Cubs Charities is expanding access to quality fields for young athletes in Chicago
Cubs Charities expands access with $3 million Diamond Project commitment
Cubs Charities is making a major investment in Chicago’s young athletes, committing $3 million over the next three years through its Diamond Project to improve youth baseball and softball fields across the city. The announcement comes as the Chicago Cubs mark their 150th anniversary as a National League franchise, tying a historic milestone to a long-term community commitment centered on access, equity and opportunity.
For many young people in Chicago, the quality of a field can shape the quality of their experience in sports. A well-maintained diamond creates a safer place to play, but it also sends a message that the young people using that space matter. Cubs Charities is leaning into that idea by using this anniversary moment to strengthen neighborhoods through capital improvements that can have a lasting impact.
The Diamond Project is the organization’s flagship capital investment program, focused on upgrading baseball and softball facilities in partnership with the Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools and community organizations. Since the program began, Cubs Charities has invested more than $14 million and completed 116 projects across Chicago. This latest round of funding adds another layer to that legacy and continues the organization’s effort to level the playing field for youth across the city.
“Cubs Charities’ $3 million commitment is an investment in Chicago’s youth and families,” said Lea Jesse, Cubs Charities Executive Director and Vice President. “Through the Diamond Project, we’re investing in neighborhoods across the city to ensure kids have access to safe, high quality places to play close to home, which is essential to youth development. These youth programs teach kids teamwork, confidence, and the power of hard work. We’re thrilled to be a small part of their journey.”
That quote reinforces the heart of the initiative. High-quality fields do more than host games and practices. They create room for physical activity, discipline, teamwork, confidence and neighborhood pride. In communities where resources can often feel uneven, these upgrades can make a real difference for youth sports programs, schools and families.
The importance of the investment also extends beyond baseball and softball. Projects like this help reinforce the role neighborhood parks and school athletic spaces play in the daily life of Chicago communities. These are places where young people gather, where families connect and where communities build identity. When those spaces are improved, the effect reaches far past the foul lines.
Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa emphasized how central these diamonds are in neighborhoods across the city. He noted that investments like these elevate local parks, support player development and help provide spaces where children can live healthy, active lives. That point matters because access to quality recreational infrastructure is often tied to broader conversations about equity in Chicago. Some communities have long had more resources, stronger facilities and greater visibility than others. Investments like the Diamond Project help address that gap in a meaningful way.
To mark the announcement, Cubs Charities and the Chicago Park District will host a community celebration and ribbon-cutting on Saturday, April 25, at Dawes Park, located at 8052 S. Damen Ave. in Auburn Gresham. The event will bring together community members, local leaders, elected officials and Cubs Charities leadership to highlight one of the program’s latest improvements. At Dawes Park, Cubs Charities restored the field to varsity level, resurfaced the infield and will replace a batting cage, creating a stronger space for youth athletes on the South Side.
That kind of visible investment matters in a neighborhood like Auburn Gresham, where improved athletic facilities can become part of a larger effort to support youth engagement and community stability. A renovated field is practical, but it is also symbolic. It says young athletes in that neighborhood deserve quality too.
Applications for future Diamond Project funding opened April 17 and are now available to local nonprofits, community-based organizations and youth sports programs with projects located in Chicago. While the $3 million commitment will be spread over three years, project timelines will vary, and not every project will be completed within that exact window.
Since 2009, Cubs Charities has invested more than $62 million in efforts tied to youth sports and education, impacting roughly 400,000 Chicagoans each year through partnerships with more than 100 local organizations. This latest commitment continues that work with a clear focus on giving Chicago’s youth safe, high-quality places to grow, compete and build community.