1. sports
2. baseball

2014 community report
a letter from
the dolan family
The 2014 Cleveland Indians continued to create memories, connect generations,
and celebrate families at Progressive Field for the 21st year.
All of those commitments are especially dear to our family, which has been in
Cleveland since the late 1800s. Baseball has been as much a part of our Dolan
family history as has the city itself. It’s a sport that doesn’t just connect our family,
but it connects us to the community. Cleveland isn’t just our ancestral home, it’s
our current home, and our family is truly invested in this city. While we take great
pride on the baseball field, we’re also committed to the community off the field
and work to make a difference in the lives of Clevelanders.
This report details our dedication to charitable causes in Northeast Ohio through
Cleveland Indians Charities and our Community Impact department. This past
year, we continued to support Cleveland Metropolitan School District baseball
and softball, the Cleveland Baseball Federation, and the Boys & Girls Clubs
of Cleveland, while also lending financial, player, and employee support to
numerous initiatives.
Additionally, we’re expanding the Kids Clubhouse area to better meet the
needs of families and children. We also recently launched our Community
Leaders program to highlight the impact that local organizations make each
day and started a strategic planning process to set the future direction of our
community efforts.
We would like to thank all of our partners for their support and guidance. We
look forward to another strong season in 2015 – both on and off the field – as we
continue our decades-strong commitment to the Cleveland community.
Sincerely,
Paul and Matt Dolan
Owners
Cleveland Indians
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Letter from the Dolan Family
Established in 1989, Cleveland Indians
Charities (CIC) is a self-sustaining charitable
organization that concentrates on creative
partnerships with select organizations
in the community. Through fundraising,
CIC provides the opportunity to jointly
create and execute youth educational and
recreational opportunities. These programs
help young people learn to play the game
of baseball, develop necessary life skills,
learn responsibility, and foster confidence
to face today’s hurdles.
Since its inception, CIC has donated nearly
$10 million to youth-oriented agencies and
organizations in Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland Indians
Community Impact
The Community Impact department
develops meaningful partnerships
to promote youth education, health
and fitness, and service in the Greater
Cleveland area. These partnerships include
volunteer events, financial donations, and
general player and team support.
strengthen
youth and
families in the
Northeast Ohio
community
through
Youth
education,
health and
fitness, and
service.
Community Impact
Mission Statement
“
“
We
Cleveland indians charities
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KEY
PARTNERSHIPS
The Cleveland Indians Baseball Company and CIC
support key partners that uphold the three focus areas
of youth education, health and fitness, and service. These
partners’ programs encourage kids to excel in their
academic studies, live healthy and active lifestyles, and
serve their respective communities.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District Senate League Championship Game played at Progressive Field May 22, 2014
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key partnerships
Cleveland
Metropolitan
School District (CMSD)
more than $2.6 million to date
Since 2004, the Cleveland Indians have
funded all high school baseball and
softball programs—donating more
than $2.6 million. These funds cover
uniform and equipment costs to help
thousands of CMSD students enjoy
baseball and softball.
Boys & Girls Club
of Cleveland
$2.9 million to date
Following a gift of $1 million in 2012, the Cleveland
Indians continued to support of the Boys & Girls Clubs
of Cleveland through financial, in-kind, and volunteer
efforts. In 2014, Nick Swisher and CIC donated $90,000,
which helped support youth programs including:
• SMART (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training)
Girls – A program designed to encourage healthy
lifestyles for adolescent girls.
• SPARK – An initiative that helps underperforming
first, second, and third graders improve reading
skills.
• Passport to Manhood – A program concentrating
on specific aspects of character and manhood.
The Indians also donated hundreds of game tickets
as well as the annual Thanksgiving Day meal at
Progressive Field for kids and their families.
Funds help serve more than 300 high school student athletes each year.
Cleveland Baseball
Federation
more than $1.7 million to date
Each year, the Cleveland Indians
partnership with Cleveland Baseball
Federation helps give more than 3,000
children in the City of Cleveland the
opportunity to play baseball or softball
at no cost. The support also helps fund
MLB’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities
program for Cleveland youth.
All nine of CBF’s RBI Senior Boys high school graduates will go on to play
baseball at the collegiate level in 2015. Photo taken at the national
tournament in Arlington, Texas.
key partnerships
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HEALTH AND
FITNESS
Team Smile
350 children served in 2014
The Cleveland Indians partnered with TeamSmile, local
dentists, and P&G to provide critical dental services for
350 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland.
