Rays Baseball Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION AND ROWDIES SOCCER FUND IS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THOSE IN NEED WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON EDUCATION, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, WELLNESS, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
- Income
- $2.7 million
- Spending
- $3.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 53%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 39
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 72 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 15% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 26 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 17% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
5 of 251 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (12)
- $1.3 million spent. COMMUNITY GRANTSTHE RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION PROVIDED MORE THAN $1,200,000 TO LOCAL NONPROFITS IN THE TAMPA BAY REGION THROUGH VARIOUS GRANT PROGRAMS. THESE GRANTS HELP SUPPORT THEIR MISSIONS AND AREAS IN WHICH THEY EXCEL SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY.
- $903,779 spent. DISASTER RELIEFTHE RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION COMMITTED $1 MILLION TO HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORTS IN THE WAKE OF THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY HURRICANES HELENE AND MILTON, COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SERVING THE AREA WITH EXPERTISE IN DELIVERING AID.
- $205,000 spent. SCHOLARSHIPSTHE RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION AWARDED $205,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH NONPROFIT PARTNERS FOR STUDENTS IN HILLSBOROUGH, PINELLAS, PASCO, MANATEE, AND SARASOTA COUNTIES.
- $120,433 spent. RAYS JERSEY PROGRAMSINCE 2014, THE RAYS JERSEY PROGRAM HAS OUTFITTED MORE THAN 105,000 TAMPA BAY AREA TEE-BALL PLAYERS AND COACHES WITH JERSEYS AND CAPS. THE PROGRAM COVERS MORE THAN 80 DIFFERENT LEAGUES IN NINE AREA COUNTIES AND HAS SAVED THE LEAGUES MORE THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN EQUIPMENT COSTS. AS A RESULT OF THESE SAVINGS, OFFICIALS FROM SOME OF THE PARTICIPATING LEAGUES HAVE NOTED THAT THEY NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO PASS THESE SAVINGS ALONG TO PARTICIPANT FAMILIES. THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR THEIR SCOREBOARDS, PROVIDE UPGRADES TO DUGOUTS, ADD FENCING FOR FIELDS, PURCHASE ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND GROUNDS CREW SUPPLIES AND REPAIR CONCESSION STANDS AND OTHER AREAS OF THEIR FACILITIES. DURING 2024, THE RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION PROVIDED MORE THAN $120,000 WORTH OF UNIFORMS FOR LOCAL TEE-BALL PLAYERS AND COACHES IN THE SURROUNDING 9 COUNTIES.
- $96,369 spent. BIG GAME JAMES CLUBTHE BIG GAME JAMES CLUB, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE HOME RUN CLUB, CONTINUES TO OFFER A SENSE OF STABILITY AND BELONGING TO HUNDREDS OF FOSTER CHILDREN AND ADOPTIVE FAMILIES THROUGHOUT TAMPA BAY. EACH SEASON, WITH THE HELP OF FAMILY SUPPORT SERVIES, FAMILY RESOURCES, GUARDIAN AD LITEM, THE HEART GALLERY, READY FOR LIFE AND YOUTH ALTERNATIVES, OVER 500 FOSTER CHILDREN HAVE BECOME CLUB MEMBERS AND ATTENDED A SERIES OF HOME GAMES IN THE SUITE. FURTHERING THE ORGANIZATION'S SUPPORT FOR FOSTER CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, THE BALLPARK ALSO PLAYS HOST TO A PERMANENT HEART GALLERY EXHIBIT, DISPLAYING PROFESSIONAL PORTRAITS AND PERSONAL BIOGRAPHIES OF CHILDREN WAITING TO BE ADOPTED.
- $71,725 spent. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC COMMUNITY ENDEAVORSTHE RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION COORDINATED RENOVATIONS ON ESCUELA BASICA PATRIA MIRABAL, A PRIMARY SCHOOL ADJACENT TO THE RAYS BASEBALL ACADEMY IN GUERRA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. THE RENOVATIONS ALLOW THE STUDENTS TO GO TO SCHOOL IN A SAFE AND CLEAN ENVIRONMENT AFTER A NEW ROOF AND A BATHROOM WERE CONSTRUCTED. ADDITIONALLY, SCHOOLS SUPPLIES AND UNIFORMS WERE SUPPLIED TO THE STUDENTS.
