These 3 nonprofits are partnering with the Eagles for the 2017 season

When it comes to philanthropy for the Philadelphia Eagles, the sports team’s Eagles Care program gives back more to the local community and nonprofits than just money.

Since the rethinking of the team’s philanthropic model, Eagles Care has been partnering with different local nonprofits every year for the past five years to offer support and resources to increase their impact, in addition to the more traditional financial contributions.

For the 2017 season, the three nonprofits the Eagles will be collaborating with are Dignity Housing, Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory and Ryan’s Case for Smiles. Each nonprofit also received a $10,000 grant.

We are thrilled to announce our 2017 #Eagles Care partners! Welcome to the family.

More: https://t.co/9rAlFa5klX pic.twitter.com/mLzEKxvhb2

— Eagles Community (@EaglesComms) August 14, 2017

So what will that support and resources, specifically coming from a football team, look like for these nonprofits?

Jessica Blum, development manager at Dignity Housing, a nonprofit providing affordable housing and homeless services to primarily single moms and their children dealing with domestic abuse or substance use disorders, said it’s two-fold.

One, Blum said the one-on-one help that will be made available to staff at Dignity Housing will be invaluable, especially considering how small of a nonprofit they are compared to the operations the Eagles run everyday. She herself is looking forward to receiving training on topics like human resources, Salesforce and social media, in addition to taking part in monthly “lunch-and-learn” events and the annual Eagles Care Summit.

And two, she said the residents will be able to benefit from not only being able to meet the players and go to Eagles games but also from increased publicity with Dignity Housing just being associated with the Eagles. (One way Blum is getting traffic to Dignity Housing’s Facebook page is by hosting a raffle for tickets to tonight’s preseason game.)

We're hosting a Facebook contest for a chance to win 4 @Eagles suite tickets for this Thursday's game! 🏈LINK: https://t.co/vH3qlRtgsV pic.twitter.com/mdrKoZnAqc

— Dignity Housing (@DignityHousing) August 15, 2017

Blum hopes the increased attention and knowledge of Dignity Housing and the work the staff does will help broaden their reach and make their impact sustainable for homeless communities throughout the city.