A day of dental health education and fun activities
allowed many children to receive dental care for the first
time in their lives. Over 70 local dentists and hygienists
volunteered their time to make this event possible.
Dr. Rebecca Robbins, Lead Dentist
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health and fitness
Greater Cleveland Sports
Commission Partnership:
Continental Cup
The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission’s mission
is to enhance the economy, image, and quality of life
in the Greater Cleveland community by attracting
and creating significant sporting events and activities.
In addition to financial contributions to the Sports
Commission, the Indians helped support major events
in the city, including sponsorship of the Continental
Cup – one of the nation’s largest international youth
sports festivals. The baseball championship game of
the Continental Cup is hosted at Progressive Field,
allowing the young athletes to live a dream and play
on a professional baseball field.
VeloSano
Dream Day Clinic
$500,000 contributed in 2014
For the third year, the Indians hosted
the Dream Day Clinic, which gives those
with mental and physical disabilities the
opportunity to learn the game of baseball
and play in the outfield at Progressive Field.
The Cleveland Indians supported the
inaugural VeloSano cycling event to raise
money for cancer research at Cleveland
Clinic. The Indians also committed at
least three years of support for the cause,
contributed in-kind donations of more than
$450,000 in media assets, and sent a team
of 23 riders from the front office staff who
raised more than $50,000.
health and fitness
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YOUTH
EDUCATION
High Achievers Program
10,000 tickets donated each year
High Achievers is a free program open to K – 12
students that rewards them with free game tickets and
the opportunity to win spots in the Kids Starting Lineup
just for getting good grades and reading. The program
reaches approximately 4,000 students each year.
Students can sign up online at
indians.com/highachievers.
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YOUTH EDUCATION
2014 scholarship recipients Maurryce Starks and Michael Nemes
receive their checks from Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Cleveland Indians
College Scholarships
Scholarship recipients must demonstrate
academic excellence, community service/
volunteerism, and financial need.
SANDY ALOMAR, JR. SCHOLARSHIP
• Since 2009, the Cleveland Indians and
MLB have partnered with St. Martin
de Porres High School in Cleveland
to award a $2,000 scholarship to a
graduating senior each year.
Northeast Ohio Media
Group’s Newspaper in
Education Program
With a commitment to education, the
Cleveland Indians partner with The Plain
Dealer and its Newspapers in Education
program. Northeast Ohio schools in
the program are given a 25-page math
curriculum guide for elementary and
middle school grade levels.
United Way “Stuff the Bus”
5,000 books donated in 2014
United Way’s National Day of Caring selected
literacy as the targeted initiative in 2014. The
Cleveland Indians partnered with the Greater
Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) to fill a
bus with books donated by fans.
College Now Scholarship
• Since 2001, the Cleveland Indians and
College Now have donated more than
$50,000 to local graduating high school
seniors.
Fans donate books to United Way at Rally Alley
YOUTH EDUCATION
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SERVICE
Indians in the Community
2,500 hours volunteered in 2014
Cleveland Indians front office staff and players
volunteered at least four hours, for a total of 2,500 hours,
to a variety of organizations in an effort to positively
impact the community.
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Lonnie Chisenhall, Yan Gomes, and Carlos Santana pack bookbags with clothes for kids at the Providence House
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SERVICE
PROVIDENCE HOUSE
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF CLEVELAND
PLAY CLINIC
DREAM DAY CLINIC REBUILDING TOGETHER TYSON/LIFT UP AMERICA FOOD DISTRIBUTION
GREATER CLEVELAND FOOD BANK
INDIANS ANNUAL COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER
Board Giving
over $375,000 in 2014
The Cleveland Indians have numerous front office
staff members holding positions on local non-profit
boards. We proudly support those staff members by
giving both financial and in-kind donations each year.
