Get a Glove, Give a Glove with Glove of the Month

Learn how Wilson's Glove of the Month helps players take the field with Pitch in For Baseball & Softball.

For every Wilson Glove of the Month sold, non-profit organization Pitch in for Baseball & Softball, or PIFBS, can donate a ball glove to a child in need, expanding access to baseball and softball across the globe.

“Every Glove of the Month that gets sold generates a donation to PIFBS that can be used for a new glove,” said Wilson Baseball Commercial Director Michael Markovich.

Markovich joined the board of PIFBS in 2012, and current PIFBS CEO Meredith Kim joined the organization in 2013. Beginning July 2014, Wilson adopted PIFBS as the primary charity partner for GOTM, and glove sales have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars directly to the nonprofit. The 501(c)(3) organization receives a credit for every glove sold, and it can use that credit on any Wilson equipment needed to get young players on the field. In addition to sending baseball and softball equipment across the country and world, PIFBS sponsors schools and leagues to get gear in the hands of players. Chicago, Wilson’s hometown, is one of the host cities for PIFBS programming.

“We feel like we can’t do our work without (Wilson),” Kim said. “We want to foster that partnership, so we reinvest that credit into programs in the Chicago area.”

PIFBS donates equipment to participating schools, then the organization asks schools to report back on student grades and attendance records during baseball and softball season. From 2016 through 2020, the programs found more than 75% of participating students improved grades and attendance during the season.

“I feel like we are helping to create memories for them and experiences for them,” Kim said. “It is solely because of (Wilson’s) investment in us that we are able to do that for these Chicago schools.”

Wilson team members have worked with PIFBS to hand-deliver gear to partner programs in the Chicago community, and employees will also speak with students about their roles at the company. For example, Wilson Senior Glove Designer Ryan Smith met with students to share his work designing baseball and softball gloves, including several GOTM models. That experience, Kim said, shows students a variety of career paths they may not be aware of.

“Ryan’s job is legitimately cool and fun,” Kim said. “It’s really cool for kids to see that someone gets to do this for a living… I think that there’s so much merit in that.”

Dozens of Wilson team members look forward to working with PIFBS each year. The team visits local schools with new gear and invites students to the company’s downtown Chicago headquarters. According to Kim, limited access to gear is the biggest barrier to play. Through GOTM sales and Wilson’s partnership with PIFBS, Chicago students receive ball gloves and other gear they need to take the field.

“You guys, on so many different levels,” Kim said, “make it possible for us to have the impact that we have.”

What is Pitch in For Baseball & Softball®?

Pitch in For Baseball & Softball is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that gives the gift of play by donating baseball and softball gear to youth programs in need. The mission of PIFBS is to reduce barriers to play and contribute to positive youth development by providing equipment to leagues, schools and organizations around the world. PIFBS donations help recipients to start, continue and expand their baseball and softball programs.

Want to make a donation to PIFBS? Schedule a gear drop-off at the Harleysville, PA or Los Angeles, CA warehouse locations, or ship your new and lightly used gear directly to the PIFBS headquarters at 1565 Gehman Road, Harleysville, PA 19438. Learn more about how to help and submit monetary donations online at pifbs.org. Donors can also support Pitch in for Baseball & Softball via Venmo @PIFBS.

PIFBS, a longtime Wilson partner, has benefited from the GOTM program since July 2014. Every GOTM sold means a donated glove in the hands of a youth player, helping grow participation and love for the game.