You Can Help Bring Out the Best in Every Kid With the Power of Play
Kids today are growing up more disconnected than any generation before them. The U.S. Surgeon General has called loneliness a public health crisis. In 2026, the American Academy of Pediatrics urged schools to protect recess as essential to children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
Play is how kids learn to connect, belong, and build the skills that carry them through life. When children feel like they belong at school it leads to improved attendance and classroom readiness.
Beyond the playground, play equips children with durable life skills such as cooperation, communication, and conflict resolution, preparing them for the future workforce. It also builds emotional resilience by reducing stress and creates meaningful leadership opportunities where students learn to lead, support others, and build strong communities.
Your support helps ensure that kids across the country have the opportunity to engage in play, fostering the confidence and connections they need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom. This translates to educators spending less time dealing with behavioral challenges and chronic absenteeism and more time teaching.
When you support Playworks, you are investing in a proven approach that has helped students, teachers, and schools for more than 30 years.
Playworks’ evidence-based impact:
- 30 years, 5.3 million students, 89,000 student leaders, 6,000+ schools.
- 43% reduction in bullying and aggression at Playworks schools – Mathematica randomized controlled trial
- 2 weeks of instructional time recovered each year because students return from recess regulated and ready
- Playworks is alongside the most rigorously evaluated programs in the country, earning a Tier 1 Rand Corporation SEL designation
- 95% of educators at Playworks schools report the program creates an environment where students feel they belong – belonging drives attendance, focus, and success
How to Give via DAF
Contact your financial institution or community foundation to recommend a grant to Playworks. DAF gifts can be directed to:
Playworks Education Energized
EIN #3251867
P.O. Box 103856, Pasadena, CA 91189-3856
Specify Playworks region if desired.
Let us know at donate@playworks.org that your donation is coming so we can thank you for your generosity.
Frequently Asked Questions
A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is a giving account established at a public charity. The 501(c)(3) public charity serves as a “sponsoring organization,” which manages and administers individual DAF accounts. DAF accounts allow donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction and then recommend grants from the fund over time. Donors can contribute to the fund as frequently as they like, and then recommend grants to their favorite charitable organizations whenever it makes sense for them. This allows donors to give when they can, then grant when it’s needed.
- Contribute: You open an account with a sponsoring organization and fund it with cash, appreciated securities, or other assets. Because you are officially giving the money to a 501(c)(3) public charity, you receive an immediate tax deduction.
- Invest: The money is placed into investment pools where it can potentially grow tax-free. The more the fund grows, the more money you have available to distribute to charities down the line.
- Grant: You can log into your account portal to recommend grants (distributions) to your favorite qualified U.S. public charities. The sponsoring organization will verify the charity and mail the check on your behalf.
DAFs offer immediate tax deductions, tax-free investment growth, and the ability to avoid capital gains taxes on appreciated assets. They provide maximum flexibility by allowing you to take a deduction now and distribute grants to qualifying charities at your own pace. Please consult with your tax advisor for more information.
You’ll need Playworks’ legal name, tax ID, and mailing address.
Playworks Education Energized
EIN #3251867
P.O. Box 103856, Pasadena, CA 91189-3856
Specify Playworks region if desired.
If you do not currently have a DAF and would like to support Playworks today, here are other ways to give >
Playworks is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and your gift may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes. Please consult with your tax advisor for more information. For your tax purposes, our Tax ID: 94-3251867.
If you have any questions about making a gift to Playworks, please contact donate@playworks.org.
