The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation is building a culture of generosity—one field, one program, one life at a time.
On March 9, 2026, I found myself standing in the Chase Field entryway surrounded by more than 100 nonprofit leaders, civic officials, and donors, all gathered to celebrate a remarkable milestone. The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation had officially surpassed $100 million in charitable giving, becoming just the fourth professional sports organization to reach this mark and the youngest franchise to do so.
As I navigated through the crowd, speaking with representatives from nonprofits across Arizona, the energy in the concourse welcome area was palpable. These weren’t just grant recipients, they were partners in a shared mission to transform the local community—my community. And yes, I even managed to snap a photo with Baxter the Bobcat, the team’s beloved mascot, who seemed just as excited about the celebration as everyone else.
Building a Culture of Philanthropy
What makes the Diamondbacks’ achievement particularly striking is the speed at which they’ve reached this milestone. In just 27 years since the franchise’s inception in 1998, they’ve built a philanthropic platform comparable to organizations with more than a century of history. In 2025 alone, the Foundation raised a record $13.2 million and distributed $7.2 million in charitable support.
When I sat down with Debbie Castaldo, the Foundation’s executive director and senior vice president of the Arizona Diamondbacks, she attributed this success to something deeper than fundraising prowess. “When I got here, I had simply no idea how special this organization is,” Castaldo explained. “When you look at things like our value system, it’s called our Circle of Success here. Community is a main pillar of what the organization wants.”
This culture of philanthropy, as Castaldo calls it, permeates every level of the organization—from the marketing department to the Diamondbacks’ principal owner, Ken Kendrick, himself. “That means that when the foundation is doing something special, or has a big idea, or wants to solve a problem, the whole organization rallies around it,” she said. “And that makes it very powerful to be able to do this job, and just do epically big ideas, and so much fun to work on.”
More Than Just Writing Checks
At the March 9th event, the impact of this approach was evident in every conversation. Loui Olivas with Post 41 of the American Legion told me, “I am grateful that the Diamondbacks Foundation sponsors our JROTC Competition every year.”
The Foundation’s reach extends far beyond baseball diamonds. Ken Brissa, CEO of Phoenix Rescue Mission, emphasized the value of partnership: “When you have a partner like the Arizona Diamondbacks, you see and appreciate what they do in the broader community. Everybody wants to be associated with a winner.”
Elena Zavalza, director of strategic partnerships at NotMyKid, shared how the Foundation supports youth prevention programs: “We do work on substance abuse and prevention awareness, bringing important information to kids for a safer community. The Diamondbacks Foundation staff are big advocates for youth.”
Honoring Those Who Served
One of the most moving stories came from Matt Hartmar, board member of Honor Flight Arizona. “Our mission is to take American Veterans to our nation’s capital. In 2025, Honor Flight Arizona made 10 trips for Veterans to Washington D.C. The Diamondbacks Foundation completely funded one of those trips,” Hartmar explained. The impact on veterans is profound: “What we hear from WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam Veterans often is that other than the day they got married and when their kids were born, this trip was the most significant day in their lives. They didn’t get the welcome back they deserved. It provides closure for them.”
Innovation in Healthcare and Beyond
The Foundation’s Grand Slam Awards are creating lasting infrastructure for Arizona communities. Samantha Reinhard, Director of Community Outreach at Sun Life Health, shared their vision: “We just received the 2025 Grand Slam award for our work in pediatrics and pediatric dentistry for a new facility in Casa Grande to expand access to care . . . we want to make the experience for kids fun with a ‘Reading Dugout’ and a ‘Cavity-Free Club Jumbotron.’ Our Chair of Pediatrics [Dr. Jacob Umscheid] played baseball . . . he has a passion for children and the sport—it’s literally two passions coming together.”
Dawn Trapp, CEO of Civitan Foundation, described years of partnership: “We have received grants from the Diamondbacks Foundation for years to provide assistance to help people with disabilities get jobs . . . the [recent] grant helped our culinary program jump forward, to supported a new industrial kitchen, and provided employment to people with disabilities.”
The Power of Player Engagement: All-Star Corbin Carroll
What sets the Diamondbacks apart isn’t just institutional commitment—it’s personal investment from players as well. Castaldo shared how Corbin Carroll approached the Foundation from day one: “Corbin Carroll from the day he walked through the door . . . sat down with my team and said, I want to make a huge difference. I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet. Can I just go out and do a lot of everything and find out what touches my heart?”
The result? Carroll became a champion for youth programs, even going beyond scheduled appearances. “Last year he learned that there were a whole bunch of Phoenix high schools that didn’t have cleats. He jumped on and ordered hundreds of pairs of Nike cleats for high school baseball players, and no pomp, no circumstances, just wanted the kids to have cleats,” Castaldo recalled.
Building More Than Fields
Among the Foundation’s most visible impacts are the 46 baseball and softball fields built or renovated statewide. But as Castaldo explained, these projects represent something deeper: “When you build a beautiful field for kids to play on, the whole community comes together . . . think about the life lessons that are learned there, friendship, leadership, you know, integrity, all those things that are learned, hard work, discipline, parents having a chance to interact, put those phones down, and play some baseball and softball.”
Looking Ahead
As impressive as reaching $100 million is, Castaldo made clear this is just the beginning. “The most important part of all this in the end is we’re not done. Like, this is just the first hundred million. The numbers are growing so much more quickly now, we’ve got . . . had fundraising success, so we’re gonna do more than we ever thought possible.”
One program exemplifies this forward momentum: the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) initiative, which is being expanded nationwide. The Arizona program just launched four years ago and has already won a World Series championship. “Fourth year of a brand-new program, we won the World Series,” Castaldo said with evident pride and a smile on her face. “We have hundreds of boys and girls from all low-income schools and communities in Yuma, Tucson, and Phoenix that are so hungry for an opportunity to play, to receive instruction, development, to learn about all the peripheral things, to work on their FAFSAs, to work on their educational pursuits.”
David James, vice president of baseball and softball development at Major League Baseball, traveled all the way from the Commissioner’s office in New York to attend the March 9th event. In talking about the RBI program, he said: “Everyone has an opportunity to play. Whether it’s baseball or softball, we make sure it’s accessible to all,” James explained. “Because of this program, young men and women now have opportunities for four-year scholarships to college and many later have internships with clubs, which can be a future career for them.”
A Celebration of Partnership
As the March 9th celebration concluded—now officially proclaimed “D-backs Give Back Day” by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs—the message was clear: this milestone belongs to the entire community. The 100 nonprofit organizations receiving commemorative keepsakes were not just grantees, they were co-creators of lasting positive change across Arizona.
Standing in Chase Field that day, surrounded by nonprofit leaders, veterans, youth advocates, and healthcare innovators, I witnessed something rare in professional sports—an organization that has truly embedded community impact in its identity. The $100 million milestone is not just a number; it is a testament to what is possible when an entire organization, from ownership to players to staff, commits to serving something larger than the game itself.
As the Diamondbacks Foundation accelerates toward its next $100 million, Arizona’s communities will continue to benefit from this culture of generosity—one field, one program, one life at a time.
