KENT COUNTY, Mich — Since the very first Whitecaps players took the field in 1994, the organization has been stepping up to the plate to make a difference.
The Whitecaps Community Foundation was established in 2012 to serve as the the team's nonprofit arm, continuing a mission of community involvement.
"Even before it was a thing, it was always a core part of how we operated this business, and is something we're trying to keep going today," said Joe Chamberlin, the CEO and Managing Partner of the West Michigan Whitecaps and Board chair of the Whitecaps Community Foundation.
Chamberlin's father founded the business.
"I threw out that first pitch in 1994," he explained. "My earliest memories of, you know, how minor league baseball impacts the community really were... through the eyes of me as a 10-year-old."
"It was the youth baseball programs that we had, even back then, it was the reading club programs that we had," said Chamberlin. "It truly is about creating fans and again, giving back to a community that supports us so well."
The commitment has grown over the years. A partnership with the YMCA and the Ted Rasberry Youth League allows kids to play baseball for free each summer. Since 1995, more than $250,000 has been pledged, giving more than 40,000 kids an opportunity to play the sport.
The team's Give-A-Glove campaign collects donations year-round to remove barriers to the game.
"This year, they're trying to get about 600 kids to participate," said Nate Phillips, Community and Media Relations Manager for the Whitecaps. "We want to make sure that every kid is able to get a glove."
The foundation is also "covering all the bases" when it comes to childhood literacy.
A reading club turns pages into possibilities, building excitement about reading.
"Tens of thousands of kids throughout West Michigan have the opportunity to read during the month of March and earn a free ticket to a baseball game," Chamberlin said.
Over the last 10 years, the organization has also donated more than 15,000 books to Grand Rapids Public School students.
"We want the Whitecaps to be bigger than baseball," Phillips said.
The Pinch Hitter program provides nonprofits and other community groups the chance to attend a game. The team also hosts community-centric nights to pay tribute to local first responders, along with promotional nights featuring characters like Bluey- and new for 2026 Peppa Pig.
"Finding ways to be able to be creative and fun and a little bit quirky when it comes to baseball are some really great things we love to do with the Whitecaps," Phillips said.
Win or lose- the mission remains the same: knocking out of the park for fans and the community.
"If we're going to invite 400,000 fans to come visit us every summer, we have to be looking for ways to give back and do more even beyond the walls of LMCU Ballpark, and make sure that in this community, people know the Whitecaps, and they know that the Whitecaps care about West Michigan," Chamberlin said.
The Whitecaps Community Foundation generates an annual impact of over $1.4 million.
To learn more about the Whitecaps Community Foundation, click here.
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