Rizzo, wife Jodi launch The Rizzo Family Foundation

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- When Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo thought back to moving to Washington, D.C., 19 years ago, he felt compelled to do something to show his appreciation for the city.

On Tuesday, he and his wife Jodi announced the launch of The Rizzo Family Foundation.

“It’s become my home,” Rizzo said. “Living where I live in the Navy Yard and seeing the plight of the public school kids and how the neighborhood has evolved around us and stuff like that, it was important for us to do something primarily, and then to do something in D.C. with underprivileged kids.”

The “Riz Kids” initiative will benefit children and their families in Washington, D.C., by championing for educational equity with community grants and scholarships. Additionally, the foundation will offer memorable experiences through the game.

“It’s really been a labor of love for the last couple of years Jodi and I have been thinking about it,” Rizzo said. “The passing of my sister really kind of put things into focus for me, and then the birth of [his son] Sonny, I said, ‘We have to do something, and we have to do it in D.C.’”

Said Jodi Rizzo in a statement, “The mission of the Rizzo Family Foundation is to empower the youth in our community by investing integral monetary funds and ancillary support to community organizations that are positively impacting the lives of kids every day. With the launch of the Rizzo Family Foundation, we plan to streamline our philanthropic efforts and strengthen our commitment to make a bigger impact in the D.C. community that has embraced us with open arms since Day 1.”

Riz Kids will encompass multiple elements: Riz Kids Partners for Change, the Kim Rizzo Penway Scholarship Program and Load the Bases Riz.

“There’s so many things you could go into, but how do you impact the underprivileged children of our city and of our town the greatest?” said Rizzo. “We felt that these three pillars kind of exemplify what we're trying to do.”

The Kim Rizzo Penway Scholarship Program honors and celebrates the life of Rizzo’s older sister, who was dedicated to raising and advocating for a son with special needs. She passed away in 2020 following a battle with ALS. Two scholarships will be presented to high school seniors who also exemplify goodwill, steadfast strength and compassion in spite of hardships.

“We put those scholarships in my sister's name because that was her life,” Rizzo said. “She was big into education. She had a mentally challenged child and did the teaching and mentoring that goes into that. I thought that was the best way to honor her and the best way to utilize our money to impact at least two young people per year, and give them a head start to getting an education was something that we really thought was needed.”

Financial support for non-profit organizations in Washington dedicated to children and families in need of educational, physical, emotional and/or financial assistance will be provided through the Riz Kids Partners for Change program. Organizations interested in applying should offer structured programs that enrich the lives of D.C. youth. The deadline to apply for the 2024 annual grant cycle is April 15.

The third aspect, Load the Bases Riz, will donate tickets, auction items and personalized experiences in baseball -- with possibilities such as watching a game with Rizzo or going on the field for batting practice -- to D.C. non-profit organizations, educators, children and families that align with the mission of the foundation.

“I’m so humbled and grateful every day,” Rizzo said. “I was an area scout and grinded it out for a long time to appreciate where I'm at right now. I've been blessed in my career and in my life, I've made enough money where I can help out the less fortunate, and I married a woman who wanted to do the same thing. We kind of teamed this thing up to kind of leave a mark. I think the city deserves for me to give something back to them since they've given so much to me.”