The franchise’s leadership group understands that a sports team is only as strong as the community it’s in.
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“I didn’t know that sports philanthropy was a career that you could have,” says Kate Whitman Annis, executive director of the New Jersey Devils’ philanthropic arm, the Devils Youth Foundation (a new SI member). “But I think it’s one of the most rewarding ones you can have in sports.”
The best part is, the rewards that come from sports philanthropy — and from Corporate Social Responsibility in general — flow in many directions. Whitman Annis and her team get the satisfaction of helping people in the community. The community gets the benefit of the Devils’ resources and influence. And the Devils get the gift not only of good will, but of generating a new generation of hockey fans.
The organization’s strong commitment to the community is typical of the teams owned by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Group, the company created by 26 North founder Josh Harris and Blackstone senior executive David Blitzer. Harris and Blitzer are also owners of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers (a longtime Satell Institute member) and key members of the ownership group of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
In this conversation, Kate Whitman Annis (who grew up in a political family — her mother, Christine Todd Whitman, served two terms as New Jersey’s governor) talks about her unique background; the Devils’ multiyear commitment to growing girls’ hockey; and why the organization is so excited to be part of the Satell Institute.
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The Devils Youth Foundation…
…is the philanthropic arm of the New Jersey Devils and the Prudential Center. We bring life-changing opportunity to New Jersey’s youth through the power of entertainment, sports, and music.
Over the last four years…
…we’ve been able to grow our fundraising by almost 300 percent and our grants by over 1000 percent. This year we granted almost $1.3 million, which went to 30 different organizations in New Jersey. About 70 percent of our funding is here in Newark. It’s where we live, work and play. It’s where our arena is. But we are a statewide organization, so we have several statewide grants.
We put our focus…
…on four categories: Creating safe spaces both mentally and physically for youth. Food and nutrition security. Equitable access to arts and arts education. And getting kids active and moving. That could just be getting outside and going for a walk, away from screens. I’m a mom. I see what screens are doing to myself and my children, particularly since the pandemic. So we’re really focused on that area.
I always wondered…
…what I was going to end up doing, career-wise. I majored in political science and was in politics for years after college. I did events planning and PR. I was working at a K-12 independent day school in New Jersey when I heard about this role. I know some people here, and they said, “This is the perfect job for you.” I’ve been a Devils fan my whole life. I coach hockey, and my kids all play. Hockey is part of the fabric of our life.
A sports franchise…
… is only as strong as the community it’s in, and so you need to make sure that community is healthy, that people are able to feed themselves with nutritious sources of food, that they have places to go after school. Am I selling tickets? No. But we can create lifelong fans from the work we do, and that’s great. We can also create better humans. That’s what we all want — to create a better community and a better life for people.
One of our longest nonprofit partnerships…
…is with Hockey In New Jersey. They’ve been partners with the Devils for 15 years.
COVID really forced them — as it did a lot of nonprofits – to take a step back and say, okay, we can’t be on the ice, what do these kids need now? Now that we’re back on the ice, those other needs haven’t gone away. So Hockey In New Jersey is offering way more academic help — after-school help, tutoring, college advising. People are really looking at the whole child and what we can do when we have them in our space.
We’ve made a multiyear commitment to Hockey In New Jersey…
… for their girls development program. Something near and dear to my heart is girls hockey. I actually coach for them at East Side High School, and in a girls program for 8-to-12 year olds.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is back playing in our building this year. I’m hoping we can get Hockey In New Jersey out to those games to really show those girls, hey, you can actually be a paid professional hockey player.
I became aware of the Satell Institute…
…when Paul Howard, one of SI’s vice presidents, met a colleague of mine at an event and started talking. She introduced us, and we stated talking, and I learned that the 76ers are a member, so I reached out to my counterpart down there.
SI is so unique…
…because it brings together the money piece, the nonprofit piece, and the powerbroker piece into a place where you can talk and really have an honest conversation about what is happening in our communities and what people need. It’s such a unique, interesting model, and we’re very excited to be part of it.