Boeing Donates $50,000 to Black Future Co-op Fund at OL Reign Match

At halftime of the OL Reign vs. Portland Thorns FC match at Lumen Field on Sunday, August 29, Boeing presented the Black Future Co-op Fund with a $50,000 donation to continue their work supporting and ensuring equity and inclusion in Washington state.

OL Reign is a proud partner of both Boeing and the Black Future Co-op Fund. All three groups have committed to challenging the status quo and fighting for more representation and opportunities for those most impacted by anti-Black racism and oppression. The Black Future Co-op Fund is featured on the front OL Reign’s jersey this season, while Boeing is featured on the back, directly below the numbers.

“We are excited to support both Boeing and the Black Future Co-op Fund in their work to make a positive impact in our community,” said OL Reign CEO Bill Predmore. “We are incredibly proud to wear the logos of both organizations on our jersey, as both have demonstrated that they share and celebrate the values of our club.”

The Black Future Co-op Fund, founded by Andrea Caupain Sanderson, Angela Jones, J.D., Michelle Merriweather, and T’wina Nobles, is Washington’s first cooperative philanthropy by and for Black Washingtonians with the mission to ignite Black generational health, wealth, and well-being across the state. The organization has a goal of redefining philanthropy by centering Blackness and intentionally investing in Black-led solutions. Historically, philanthropy has overinvested in white-led nonprofits such that their revenues are 76% larger than Black-led organizations.

OL Reign began its partnership with the Black Future Co-op Fund in 2020, when the club played on behalf of the organization during the 2020 NWSL Fall Series, during which it raised more than $15,000 for the organization.

“We’re energized that professional sports teams like OL Reign and corporations like Boeing are answering the call and using their platforms to focus attention on racial justice,” said Senator T’wina Nobles, architect of the Black Future Co-op Fund. “To level the playing field, we need to significantly increase investment in Black communities.”

In addition to its donation to the Black Future Co-op Fund, Boeing continued its collaboration with OL Reign through its support of the Boeing Scholarship Program for OL Reign Academy. The Boeing Scholarship Program launched in 2020 in an effort to address the underrepresentation of girls of color in youth soccer. The program covers the full cost of participation fees in OL Reign Academy for several players of color. The 2021/2022 recipients -- Avah Avah Snodgrass, Tatiwyat Buck, and Arianna Ortiz -- were honored before OL Reign’s home match on August 21.

“Boeing is proud to partner with both the Black Future Co-Op Fund and OL Reign. Like our partners, Boeing is deeply committed to supporting Black communities and to strengthening economic opportunity across Washington state,” said Bill McSherry, vice president of Government Operations for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.