While Dan Snyder is most well-known as the owner of the Washington Redskins, now known as the Washington Football team, his mark on the world has been far more profound. In fact, he has used his great professional success to touch the lives of millions of people through a wide range of philanthropic efforts.
Early in his adult years, Dan Snyder started his own company, Snyder Communications, Inc. Through aptitude and hard work, he took the company to recognition on the Fortune 500 list. He also became the youngest Chief Executive Officer to head up a New York Stock Exchange company. Approximately two decades ago, the company sold for $2.3 billion. At that time, Snyder Communications, Inc. employed almost 12,000 workers across several continents. Selling this company set the stage for Dan Snyder to purchase the NFL franchise he now owns. Using his business acumen, he has taken the Washington Football team franchise to becoming one of the most successful and valuable sports franchises worldwide.
Dan Snyder’s professional success and his impact on the business world, however, pale in comparison to his accomplishments as a philanthropist. Shortly after buying the NFL franchise, Snyder took advantage of his unique position to form the Washington Charitable Foundation. Through this foundation and privately in conjunction with his wife, Dan Snyder’s philanthropy has included personal donations of time and money as well as the collection and distribution of more than $30 million. He has actively supported a wide range of causes and programs, and these have collectively improved the lives of millions of people on multiple continents.
Close to home, Dan Snyder has compassionately supported more than 12,000 students at dozens of elementary and middle school campuses through a range of literacy, outreach and wellness programs. Through the Washington Charitable Foundation, Dan Snyder has raised money and awareness for Loads of Love. This is an outreach program designed to provide children with clean clothes when their families are unable to provide the clothing themselves. The primary goal of Loads of Love is to support the success of children in the classroom by providing them with much-needed clothes.
Between the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased focus on social injustice in 2020, Dan Snyder was presented with numerous opportunities to make a difference. He rose to support the local food bank during the pandemic by donating $100,000 of his personal funds. He also worked in conjunction with the Maryland National Guard to establish a virus testing site for the community at FedEx Field. To promote awareness of social injustice issues, Dan Snyder made a sizable donation of $250,000 to grassroots organizations. He has previously supported similar issues through the donation of $35,000 to the renovation project for the historic Ashburn Colored School. This all-black school operated for more than 50 years before it transitioned into becoming a historic site, but it was recently vandalized and required substantial renovations to return it to its historically accurate status.
Dan and Tanya Snyder have been active in supporting various children’s organizations over the years. The Children’s National Hospital and the National Center for Mission and Exploited Children have both benefited from their time and financial resources. Because of their substantial contributions to these organizations, new structures at their facilities have been named after them.
Some of the many other programs and organizations that he has actively supported include Youth for Tomorrow, Beacon House, the Gary Sinise Foundation, and Salute. Salute is his NFL team’s military appreciation program. Beyond these organized groups, Dan Snyder has reached out to support various communities in crisis. This began in 2004 when he provided direct aid to tsunami-ravaged areas throughout the coastal Asian communities. He took similar steps when Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Matthew hit the U.S. Aid was provided to individuals in need in areas that ranged from Puerto Rico and Haiti to Louisiana and other areas.
Daniel Snyder’s exceptional philanthropic efforts have not gone unnoticed. In fact, he was admitted into the Greater Washington Jewish Sports Hall of Fame a few years ago. He also is a recipient of the Charles B. Wang award. Going forward, it is clear that Dan Snyder will continue to be a positive guiding force in the lives of those around him and for people dealing with critical needs farther afield.
Additional information here: https://www.forbes.com/profile/dan-snyder/
