What LIDS Foundation does

Lids Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable foundation established in 2019 as the corporate philanthropy arm of Lids Sports Group, headquartered at 7676 Interactive Way, Suite 300, Indianapolis, Indiana. The foundation raises money through fundraisers organized by Lids teammates and through in-store donations (notably a Round-Up program) collected across the Lids retail store network in the United States and Canada. It then distributes those funds and in-kind donations — hats, clothing, shoes, sports equipment, and event sponsorships — to a broad portfolio of 501(c)(3) partner charities, sports organizations, hospitals, and community programs.

The foundation's programming spans seven focus areas: youth sports access (equipment donations, scholarships, playground builds, basketball court refurbishments), education (school supplies, library restocking, teacher support), pediatric and cancer patient support (Hope for Henry, Sibley Memorial, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital), military family assistance (Our Military Kids), environmental initiatives (Seas of Trees sapling planting), food security (Million Meal Movement, Gleaners, Family Promise), and adaptive/inclusive programs for people with disabilities (Kaboom!, ADA Dance Abilities, Blind Hockey). Delivery is event-driven rather than product-driven, with recurring flagship programs (Summer Series, Winter Series, Teacher Appreciation, golf outings, Baskets of Hope) often co-hosted with professional sports teams including the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, LA Dodgers, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Washington Mystics.

Since 2019 the foundation has donated over $7 million, distributed 400,000+ hats and clothing items, funded 3,543 sports scholarships, planted 3,000 trees, served 50,000 meals, and built or refurbished seven play facilities. Governance rests with a Board of Directors chaired by Tom Ripley (Chairman, LIDS Sports Group) and Lawrence Berger (Chairman, Fanzzlids), with Alan Noskow (Paul Hastings LLP) and operating leaders Sarah Lim (Executive Director) and Brooke Nates (Program Director). The foundation operates without disclosed revenue, headcount, or financial statements beyond publicly posted annual impact reports.

Name

LIDS Foundation

Legal name

Lids Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://lidsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Lids Foundation is a 2019-established 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of Lids Sports Group that raises funds via Lids retail store donations and Round-Up programs to distribute grants, in-kind donations, and event sponsorships to U.S. and Canadian charitable partners focused on youth sports, education, pediatric healthcare, military families, and community needs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Charitable Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation services
• Community grant funding
• Corporate philanthropic programs
• Youth sports support
• Nonprofit partnership giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LIDS Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises money through Lids store fundraisers, in-store round-up donations, and corporate sponsorships, then distributes financial grants, in-kind donations (hats, clothing, shoes, sports equipment, school supplies, books, food), and volunteer support to qualified 501(c)(3) charities and direct community programs across the United States and Canada. Its charitable focus spans youth sports access, education, food insecurity, environmental initiatives, pediatric and cancer patient support, military families, people with disabilities, and families in need.

Product overview

LIDS Foundation is a charitable foundation (501(c)(3) nonprofit) that does not offer technology products or services. It raises money through fundraisers and in-store donations to directly support local communities and charitable organizations. The foundation's charitable programs focus on empowering play (playground builds, sports scholarships, equipment donations), clothing and essentials (hats, clothing, shoes donations), environmental initiatives (tree planting), supporting students (school supplies, books, backpacks), and creating joyful experiences (family adventures, hospital programs). Since this is not a technology company, there are no software products, modules, APIs, or technical offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Round-Up In-Store Donation Program An in-store donation program at Lids retail locations where customers can round up their purchases to donate the change to the LIDS Foundation. Raised over $1 million in 2025 (a record year) and over $100,000 for The Arc in August 2025 (a record month).

Quantifiable outcome

• $7 million+ donated since 2019
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

