Student projects
Green Diamond project grants
Funding and mentors to build the best ideas from the Green Diamond Challenge at real venues.
- Solar and shade structures
- Reusable cup and zero waste systems
- Smart water for fields
Our mission
Back young people early. Give them the green light.
We fund student and community projects that make sports greener, from the neighborhood court to the professional arena, in the name of a man who believed in young people.
Billy Martin went to bat for players others overlooked, like Rod Carew and Rickey Henderson. The Foundation does the same for students, coaches and communities with ideas that can change how sports are played, watched and powered.
What we fund
Four ways we put ideas on the field
Every grant goes to a real project at a real place where people play. Every sport, every level.
Communities
Neighborhood field and court grants
Help for parks, rec centers, schools and youth leagues that want greener, safer places to play.
- Efficient lighting for courts and fields
- Shade and heat safety for young players
- Recycling and compost at youth games
Students
Green Light scholarships
Support for students who combine sports with science, engineering, art or math to lead on climate.
- High school and college students
- Green Diamond finalists and team leaders
- Student athletes with a project
Centennial
Billy Martin legacy projects
Projects that honor Billy's life leading up to his 100th birthday on May 16, 2028.
- History and storytelling for young fans
- Murals and art from reused sports gear
- Projects in his hometown of Berkeley
How funding will work
From idea to installed
Propose
A student team, school, league or community group tells us about a project.
Review
Our team and volunteer experts look at impact, cost and who it helps.
Fund
Selected projects receive a grant and a mentor.
Build
The project goes in at a real field, court, rink or arena.
Share
Teams report what changed so others can copy it.
Grants begin once the Foundation is fully set up. You can propose a project now using the form below.
Our programs
Where the work happens
Green Diamond Challenge
A free competition where high school and college teams design ideas to make stadiums, arenas, fields and courts greener. Finalists pitch live on Earth Day at EarthX in Dallas.
greendiamondchallenge.orgGreen Light Legacy
The story of Billy Martin's life, the players he believed in, and a timeline of photos from 1948 to 1989.
billymartin.orgBilly Martin Centennial
A season of student projects and celebrations building to Billy's 100th birthday on May 16, 2028.
Follow the countdownWho Billy was
A life of believing in people
A kid from West Berkeley who outworked everyone. Billy won as a player, won as a manager, and fought for the young players he believed in.
1952
1953
1974
1986Photos via Wikimedia Commons: public domain, except the plaque (Delaywaves, CC BY 3.0).
How it started
A son's pride and a friend's respect
The Foundation began the day Billy Martin Jr. shared with Steve Bender how much he admired his father. Steve was deeply touched, and a friendship was born. Together they set out to honor Billy's legacy in a way that looks forward.
Leadership
Board of Directors and Advisory Committee
Chairman, Board of Directors
Billy Martin Jr.
Billy Martin Jr. is the son of baseball legend Billy Martin and has spent his life around the game. Born in Minnesota, he grew up following his father's career from Detroit to Texas to New York. In the summer of 1977 he was at Yankee Stadium wearing a small copy of his dad's number 1 as the Yankees won the World Series.
He earned a degree in telecommunications from Texas Tech University, where he played baseball and soccer, and interned in the Yankees' public relations department in 1986, the year his father's number was retired. After nine years in sports television production, he co-founded Pro Agents with David Pepe in 1995 and has represented Major League Baseball players ever since. In 2017 he was named field manager and president of baseball operations for the Texas AirHogs.
As Chairman, he is carrying his father's belief in young people into a new generation.
Board of Directors and Chair, Advisory Committee
Steve Bender
Steve Bender is a global sustainability leader and strategic advisor who brings business, government and nonprofit leaders together around shared goals. He is Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce and President of the Rotary Club of Newport Beach, and he serves on the Rotary Climate Action Team.
Through Sea 2 Sky Solutions he works on climate, ocean and community projects on six continents, including EarthX and the Rotary Reef Project. A former President of the Newport Bay Conservancy and a certified Master Diver, Steve designed the Green Diamond Challenge.
Board of Directors and Advisory Committee
Dawn Weeks Spalding
Dawn Weeks Spalding is Vice President of Development at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, where she leads membership and sponsorship. She helps businesses and community partners get the most from working together, and she brings that experience in building lasting partnerships to the Foundation.
Our home run
The biggest impact we can make
Sports bring people together like nothing else. When the places we play go green, millions of fans see it happen.
1
Every sport
Football, basketball, soccer, hockey, tennis, swimming, track and baseball.
2
Every level
From the neighborhood court to the professional arena.
3
Real projects
Ideas that get built, measured and shared.
4
Future leaders
Students who leave ready to lead on climate.
Supporting the Foundation
We are getting set up
The Billy Martin Foundation is being formed now. We are not accepting donations until the Foundation is fully set up. When we are ready, we will share how to give.
Until then, there are other ways to help.
- Join the listBe the first to know when the Foundation opens.
- Propose a projectTell us about a field, court or venue that needs help.
- VolunteerMentor a student team or serve as a judge.
- Partner with usSchools, venues, Rotary clubs and companies.
Latest news
News
Updates from the Foundation and its programs. Follow by RSS.
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Get in touch
Contact us
Propose a project, volunteer, partner with us, or ask a question. We will get back to you.