The Reaching Back Foundation is a vehicle to raise funds that benefit minority and disadvantaged children in the areas of education and technology. Through special events, the Foundation raised over $200,000 and distributed funds to charities in need with an emphasis on organizations in communities where charitable funding was scarce. The Foundation has no employees and has always operated as a volunteer organization.
For 10 years, the Foundation’s directors and friends hosted the Lee Elder Celebrity Golf Tournament to raised funds for charities. The tournaments attracted celebrities and professional athletes from around the country including golfing legend Calvin Peete, former Boston Celtics stars Tom Heinsohn and JoJo White; NBA legends Maurice Lucas, Dan Roundfield, Lou Hudson, and George Gervin, NFL legends Tony Hill, Roy Jefferson, Brent Williams, and Irving Fryar; comedians Lenny Clarke and Bernie Mac; musicians Rick Neilson, Skunk Baxter, Frank Stallone, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and Delbert McClinton; and actors Barry Williams and Richard Gant.
When funding to support golf tournaments it became more difficult to secure, the Foundation took time away from fundraising. Most recently, however, the Foundation has been associated with helping raise funds for the Next Level Football Program founded in 2013 at the Brockton Boys and Girls Club. In 2019, The Boys and Girls Club of America presented the Club with a Gold Medal for having the number one program in the United States in the category of Sports, Fitness and Recreation and in 2017 awarded the Club the Silver Medal. Over the past several years, over 90% of the young men participating in the program have gone on to attend 4-year colleges in comparison to about 16% in their peer group.
TEE UP DIVERSITY Foundation’s 2023 Special Events Committee
Working with members of The Country Club, the Foundation has created a diverse special event committee to help raise and distribute funds to non-profit organizations providing educational and professional development support to minorities and disadvantaged young people. The Special Event Committee Includes as follows: Macey Russell, Ned Corcoran, Alison Corcoran, Caroline Young, Alex Tschumakow, and George Sargent. The Event’s Host Committee consists of 38% racial and ethnic minorities.
Our next event is
Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 6:30 (PST).
TAGLYAN COMPLEX
Address: 1201 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA., 90038
The Board of Directors include E. Macey Russell, Esq., Foundation Chairman,Stephen M. Brackett, President Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk; Dwight F. Robinson, John P. Santos, III, Michael G. Saegh, and Anthony E. Venturoso. Four of the seven Board members are African American, and three are White. Although the Board consists of seven are men, our event committees composed of racial and ethnic minorities and without regard to gender orientation. The Foundation regularly engaged a women owned public relations firm and a women owned golf marketing company to help run and plan the golf tournaments.
A Partner of Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP, Macey is the foundations chairman. Listed in Best Lawyers in America and a member of Litigation Counsel of America’s Trial Lawyer Honorary Society. The Boston Foundation and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce listed him as one of Boston’s 100 Most Influential People of Color.
Tony is CEO and Founder of the Good Dogg Beverage, a purpose-driven, fruit-forward seltzer brand on a mission to put more heart into hard seltzer with their Leverage the Beverage™ campaign. The company gives a portion of every sale to animal shelters and companies that provide service animals for children with rare diseases.
Dwight Robinson, founder of FUNctional Games Apparel and the Jump Shot® brand, was born and raised in Camden to a single parent mother. His life and the life of many of his family and friends growing up was very different from what was portrayed by the media characterization of the ‘Most Dangerous City’ and ‘Poorest City’ in the U.S.
President, Managing Member, Co-Head of Alternative Investments at Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk at Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk, Llc Stephen Brackett is based out of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and works at Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk, Llc as President, Managing Member, Co-Head of Alternative Investments at Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk.
John is a Senior Loan Officer at MGCC. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University and also completed graduate business courses at Suffolk University, American Banking Institute of Commercial Lending Graduate School, and Harvard Graduate School of Design. He has over 28 years of financial services experience.
Michael has more than thirty years of experience in diverse leadership roles spanning executive management, corporate strategy, government relations, and international and domestic business development for emerging and established companies. Since 2015, Michael has successfully assisted organizations in creating management and financial efficiencies.
Communities Served by Foundation Historically.
Over the years, the Foundation has primarily served the Brockton Boys and Girls Club, which provides services to boys and girls of all ages, races and ethnicities, and economically disadvantaged youth ages 5-18. The racial and/or ethnic breakdown of club members is as follows: 47% self-identify as Black (African American, Haitian, Cape Verdean, etc.), 26% self-identify as Multiracial, 12% self-identify as Hispanic, 11% self-identify as Caucasian, and 4% self-identify as Other. In addition, 92% of the members qualify for free or reduced school lunch; 60% of the members come from single-parent households; 5% of the members have a physical or mental disability; and 8 different languages spoken by members’ families.
Proceeds from the Foundation’s Special Event will support the following organizations with targeted support for the following groups (by age, racial/ethnic background, and gender):
The Foundation will provide funds to support the scholarship programs of United Golfers Association and the United Negro College Fund, which focus on students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The emphasis will be to provide financial support to students interested in the business and game of golf and need funds to remain in college and graduate. The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCCA) provides data on the racial, ethnic and gender breakdown of HBCU golf teams (all divisions – DI, DII, and DIII) • Race/Ethnicity/Gender. NCAA 2021 data by race and ethnicity, and gender for students on golf teams at Historically Black Colleges and Universities is as follows:
51% Black, 20% Other and 30% White
60% Black, 30% Other and 10% White
48% Black, 16% Other and 36% White
• The Foundation will provide the UGA and UNCF with donor guidance that calls for them to provide financial support to HBCU students who are at risk to withdraw from college due to the lack of funds to pay bills and expenses and with an emphasis on students playing golf and/or are interested in the business of golf.
• The Foundation anticipates that the UGA and UNCF will distribute funds to students in line with the demographic percentages noted above although it is possible that students of African descent may receive a higher percentage of the funds based upon financial need.
The Foundation will use funds to endow The Lee Elder Scholarship Program. This scholarship will benefit minority college students from Massachusetts that work in the game of golf in any capacity including waiters and waitresses at golf cluns. This scholarship will provide funds to needy college students with an emphasis on racial and ethnic minority students and without regard to gender identity. The scholarship will be Administered by the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund.
Funds will be used to support urban based non-profit organizations that combine educational programs such as financial literacy with introducing the business and game of golf to racially and ethnically diverse groups (BIPOC).
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands
one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” AH
Join the Foundation and help us raise funds that benefit minority and disadvantaged children in the areas of education and technology.
Primarily serving economically disadvantaged youth ages 5-18.
Brockton Boys and Girls Club.
47% Black, 26% Multiracial, 12% Hispanic, 11% Caucasian, and 4% Other
Diverse ethnic racial breakdown
60% single-parent homes, 5% disability and 8 different languages spoken.
Economically disadvantaged youth
The Foundation uses funds to endow The Lee Elder Scholarship Program for minority students in golf.
Massachusetts Minority college students
The Foundation supports scholarship for United Golfers Association and the United Negro College Fund.
UGA – UNCF College Students
For questions, concerns or inquiries please contact us and we will respond at our earliest convenience.
