About the United Way and NFL Partnership

The NFL and United Way partnership is the most visible and longest-running charitable collaboration of its kind. For 35 years, this partnership has been a shining example of the tangible good that can be leveraged when two household icons are harnessed into a powerful vehicle for real change in communities.

PARTNERSHIP HISTORY
This winning combination came about in 1973 when the NFL and United Way of America came together to discuss the possibility of using the NFL’s network contract airtime to promote United Way during game telecasts. Then Commissioner Pete Rozell — a legendary PR man — recognized the partnership as a viable means of communicating the good work of United Ways while putting faces on a league of players hidden by helmets.

That visionary decision has reaped benefits for both organizations, and more importantly has given immense advantages to the communities they serve. When the public service ads (PSAs) first aired in 1974, United Ways across the country collectively raised $800 million. Today, annual giving to United Way is more than $4 billion. While there’s no way to know how much of the growth is directly attributable to the PSAs, it’s clear that no other vehicle has been more effective providing visibility and support for United Way.

PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
The NFL furnishes the airtime at no cost to United Way and all NFL representatives appearing in the ads are volunteers. They receive no compensation for their services. The PSAs reach more than 120 million viewers per week during football season.

PARTNERS IN BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES
The PSAs may be the most visible aspect of the partnership, but the NFL’s support of United Way extends far beyond the commercials seen during game broadcasts. There is a shared commitment, a joint goal of working together to make an impact in the communities served by both institutions.

On any given Tuesday, NFL players are out in the community — encouraging kids to stay in school, serving meals to the elderly, helping to build homes for low-income families. Once a year, NFL teams join forces with United Way on a single day for the annual Hometown Huddle.

During this national day of community service, NFL players from each of the 32 NFL teams put down their shoulder pads and pick up a paintbrush, box of canned goods or a spatula to lend aid and assistance to members of their communities. On average, more than 300 players, team representatives and their families interact with approximately 3,000 United Way agency recipients during Hometown Huddle events held coast to coast.