44 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Family Promise of Greater IndianapolissecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Second-year partnership fully funding food cost for Family Assistance Fund for families in apartment shelter program for one full year.
• ADA Dance AbilitiessecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership sponsoring Dance Abilities Summer Camps at Academy of Dance Arts. Adaptive, inclusive dance program for people with developmental or intellectual disabilities.
• Hoops in the SunsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership supporting Summer Summit Program providing health and fitness workout initiative and mentorship for kids ages 5-18 on weekends June through September.
• Opportunity EnterprisessecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership supporting Camp Lakeside Program, an integrated summer camp where kids with and without disabilities develop social skills together.
• Bender JCC of Greater WashingtonsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Lessans Camp Inclusion Program providing funding for scholarships for those unable to afford camp costs. Program brings together campers with disabilities with friends, siblings, and counselors.
• St. Louis Blues Blind Hockey ClubsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Second-year partnership providing funding for ice time and equipment. Organization provides blind or visually impaired youth and adults opportunity to participate in Blind Hockey.
• Girls on the Run of Central IndianasecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Second-year partnership inspiring individuals to discover, build, and grow self-confidence. Season concludes with Community Impact Project and 5K run.
• Covenant HousesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership for holiday shopping experiences for young people experiencing homelessness in NYC. Treated youth to brand new apparel, sneakers, and accessories.
• Chicago White SoxsecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Summer Series partnership hosting families with shopping sprees at Lids stores and game experiences at Guaranteed Rate Field.
• Cincinnati RedssecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Summer Series partnership hosting families with shopping sprees and game experiences at Great American Ball Park. Partnered with The Arc for special events.
• Los Angeles DodgerssecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Summer Series partnership hosting families at Dodger Stadium for shopping experiences and game day activities as World Series Champions partnership.
• Detroit Lions (Derrick Barnes)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Winter Series partnership with Lions player for shoe donations inspiring students with words of perseverance and hope.
• Joe DiMaggio Children's HospitalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Just Baseball for gift bag distribution to pediatric patients with hats, bobbleheads, and trading cards with Jeff Conine and Griffin Conine.
• Good Sports (Restore Play LA Fund)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Matched portion of in-store purchases at Lids HD LA Store to donate to Restore Play LA Fund providing sports equipment to LA area youth impacted by wildfires.
• The ArccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024August partnership promoting The Arc in Lids Stores with all Round Up dollars directed to The Arc of the United States. Raised over $60,000 (2024) and over $100,000 (2025), making it a record of funds raised in the month. Partnership includes awareness promotion and fundraising through retail network.
• Hope for HenrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024$100,000 donation to fund expansion of Hope for Henry's Super Rewards for Super Kids program to minimum of five new hospitals. The program applies behavioral economics principles to incentivize children to adhere to critical medical procedures. Over 90% of hospital staff report robust evidence the program works.
• Our Military KidscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024$60,000 in grant funding providing 211 extracurricular activity grants for military children of deployed National Guard/Reserve or post-9/11 combat wounded/ill/injured service members. 13-year partnership with over $1 million cumulatively donated, funding 3,300 activity grants.
• Seas of TreescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Third-year partnership helping purchase 2,000 saplings for Telluride, CO Demonstration Solar Forest planting project. In 2025, funded Wilson Mesa Project with 1,000 trees to restore ecosystem affected by elk browsing, climate change, and development pressures.
• Kaboom!coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Third-year partnership supporting Unlocking Possibilities Fund to build kid-designed play spaces. Partnership helps close funding gaps to give communities their dream play spaces, ending play space equity.
• Shoes That FitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to tackle visible signs of poverty by giving children in need new athletic shoes. Winter Series events provided shoes to over 1,500 kids (2024) and 2,500 kids (2025) across multiple cities with brand new shoes and hats.
• Good SportssecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership driving equitable access in youth sports by providing equipment, apparel, and footwear to children in high-need communities. Provided around 3,000 children with sports equipment in 2024; targeting 4,500 children in 2025.
• Million Meal MovementsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Meal packing events at DSM Conference where Lids teammates packed 30,000 meals for Hungry Hoosiers. Also partnered for Million Meal Marathon events with over 1,100 volunteers packing enough meals to fill Gainbridge Fieldhouse over 16 times.
• Harlem GlobetrotterssecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for community events and entertainment supporting foundation initiatives.
• Breast Cancer Research FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership supporting breast cancer research through fundraising and awareness campaigns.
• GleanerssecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Volunteer partnership where Lids interns and employees helped box 9,000 lbs of peaches and scan 4,000 lbs of Kroger donations, totaling 11,632 meals for Hungry Hoosiers during Gleaners Volunteer Week.
• HVAF of IndianasecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to create emergency kits and move-in kits for homeless veterans. Packed 500 emergency backpacks in 30 minutes and 100 move-in kits for transitional housing.
• JumpstartsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to inspire next generation of student-athletes through sports development, self-esteem building, and leadership. Funded 50 scholarships (2024) and 30 scholarships (2025) for young athletes from underserved communities.
• New Hope of IndianasecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Support for community dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities to live fulfilling lives. Lids interns organized volunteer day with games, BBQ, and garden tending.
• A Kid AgainsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership offering free local events (Adventures) for families who have a child facing a life-threatening condition. Foundation sponsors events and shopping experiences.
• Isaiah 117 HousesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Holiday drive collecting jackets, underwear, and Christmas wish list items for children awaiting placement in transitional housing.
• Champions for LiteracysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to restock school libraries with new books and promote the fun and importance of reading for students.
• Make-A-WishsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for Super Bowl shopping experiences where kids from Make-A-Wish got to shop for Super Bowl gear with surprise visits from NFL players.
• Indianapolis Colts (Jacoby Brissett)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Winter Series partnership with Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett for shoe and hat donations at Fairbanks Elementary School.
• New England Patriots (Jacoby Brissett)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Winter Series partnership with Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett for shoe donations at Baker Elementary School in Boston.
• Miami Dolphins (Anthony Walker Jr.)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Winter Series partnership with Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. for shoe and hat donations at Norland Elementary School in Miami.
• Washington Mystics (Ariel Atkins)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Annual partnership with WNBA player Ariel Atkins for basketball clinics and Teacher Appreciation Day events supporting DC teachers and children.
• Detroit Pistons (Monte Morris)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for A Kid Again event hosting Michigan families with shopping experiences and autographed memorabilia.
• The Arc of OhiosecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for Summer Series event hosting families from The Arc for shopping and Reds game experiences.
• The Arc of Butte CountysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Butte County community.
• Lids Hat DropsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for Baskets of Hope providing 500 turkeys (2024) and 750 turkeys (2025) for Shepherd Community Center Thanksgiving program.
• Sibley Memorial HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023$100,000 donation to start the Lids Foundation Fund at Sibley Memorial Hospital's Kimmel Cancer Center. Fund provides support for cancer patients in financial need including transportation, housing, childcare, meal cards, and grocery cards. In 2024, provided support for 275 cancer patients including 1,899 rides to treatments.
• Shepherd Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Partnership for Lids Takes Flight community service events including house projects, lunch and learn sessions with students, street clean-up, and block parties. Also partner for Baskets of Hope program providing 750 turkeys for Thanksgiving.
• Every Kid SportssecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership to bridge gap between financial limitations and sporting aspirations for children from income-restricted families, enabling participation in youth sports programs.
• Chris Brickley (NBA Skills Trainer)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Annual partnership for basketball court renovation projects and holiday giveback shopping events with youth. Renovated basketball courts and treated youth to shopping sprees.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fanatics Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Fanatics, a major sports merchandise company. Both foundations share the sports-retail DNA, use athlete/team partnerships for impact, and Fanatics is explicitly listed as a sponsor partner of Lids Foundation.
• New Era Foundation: Philanthropic arm of New Era Cap, a headwear brand that, like Lids, operates in the sports apparel/headwear industry. Both foundations leverage their parent brand's retail presence and sports partnerships to drive community impact, and New Era is explicitly listed as a sponsor partner.

