2025 Thunderbirds Charities Newsletter
The Impact Beyond the Fairways
THUNDERBIRDS CHARITIES AT
WORK IN THE COMMUNITY
For more than three decades, Thunderbirds Charities has served as the philanthropic heartbeat of the WM Phoenix Open, transforming one of golf’s most iconic events into one of Arizona’s most powerful forces for good. At the 2025 edition of “The People’s Open,” The Thunderbirds raised a record-breaking $18.1 million for charity – the highest single-year total in tournament history and the eighth time the event has surpassed the $10 million mark. That milestone pushed total charitable giving from the tournament beyond $226 million, supporting hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the Valley.
Those numbers tell an extraordinary story on their own, but the true impact of Thunderbirds Charities is measured in something far more meaningful – lives changed, opportunities created, and communities strengthened. Each year, grants are directed toward organizations doing vital work on the ground – often quietly, always with purpose. What follows are just a few of the stories made possible through Thunderbirds Charities’ continued commitment to the Arizona community.
HERE ARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM A FEW OF OUR CHARITY PARTNERS.
Highlighted Stories:
Make Way for Books
For Make Way for Books, the path to lifelong success begins early – from birth through age five. The organization works across Arizona to ensure children enter kindergarten ready to learn by empowering parents, caregivers, and early educators with books, tools, and research-based strategies that turn everyday moments into powerful learning opportunities.
With support from Thunderbirds Charities, Make Way for Books expanded its Neighborhood School Readiness program across Maricopa County, bringing a dual-generation approach to early literacy. The program combines Story School for families and The Story Project for educators, strengthening outcomes both at home and in early learning environments. Offered in Title I schools, neighborhood resource centers, preschools, and community spaces, the program focuses on communities that have historically been under-resourced.
Families receive books and literacy materials to build home libraries, while caregivers and educators gain the skills and confidence to support young learners during the most critical years of development. Thunderbirds Charities’ support has allowed Make Way for Books to meet growing demand, expand equitable access to literacy tools, and help ensure more children across central Phoenix are prepared to thrive in kindergarten and beyond.
ARCH
For nearly 50 years, ARCH has served children and adults with special needs across the Phoenix area, offering recreational activities, health and wellness programs, socialization opportunities, and life-skills development on its five-acre campus. With 85 percent of participants considered low income, access to quality health and wellness services is critical to the organization’s mission.
As ARCH’s programs expanded and demand for services grew, the need for dedicated, modern facilities became clear. In 2024, ARCH launched its Horizon of Hope, Building Wellness Together campaign to construct a new two-story Health & Wellness Center on campus. Thanks in part to the generous support of Thunderbirds Charities, construction began in August 2025 and continues to move forward. Once complete, the 8,000-square-foot facility will house 19 specialized activity and therapy spaces, allowing ARCH to expand preventive care, education, and wellness programming while deepening partnerships with occupational therapy, nursing, dental, and health-related university programs. The new center will enhance services, improve participant experiences, and strengthen ARCH’s ability to promote healthier, more independent lives for the individuals and families it serves.
Hope Women’s Center & Harvest Compassion Center
Hope Women’s Center and Harvest Compassion Center share a common belief: lasting change begins by meeting people where they are, with dignity, compassion, and practical support. Together, the two organizations serve women, children, and families facing crisis across the Phoenix area.
For more than 40 years, Hope Women’s Center has walked alongside women and teen girls navigating difficult life circumstances, offering trauma-informed care, essential resources, and programs focused on healing, life skills, and long-term stability. In the past year alone, Hope served more than 2,500 women and teen girls through over 70,000 program interactions across its six physical locations and mobile outreach efforts.
Harvest Compassion Center complements that work by addressing immediate needs. For 16 years, Harvest has provided food, clothing, and essential resources to families experiencing food insecurity. In 2025, the organization served more than 21,000 families – including over 60,000 children – ensuring no child goes to bed hungry.
With support from Thunderbirds Charities, Hope Women’s Center and Harvest Compassion Center strengthened their partnership, creating a more holistic approach to care. By working side by side, the organizations are able to provide both short-term relief and long-term support, building trust quickly and helping families move forward through hardship with renewed stability and hope.
Phoenix Zoo
At the Phoenix Zoo, exceptional animal care depends on having the right resources in place at the right time. With generous community support, the Zoo is now building a new Veterinary Medical Center designed to significantly expand on-site medical capabilities and improve how quickly and effectively animals can be diagnosed and treated.
The new facility will include modern treatment spaces, advanced diagnostic tools, and expanded capacity to care for animals requiring specialized or longer-term medical attention. It will also offer guests a rare window into the veterinary care behind the scenes, highlighting the expertise, science, and dedication that support every animal’s well-being.
Support from Thunderbirds Charities has helped move this essential project forward, ensuring the Phoenix Zoo can continue providing world- lass care and advancing its mission for generations to come.
United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona
United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona provides pediatric therapy and mobility services for children with disabilities throughout the Valley, helping young patients build strength, improve movement, and gain greater independence.
In 2025, as multiple pediatric therapy clinics across Phoenix closed, access to care became increasingly limited and waitlists grew. A grant from Thunderbirds Charities enabled UCP to expand its Downtown East Pediatric Mobility Training Center, more than doubling available therapy space, adding advanced mobility technology, and increasing service capacity.
This investment strengthened the region’s pediatric therapy infrastructure and ensured more families could access the critical services their children need to progress and thrive.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
A transformational $1 million investment from Thunderbirds Charities launched the Thunderbirds Charities Leadership Academy at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, a youth leadership initiative reaching more than 20,000 young people across the region. The Academy uses team-based athletics, mentorship, and community engagement to build confidence, leadership skills, and a commitment to service among youth.
The program reflects a shared legacy of giving back, empowering participants to lead with purpose and make meaningful contributions in their communities.
That investment also supports AZ PLAYS, a statewide initiative led by Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley to expand equitable access to youth sports. AZ PLAYS integrates inclusive, developmentally appropriate athletics into club sites across Arizona, using sports as a platform for physical and mental health, leadership development, and workforce pathways through the AZYouthforce program. By connecting schools, funders, and community partners, AZ PLAYS is helping build a sustainable, community-centered youth sports ecosystem statewide.
