Gold Jacket Spotlight: Peyton Manning’s philanthropic efforts leaving legacy

For many, the name PEYTON MANNING is synonymous with greatness, whether you recall his legendary 17-year NFL career, two Super Bowl wins or perhaps his five MVP awards. 

Yet, for Peyton, his post-NFL efforts through philanthropy might leave the biggest impact on others, and that work takes center stage in this week’s Gold Jacket Spotlight.

Peyton and his wife, Ashley, created the PeyBack Foundation in 1999, his second season in the NFL. The foundation aims to promote the future success of disadvantaged youth by assisting programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities for children at risk. Since its inception, the PeyBack Foundation has provided millions of dollars through grants and programs.

“It’s appropriately named ‘PeyBack,’ really paying back for all of the blessings in my life and all of the support I’ve had throughout my lifetime,” Peyton said in a 2012 interview with his alma mater, the University of Tennessee.

In 2003, he donated more than $40 million to a hospital in Indianapolis, which is now named the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent. The hospital continues to provide support as a full-service pediatric hospital dedicated to the needs of children and families.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated Peyton’s hometown of New Orleans, he and his brother, Eli, secured a plane, helped fill it with 30,000 pounds of relief supplies and flew to Louisiana a week after the hurricane to make a delivery. His efforts helped earn him the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2005.

“The ability to work with and help people in the community is one of the more rewarding opportunities we have as NFL players, which is why this is one of the most meaningful honors I have ever received,” Peyton said after accepting the award.

“My dad was always very involved in New Orleans and Mississippi, where he's from. When I played in Indianapolis, my head coach, TONY DUNGY, always encouraged players to get involved in the community, Manning remarked. “So, I had kind of my leaders and mentors paving the way, showing me the example of giving back.”

Peyton also is a longtime supporter of The Pat Summitt Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Summitt coached the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team from 1974-2012, stepping down due to the effects of the disease. 

Peyton also sits on the American Red Cross-National Celebrity Cabinet.

Twenty-five years after beginning his foundation, Peyton was selected as the recipient of the 2024 Mizel Institute Community Enrichment Award. Each year, the Mizel Institute presents the award to deserving individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the community and worked to significantly enhance the lives of others. The Hall of Famer has supported numerous charities through his PeyBack Foundation and has placed an emphasis on youth education, leadership and wellness.

In recent years, he has also honored his late teammate Demaryius Thomas by funding the "18 to 88" (Manning’s and Thomas’ numbers) scholarship in Denver, as well as a scholarship in Thomas' name at Georgia Tech, his alma mater.

“Certainly, playing football gives you a platform to create awareness and raise funds,” Peyton said at the Mizel Institute ceremony. “I don't think players are doing community service to win an award like tonight or to win the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, but I think when you are recognized for it, it does make you want to keep doing it.”