In the fall of 2016, NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick kicked off his Million Dollar Pledge campaign. In addition to the proceeds from his 2016 team jersey sales, he vowed to donate $100,000 per month for 10 months to grass roots organizations that work to improve under-served and disadvantaged communities. As of June 2017, he had already given a total of $900,000 to 31 different charities around the country. For the remaining $100,000, Kaepernick has enlisted the help of his friends to double his money with matching donations to the charities of their choosing. He calls the final effort “#10For10.”
On 10 different days, Kap will announce the charity that he is giving $10,000 to and the famous friend who is matching that gift with another $10,000. On Wednesday, the first organization was chosen by the Golden State Warriors’ own Kevin Durant. A total of $20,000 was given to Silicon Valley De-Bug in San Jose, California . According to their website, De-Bug creates online digital platforms that organize and clearly communicate the goals of community-based social justice issues.
On day two, Jan. 18, Kap teamed up with Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams to give a total of $20,000 to Advancement Project in Washington, D.C. This organization works to promote a “caring, inclusive and just democracy.” Half of the donation will fund training of youth organizers on how to advocate for police reform. The other half will be used for the production of videos and tools used to educate the public on police accountability.
On Friday, Kaepernick announced a donation to Warriors superstar Steph Curry’s chosen charitable organization called United Playaz in San Francisco, California. The $20,000 gift will be divided evenly between an adult reentry mentoring program for newly freed ex-convicts and a nine-week summer youth program that will service about 150 children. The summer camp will be education-based centering around fun activities that enhance core subjects like robotics, reading, sports, and math.
Tomorrow, I’ll be announcing the final $100,000 to complete my Million Dollar Pledge. I’m excited to share this last round of donations with all of you. You can see all 31 donations I’ve made so far on https://t.co/DkVikwsc2E #MillionDollarPledge #10for10 pic.twitter.com/w47VUBZDSQ
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) January 16, 2018
Each weekday until he completes his goal, another organization will be gifted with a donation to help them continue their work in the community. Upon completion, Kaepernick will have kept his word by giving over $1 million to over 40 different charities. To follow the campaign’s final days, follow #10For10 on Twitter or visit Kaepernick7.com for daily updates and more information about each charity.
