single mothers looking to get back on the right path from Amethyst Place; to mentoring youth from Lincoln College Prep; to hosting a nutrition seminar with the next generation of urban farmers at Boys Grow; and holding a cookout for area homeless veterans from the Veteran's Community Project who are looking to regain their dignity. This work is a labor that has continued to gain momentum in recent years.

The club recognizes the need to continue advancing efforts in these areas and after extensive consultation with locker room leadership this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Hunt Family Foundation are joining with Chiefs players to address four key social justice areas that were identified as the most important to affecting positive change in our community:

• Voter Registration and Voter Access
• Minority-Owned Small Business Support
• Education

Support for these efforts will come in many forms and may include financial investment, charitable contributions, social media promotion, volunteerism and staff activation.

The club and players have had meetings and conversations with a wide range of experts, community leaders, program directors and charities to narrow the focus in each area. While these programs and charities will be the focus of the organization's efforts moving forward, a number of viable local programs and charities who are not identified here are doing great work to inspire change in the Kansas City community and should be commended for their continued efforts.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NFL's INSPIRE CHANGE INITIATIVE >