Board Affiliations include:
• American Red Cross of
Cleveland
• Great Lakes Science
Center
• Bob Feller Act of Valor
Award Foundation
• Greater Cleveland
Sports Commission
Indians Volunteer
Challenge with
Business Volunteers
Unlimited (BVU)
• Bob Feller Museum
• Historic Gateway
Neighborhood
more than 198,555 hours of
volunteer time to date
• The Centers for
Families and Children
Front Office Staff Volunteer at Forest Hill Park in East Cleveland
In 2010, the Cleveland Indians and BVU: The
Center for Nonprofit Excellence created the
Indians Volunteer Challenge. Through this
program, community members can report
their volunteer service to BVU and receive two
tickets to an Indians game for four hours of
service. In 2014:
• 47,157 volunteer hours were filled
• 64 local companies participated
• 441 local nonprofits benefited To learn more, visit
volunteer.truist.com/bvu-3/volunteer.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of
Cleveland
• Business Volunteers
Unlimited
• Cleveland Animal
Protective League
BVU Summer of Service
Baseball Renovation and
Park Clean Up
The Cleveland Indians and BVU worked
together to renovate and clean up a local
baseball field and park used by the Shaw High
School baseball team. The Indians donated a
$5,000 grant, while 20 front office employees
joined more than 300 local business volunteers
to spend a day renovating the park.
• Cleveland Baseball
Federation
• Cleveland Museum of
Natural History
• Cleveland Public
Library
• Diversity Center of
Northeast Ohio
• Medworks
• Notre Dame College
Athletic Advisory
Board
• Positive Coaching
Alliance
• Destination Cleveland
• Providence House
• The Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame
• Stadium Managers
Association
• Suicide Prevention
Education Alliance
• Teach for America
• Engage! Cleveland
• United Way
• The First Tee of
Cleveland
• WISE Cleveland
SERVICE
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Diamond Improvement
Grant Program
More than $200,000 donated to date
For the purposes of field renovation and upkeep,
ClC developed the Diamond Improvement Grant
to assist baseball and softball fields important to
local communities. Since 2008, the Cleveland Indians
have donated more than $200,000 to 39 local youth
baseball field renovation projects. The 2014 Diamond
Improvement Grant recipients were:
• Forest Hills Park
• Walton Hills Diamond
• Edinburg Township Fire Department
• Bohlken Park Baseball Diamond
• Normandy Baseball
• Calvin Park
To learn more about the Diamond Improvement
Grant, visit indians.com/cic.
Corey Kluber presents a check on behalf of MLB’s Baseball Tomorrow
Fund to Cleveland Baseball Federation.
Players volunteering their time at hospitals.
Key Bank Glove Drive
Indians Delaware North Sportservice team
utilizes service-oriented volunteer groups to
provide first-class service in our concession
stands and in-seating vending in exchange
for a donation to their organization. Delaware
North Sportservice guarantees a minimum
donation of $60 per volunteer per event.
1,000 baseball gloves
donated in 2014
The Key Bank Glove Drive donated more
than 1,000 baseball gloves to Cleveland
Baseball Federation in 2014. In addition, the
Baseball Tomorrow Fund contributed $5,000 for
additional equipment. Anyone who donated a
glove received a ticket to a September game
and a post-game autograph session.
Delaware North
Sportservice and
Volunteer Efforts
$15 million to date
Each year Delaware North Sportservice
donates more than $1.4 million to Cleveland
area non-profit organizations that participate
in our fundraising program. The Cleveland
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service
Community Work
in Arizona
The Cleveland Indians are fortunate to have
a 12-month player development complex in
Goodyear, Arizona. We have the same care
for the Goodyear community that we have in
Cleveland. Goodyear efforts include financial
donations totaling more than $14,000 to GAIN
(Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods),
Boys & Girls Clubs of Goodyear, and MLB’s
RBI Phoenix and Goodyear Little League
teams.
Wives Association
The Cleveland Indians Wives Association is actively
engaged in fundraising and volunteer activities that
give back to the community each year. The Tribe
Treasure Auction and Shirts Off the Players’ Backs
Auction raised $11,000 in 2014. Charities supported
include CIC, APL, Heart Association, Bright Hope,
One Child Matters, Providence House, and Ronald
McDonald House
Nick and JoAnna Swisher with fans at Mission Swisher
Mentor of the Year
Mission Swisher - Celebrity Scavenger Hunt at Progressive Field benefitted The Swisher Family Foundation.
Player Contributions
$1.5 million to date
Over the years, our players have
contributed thousands of their own dollars
to support CIC while also volunteering
and fundraising for various nonprofit
organizations in the city.
Our players willingly donate their time
and energy as well as make financial
contributions to local organizations that
lend helping hands to children in the
community. We are thankful for our players’
commitment both on and off the field.
