Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation, Inc.

What Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation, Inc. does

Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation, Inc. is a US-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded on April 13, 2015 by former MLB and NPB star Hideki Masui. Headquartered at a c/o address at LeadOff Sports Marketing in New York, the foundation's primary activity is delivering free youth baseball clinics for children aged roughly 6-12 in the United States and Japan. As of September 2025, the foundation has conducted 36 total clinics — 12 in Japan (Ishikawa, Kanagawa, Miyazaki, Tokyo) and 24 in the US (New York metro, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut) — with Masui personally instructing participants in batting, fielding, and baseball fundamentals alongside Q&A and autograph sessions. Typical clinic size is 30-55 participants, selected by lottery when applications exceed capacity.

The foundation's product and service portfolio includes the core baseball clinics, the annual 'Champion A Champion Golf Classic' charity tournament co-hosted with Global Citizens Initiative (launched May 2018), a Global Baseball Equipment Support Project with Yomiuri Shimbun and JICA, a co-branded Visa credit card with Nudge Co., Ltd. launched in July 2022, and periodic Twitter Q&A fan-engagement sessions under the #AskMatsui55 hashtag. The foundation has donated 400+ pieces of baseball equipment to youth leagues in the New York area through Pitch In For Baseball & Softball, with broader reach to 100+ countries through that partner's network. There is no proprietary technology, software platform, or AI capability; operations are event-driven and rely on the foundation's website, Facebook page, and Twitter account for outreach.

The foundation's revenue model comprises three streams: (1) official sponsorship fees and in-kind contributions from KOMATSU and JAL (with Mizuno as official supplier), (2) a share of transaction fees from the Nudge co-branded Visa credit card, and (3) net proceeds from the annual Champion A Champion Golf Classic. All clinics are provided free of charge to participants. The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public fundraising rounds; it operates with a small leadership team (Masui as Representative Director, Rogelio Kahlon as Director, and Taka Shirai as Executive Director).

Name

Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation, Inc.

Legal name

Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://matsui55.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Hideki Masui in 2015 that provides free youth baseball clinics for children aged 6-12 across the United States and Japan. It is supported by corporate sponsors (KOMATSU, JAL, Mizuno), a Nudge co-branded credit card, and annual charity golf events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management (MPAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Youth baseball clinics
• Nonprofit sports foundation
• Baseball education programs
• Youth sports development
• Community baseball outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Co-branded Credit Card Revenue: The foundation partnered with Nudge株式会社 (Nudge Co., Ltd.) to issue an official Visa co-branded credit card. A portion of transaction fees from card usage is contributed to the foundation. Cardholders receive exclusive benefits including original messages from Hideki Matsui, limited off-shot images, and NFTs.
2. Sponsorships and Supplier Support: Official sponsors (KOMATSU, JAL) and official supplier (Mizuno) provide financial and/or in-kind support for the foundation's clinic programs. Details of sponsorship agreements are not publicly disclosed.
3. Charity Golf Events: The foundation hosts annual 'Champion A Champion Golf Classic' charity golf events in Connecticut, USA, co-organized with Global Citizens Initiative. Proceeds fund scholarships for children supported by both organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that conducts free youth baseball clinics for children (ages 6–12) in the United States and Japan, with each clinic personally led by founder Hideki Matsui. The foundation also operates the annual Champion a Champion Golf Classic charity event with Global Citizens Initiative, runs the Global Baseball Equipment Support Project with Yomiuri Shimbun and JICA, and offers a co-branded Visa credit card in partnership with Nudge Co., Ltd. (Nudge株式会社) that contributes a portion of transaction fees back to the foundation.

