Our Story
Athletes for Hope was founded in 2006 by a group of elite athletes who all share a common bond – a deep commitment to helping others. These Founders included Muhammad Ali, Warrick Dunn, Mia Hamm, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Jeff Gordon, Andre Agassi, and Alonzo Mourning, among others.
Each of our Founders have dedicated significant time, energy, and resources to various charitable causes. And in all of their journeys, they found a common theme: many athletes want to give back but don’t know where to begin. Our Founders saw that the sports community is competitive by nature, which had led to a fragmented approach to philanthropy.
And so, our Founders decided to break the mold. By reaching out to professional, amateur, and youth athletes alike, Athletes for Hope was designed to bring all types of athletes together to educate and inspire them to channel their energy for a common goal: to make a difference in the world.
Since our inception over 17 years ago, AFH has expanded our network and now works with thousands of athletes across virtually all sports and promotes equality, inclusion and diversity for all.
In January 2024, AFH launched its Athlete Leadership Council (ALC), spearheaded by esteemed athletes Stephen Curry, Katie Ledecky and Nathan Chen. The goal of the ALC is to carry the mission of AFH Founding Athletes forward and inspire the next generation to make the world a better place.
Mission
AFH is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that aims to educate, encourage, and assist athletes in their efforts to engage with community and charitable causes, to increase public awareness of and support for those efforts, and to inspire others to do the same. AFH empowers professional, Olympic, Paralympic and collegiate athletes to channel their energy for a common goal: to make the world a better place.
Vision
The athletic spirit is a powerful thing. Whether they’re professional or amateur, young or old, all athletes have an innate desire to push the limits. They strive to achieve their full potential, elevate their sport and inspire others.
Along with our Founders, we are breaking down barriers and bringing people together. Through our work, we see a world where all athletes recognize their untapped potential to make a positive impact on the world and follow through by giving their time and energy to supporting the causes they care about.