On the heels of Terry Francona being named
the American League Manager of the Year in
2014, the Indians began the Mentor of the Year
initiative to find and honor other great leaders
in Northeast Ohio. Fans submit nominations for
those in the community making a difference
in other people’s lives and working to make
Northeast Ohio a better place through
leadership and mentoring efforts. Jeff Haynes,
the Broadway Club Director of the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Cleveland, was named the
inaugural 2014 Cleveland Indians Mentor of
the Year.
Ronald McDonald House, Providence House
service
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Susan G. Komen Pink Ribbon Ceremony
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MLB INITIATIVES
MLB
INITIATIVES
• JACKIE ROBINSON DAY
• AUTISM AWARENESS
• BREAST CANCER AWARENESS – MOTHER’S DAY
• WELCOME BACK VETERANS – MEMORIAL DAY
• PLAY SUN SMART
• ALS AWARENESS – LOU GEHRIG’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY
SPEECH
• HALL OF FAME WEEKEND
• MLB PITCH, HIT AND RUN
• MLB PLAYERS TRUST – BUSES FOR BASEBALL
• ROBERTO CLEMENTE DAY
• ALL-STAR TEACHERS
Cleveland Indians honor Omar Vizquel during MLB’s 2014 Hall of Fame Weekend.
Vizquel was joined by his former teammates and Cleveland Indians alumni (L to R : Sandy
Alomar Jr., Charles Nagy, Kenny Lofton, Mike Hargrove, Carlos Baerga, and Andre Thornton)
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FUNDRAISING
CIC Celebrity Golf Outing
more than $125,000 raised in 2014
The Annual Cleveland Indians Charities Celebrity Golf
Classic continues to be the number one fundraiser for
CIC. Held at Quail Hollow Country Club, golfers spent
the day playing golf alongside Indians players, coaches,
alumni, broadcasters, and a variety of local sports
personalities from the NFL and NBA.
Kenny Lofton and CIC Celebrity Golf Outing Participants
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FUNDRAISING
Donated Memorabilia
and Tickets
Hundreds of authentic and autographed items are
donated annually to local charities. In addition, more
than 40,000 tickets are donated each year to select youth
service organizations and charities that serve individuals
who would not normally be able to attend a baseball
game due to financial constraints.
Interested groups can complete a request form online at
secure.mlb.com/cle/community/donation_request_form.jsp .
2014 Fantasy Campers in Goodyear, AZ
Fantasy Camp
50/50 Raffle
Cleveland Indians Fantasy Camp is truly
the experience of a lifetime. Participants
in Fantasy Camp spent January 19 – 26,
2014 playing and talking baseball with
former Indians greats. $90,000 raised in 2014
Carlos Santana greets 100-year-old Laden Bell, a former Indians batting practice catcher
The CIC 50/50 Raffle kicked off in 2014,
raising more than $90,000 for the Cleveland
Metropolitan School District baseball and
softball programs, Cleveland Baseball
Federation, and the Boys & Girls Club of
Cleveland.
FUNDRAISING
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Progressive Field Tours
more than $29,000 raised in 2014
The Cleveland Indians continued to offer tours of
the ballpark May through September 2014. The
exclusive tour, when permitted, included visits to
the home dugout, warning track, batting cages,
visiting bullpen, and press box.
Exclusive visits to the newly renovated areas of
Progressive Field will be available in 2015.
Please book your tours at http://cleveland.indians.
mlb.com/cle/ballpark/tours/index.jsp
Kids enjoying the climbing wall in the Kids Clubhouse
Hardball Classic
The 11th annual Cleveland Indians Charities High School Hardball Classic offered high school
athletes a big league experience to play on the same field as their favorite Tribe players.
Schools that competed in 2014
Come see the newly renovated Progressive Field in 2015
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FUNDRAISING
• Avon Lake • Elyria Catholic
• St. Ignatius • Gilmour Academy
• Medina Highland • University School
Hall of fame Luncheon
In 2014, the Cleveland Indians honored Omar
Vizquel. Fans were given the opportunity to
meet the Hall of Famers and their former Indians’
teammates.
Omar Vizquel, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Kenny Lofton
Round Up for Charity
at the Team Shop
At the Cleveland Indians Team Shop,
customers can round up their purchase
totals to the next dollar with proceeds
going to CIC . This past year, fans
helped raise $38,000 for charities
through this initiative.
FUNDRAISING
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Creating Memories
Connecting Generations
Celebrating Families
Cleveland Indians
2401 Ontario Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44115