- $51,886 spent. READING WITH THE RAYSSINCE 2006, THE RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION'S SUMMER READING PROGRAM, READING WITH THE RAYS PRESENTED BY SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION, HAS ENCOURAGED KIDS TO AVOID SUMMER READING LOSS BY PARTICIPATING IN A FUN AND INTERACTIVE READING PROGRAM OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS. MORE THAN 555,000 TAMPA BAY AREA STUDENTS FROM NINE SURROUNDING COUNTIES HAVE PARTICIPATED SINCE ITS INCEPTION. THE PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TAMPA BAY TIMES NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION, THE RAYS AND PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS IN CHARLOTTE, CITRUS, HERNANDO, HILLSBOROUGH, MANATEE, PASCO, PINELLAS, POLK AND SARASOTA COUNTIES.
- $24,903 spent. TEAM SMILESINCE 2018, THE RAYS HAVE PARTNERED WITH TEAM SMILE, AN ADVOCACY GROUP THAT PARTNERS DENTAL PROFESSIONALS WITH PROFESSIONAL ATHLETIC ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE LIFE-CHANGING DENTAL CARE TO UNDERSERVED CHILDREN IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN 2024, TEAM SMILE PROVIDED FREE DENTAL CARE TO 162 CHILDREN AND EDUCATED 171 CHILDREN FROM THE LOCAL BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS AT TROPICANA FIELD. THE CHILDREN RECEIVED DENTAL WORK COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE, INCLUDING X-RAYS, SCREENINGS, AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL ON HOW TO PROTECT THEIR TEETH VALUED AT MORE THAN $73,000. THE VALUE OF CARE PROVIDED SINCE 2018 HAS TOTALED NEARLY $298,000.
- $15,358 spent. SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEEDURING 2024, THE RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION SERVED AS A REGIONAL PARTNER OF THE SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE. AS A REGIONAL PARTNER, THE FOUNDATION HOSTED A REGIONAL SPELLING BEE AT TROPICANA FIELD OPEN TO ALL SCHOOLS IN THE TAMPA BAY COMMUNITY. THE AREA CHAMPION, SPONSORED BY RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION AND ROWDIES SOCCER FUND, ADVANCED TO THE NATIONAL SPELLING AND WON IN A DRAMATIC TIEBREAKER SPELL-OFF, CORRECTLY SPELLING 29 WORDS IN 90 SECONDS.
- $11,995 spent. ROWDIESTHE ROWDIES SOCCER FUND IS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THOSE IN NEED WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON EDUCATION, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, WELLNESS, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. THROUGH PROGRAMMING AND NONPROFIT GIVING, THE ROWDIES SOCCER FUND STRIVES TO ENERGIZE OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THE MAGIC OF ROWDIES SOCCER.
- $3,100 spent. STEMRAYS BASEBALL OPERATIONS STAFF TAUGHT STEM CURRICULUM AT ACADEMY PREP CAMPUSES IN LAKELAND, TAMPA, AND ST. PETERSBURG. ACROSS FIVE DAYS AT EACH CAMPUS, STAFF MEMBERS TAUGHT OVER 1,600 HOURS OF LESSONS FROM THE RAYS SCIENCE OF BASEBALL PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES SUBJECTS SUCH AS GEOMETRY, PHYSIOLOGY, AND STATISTICS. THE PROGRAM CULMINATED WITH A CAREER DAY AT TROPICANA FIELD.
- $1,135 spent. WEEK OF GIVINGTHE RAY BASEBALL FOUNDATION ANNUAL 'WEEK OF GIVING' RETURNED THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 9, 2024 WITH A FOCUS ON VOLUNTEER EFFORTS. THE FOUNDATION PARTNERED WITH A NUMBER OF LOCAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITH A WEEK OF HOLIDAY DONATIONS AND EVENTS FOR LOCAL FAMILIES IN NEED DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2006.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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