501(c)(3) nonprofit · Athlete transition & community impact
48 & Forward helps athletes build the life after sport, and gives kids in underserved communities a shot at one. Financial education, mental health support, meals, mentorship, and scholarships that survive the setback.
Our mission
An athlete whose career ends early and a child whose opportunity never arrives are facing the same thing: a future nobody prepared them for. 48 & Forward builds the bridge in both directions.
The bridge
When the game ends
Injury, roster cuts, retirement. The structure disappears overnight and takes the income, the identity, and the network with it. We teach the money before it arrives, and we put mental health, medical, and career support in an athlete's hands before the crisis, not after.
When the chance never comes
A hungry kid cannot compete in a classroom or on a field. We fund nutritious meals paired with enrichment and mentorship, and we restore scholarships for students whose path was interrupted by injury or hardship.
Programs
Flagship program
Right now it's an event. It should be a requirement.
Combine style financial education for athletes at every level. Money that arrives early and stops early, taxes, contracts, agents, ownership, and what to do with the first check before somebody else decides for you.
We deliver it today as a live event. Our goal is a standing course inside high school and college athletic programs, sitting alongside strength and conditioning as something every athlete completes, not something a lucky few get invited to.
Wealth Beyond The Game is financial education delivered for informational purposes. 48 & Forward Foundation does not sell securities, is not a registered broker dealer, and does not provide investment advice.
For athletes in transition
Sports specialized therapists, cost covered
We are not a clinic. We match athletes and their families to licensed therapists who have actually worked with athletes, and the foundation covers the cost of care. Two things most referral programs skip: who is on the other end of the line, and who pays for it.
Get matchedIn crisis right now? Call or text 988 in the US for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24 hours a day.
Career, housing, legal, medical
A vetted provider network built for the practical side of the exit. We match an athlete to the right specialist instead of handing over a list. Free to any athlete who asks, at any level, at any stage.
Request accessFor students who lost a scholarship to injury
Covers dorm housing and per-credit costs so the degree survives the injury. Reviewed by committee, awarded by semester, and paid directly to the university.
Apply or fund a studentFor the next generation
Children's healthy lunch and enrichment
Nutritious meals paired with enrichment and mentorship, because a hungry kid cannot compete in a classroom or on a field. Built as a community driven model designed to be repeated in any city that needs it, and the entry point for athletes who want to give back to the neighborhoods they came from.
Fund a schoolUpcoming
Dec 5, 2026
Jan 23, 2027
Feb 12, 2027
Give
We tell you what your money does before you give it, and we report on it after.
Give monthly · Give by check · Donor advised funds · Stock and crypto · Employer matching. Contact resources@48andforward.org
Get involved
Program sponsorship, cause campaigns, and employee engagement built around your reporting calendar, not ours.
Start a conversationSports specialized therapists, transition specialists, recruiters, housing providers, counsel, and clinicians. Get listed and get matched.
Apply to be listedIf you are navigating a transition, our support is free and confidential. Tell us what you need and we will match you.
Request support