What started as a single fantasy football event has grown into a movement. In 2013, Big League Impact hosted its inaugural fantasy football event, Waino’s World, raising more than $110,000 for St. Louis nonprofit Operation Food Search and international clean water engineering organization Water Mission. The success was so remarkable that it sparked something bigger — an invitation for other professional baseball players to join the mission and host leagues in their own hometowns.

Since that pivotal first year, Big League Impact and its community of professional athletes, musicians and other public figures have raised more than $11 million for charitable causes. Through creative events and campaigns that capture the attention of fans nationwide, we’ve built a platform that amplifies the causes our players care about most, turning celebrity influence into real-world impact.

Our Mission

Save Lives. Restore dignity. Instill hope.

We believe that when professional athletes use their platforms purposefully, extraordinary things happen. Big League Impact connects the passion of sports fans with the charitable causes that matter most to the players they admire.

Since 2013, we’ve worked with dozens of MLB players, hosting a variety of campaigns and events from coast to coast. By hosting engaging events and campaigns across the country, we create meaningful opportunities for fans to support the issues their favorite athletes champion, multiplying the impact of every donation and every voice.

Our Leadership

Big League Impact is the brainchild of St. Louis Cardinals legend and Roberto Clemente Award winner Adam Wainwright. The organization reflects his creativity, generosity and passion for maximizing effectiveness and impact in charitable work. Under Waino’s leadership and guidance, Big League Impact has evolved from a charity fantasy football league into a thriving community of professional baseball players working together to raise money for the causes they care about.

Great pitchers possess remarkable talents beyond their physical gifts, and Big League Impact vice president Kyle Gibson exemplifies this perfectly. With his strategic mindset and natural thoughtfulness, Gibby has been instrumental in Big League Impact’s expansion across MLB since joining in 2017. A three-time Roberto Clemente Award nominee, his decade-plus career has included stints with Minnesota, Texas, Philadelphia, Baltimore and St. Louis. Check out our article “Pitching for a Purpose” to read more about his charitable impact.

Get Involved

Ready to join the BLI community? Whether you’re a professional athlete looking to amplify your charitable impact, a fan wanting to support causes you care about, or a sponsor seeking partnership opportunities, we’d love to hear from you.

Together, we can create a Big League Impact.

Contact Us:
[email protected]

Press Inquiries:
[email protected]

Our Impact By the Numbers

• $11+ million raised for charitable causes since 2013
• Dozens of MLB players on our BLI roster who participate through events, fundraising campaigns, and Mission 3:18 service outings
• Nationwide reach with MLB teams and fans from coast to coast
• Countless lives impacted through the 178+ charities we’ve served

Annual Reports

Annual Report (2023)
Annual Report (2022)
Annual Report (2021)

Thank you to Sandberg Phoenix, which provides pro bono legal services for Big League Impact.