Broad incumbents

• T-Mobile Foundation: Corporate foundation of a major U.S. consumer brand with a national retail footprint (T-Mobile stores) used to drive community impact. Comparable in using a parent-company retail network for distributed fundraising and community programming.
• Coca-Cola Foundation: Corporate foundation of The Coca-Cola Company, one of the largest U.S. corporate foundations. Comparable as a long-tenured corporate philanthropic arm with broad community, education, and sustainability programming, though operating at far greater scale.
• Adidas Foundation: Corporate foundation of Adidas, a global sportswear leader. Similar corporate-sports philanthropic model targeting youth sport access, community programming, and equity through sport, though operating globally and at significantly larger scale.
• PNC Foundation: Corporate foundation of PNC Bank, explicitly listed as a sponsor partner of Lids Foundation. Comparable as a U.S. corporate foundation funding youth, education, and community initiatives, with grantmaking across multiple focus areas.
• Walmart Foundation: Corporate foundation of Walmart, a mass retail giant. Comparable in leveraging a national retail footprint for community giving and operating across multiple focus areas including workforce, opportunity, and community resilience, but at materially larger scale.
• Target Foundation: Corporate foundation of Target, a major U.S. retailer. Comparable as a retail-anchored corporate foundation with multi-cause giving (education, equity, environment) and nationwide community programming.
• CDW Foundation: Corporate foundation of CDW, explicitly listed as a sponsor partner of Lids Foundation. Comparable as a corporate foundation funding education, health, and community initiatives across multiple geographies.
• Nike Foundation: Corporate foundation of Nike, a global sportswear leader. Comparable as a large corporate-sports philanthropic arm focused on youth sport access and community impact, but operates at vastly greater scale and as part of a global brand portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LIDS-Foundation-Inc-435946393232221
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-lids-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/lidsfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LIDS Foundation