Product overview

Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation is a non-profit organization offering youth baseball clinics as its primary service, with Hideki Matsui providing direct instruction to children in the US and Japan. The organization operates through several product/service offerings: (1) Baseball Clinics for Children — in-person instruction sessions held across US cities (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) and Japan; (2) Champion a Champion Golf Classic — an annual charity golf event co-hosted with Global Citizens Initiative to fund youth scholarships; (3) Global Baseball Equipment Support Project — a charitable equipment donation initiative in partnership with Yomiuri Shimbun and JICA; (4) Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation Credit Card — a co-branded VISA credit card with Nudge Corporation offering exclusive rewards and NFT benefits; and (5) Live Twitter Q&A sessions allowing fan engagement. The organization was established on April 13, 2015, in the United States as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Baseball Clinics for Children Free in-person youth baseball instruction clinics held across the United States (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California) and Japan, personally led by founder Hideki Matsui with batting demonstrations, fundamentals coaching (fielding, batting, baseball thinking), Q&A sessions, and autograph/photo opportunities. Each clinic recruits 30–55 children by lottery. Targets children ages 6–12 with no prior baseball experience required; boys and girls both participate.
• Champion a Champion Golf Classic Annual charity golf tournament co-hosted with Global Citizens Initiative, a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Held in Connecticut, USA. Proceeds fund scholarships for children supported by both organizations.
• Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation Credit Card Official co-branded Visa credit card issued in partnership with Nudge Co., Ltd. (Nudge株式会社), distributed in Japan via the Nudge mobile app and website. Cardholders receive exclusive benefits including original messages from Hideki Matsui, limited behind-the-scenes off-shot images, and NFT rewards. Annual fees are free. A portion of transaction fees from card usage is donated to the foundation.
• Global Baseball Equipment Support Project Charitable equipment donation initiative conducted in partnership with Yomiuri Shimbun and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). Collects and distributes new and gently used baseball equipment to youth baseball programs globally, with prior donations reaching New York City, South Scranton, East Hartford, and Antigua and Barbuda.
• Live Twitter Q&A (#AskMatsui55) Interactive live Twitter session hosted by Hideki Matsui using the #AskMatsui55 hashtag, allowing fans to ask questions directly to the former baseball star. Conducted bilingually (Japanese and English) on the foundation's official Twitter account @M55Baseball.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36 total baseball clinics conducted across Japan and the US through September 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nudge株式会社 (Nudge Co., Ltd.)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 July 2022The foundation partnered with Nudge to issue an official co-branded Visa credit card. Cardholders receive exclusive benefits (Hideki Matsui original messages, limited photos, NFTs). A portion of transaction fees from card usage is donated to the foundation. The card is available in Japan.
• New York YankeesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2019The New York Yankees teamed up with the foundation and PIFB to donate baseball and softball equipment to New York City Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) students. This was a collaborative community outreach initiative.
• Yomiuri ShimbunminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 August 2018The foundation partnered with Yomiuri Shimbun and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) for the Global Baseball Equipment Support Project, collecting baseball equipment donations from the public.
• JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 August 2018The foundation partnered with Yomiuri Shimbun and JICA for the Global Baseball Equipment Support Project, supporting international baseball equipment donations.
• Pitch In For Baseball & Softball (PIFB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2018PIFB is a US-based nonprofit that collects new and gently used baseball equipment to redistribute to children globally. The foundation partners with PIFB to donate baseball equipment to youth leagues in need. Through this partnership, over 400 pieces of equipment were donated to New York-area leagues, and donations were made to leagues in South Scranton, East Hartford, and Antigua and Barbuda.
• Global Citizens InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2018Global Citizens Initiative is a US-based nonprofit organization focused on empowering youth globally. The two organizations co-host the annual 'Champion A Champion Golf Classic' charity golf event in Connecticut, with proceeds funding scholarships for children supported by both organizations. The partnership began with the inaugural event in May 2018.
• KOMATSUcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2015KOMATSU is listed as an official sponsor of the Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation. As an official sponsor, KOMATSU supports the foundation's youth baseball clinic programs.
• JAL (Japan Airlines)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2015JAL is listed as an official sponsor of the Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation. As an official sponsor, JAL supports the foundation's youth baseball clinic programs.
• MizunocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2015Mizuno is listed as an official supplier of the Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation, providing baseball equipment and apparel for the foundation's youth baseball clinic programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mia Hamm Foundation: Female athlete-founded nonprofit supporting youth sports participation and bone marrow research. Directly comparable structure and celebrity-athlete-led youth sports mission.
• Tiger Woods Foundation: Athlete-founded nonprofit focused on youth education and development. Closely comparable to Matsui 55 in structure (celebrity founder-led nonprofit, youth programming, US-based501(c)(3)) though focused on education/TGR Learning Lab rather than sport instruction.
• Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation: Baseball-focused youth development nonprofit founded by a Hall-of-Fame player. Strong overlap with Matsui 55's sport-specific youth mission and celebrity-founder model.
• Andre Agassi Foundation for Education: Athlete-founded nonprofit for youth causes. Comparable in scale, structure (celebrity founder, 501(c)(3), small team), and brand-driven fundraising approach.
• Derek Jeter Turn 2 Foundation: Founded by another former New York Yankees star, this is a youth development501(c)(3) with similar celebrity-athlete branding, US-based operations, and youth-focused programming.
• Athletes for Hope: Coalition of elite athletes supporting charitable causes. Comparable as an athlete-led philanthropic platform, though it operates as an aggregator rather than running direct programs like Matsui 55.
• David Robinson Foundation: Athlete-founded nonprofit focused on youth education and community development. Comparable structure (celebrity founder, 501(c)(3), youth-focused programming).

Others

• Global Citizens Initiative: US-based nonprofit focused on empowering youth globally, partner/co-host of the Champion a Champion Golf Classic. Listed as a strategic partner of the foundation rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Little League International: Governing body for youth baseball/softball leagues globally. Operates at vastly larger scale than Matsui 55 but shares the youth baseball development mission and serves overlapping beneficiaries.
• Babe Ruth League: Major youth baseball and softball governing organization serving millions of children. Comparable mission to Matsui 55 but at league/governance scale rather than single-clinic instruction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/M55Baseball
• Facebookfacebook.com/matsui55.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matsui-55-baseball-foundation-inc-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Matsui 55 Baseball Foundation, Inc.