Programs and Events

The PeyBack Foundation accomplishes its mission of providing leadership and growth opportunities for children at risk through grant funding and hosting events throughout the year.  The Foundation continues to create and implement programs that will help children grow and become leaders.

Peyton’s Pals

The PeyBack Foundation instituted the Peyton’s Pals program in 2003.  The PeyBack Foundation works with Child Advocates in Indianapolis to select 15 to 20 teenagers each year to participate in this year-round program.  The Foundation sponsors a series of special events with at least one event a month.  The purpose of the program is to expose the children to a variety of educational, cultural and community service activities throughout the year.  The program concentrates on living a healthy lifestyle and helps participants deal with peer, family and school pressures.

The PeyBack Foundation launched the inaugural PeyBack Classic in 2000, enabling the Indianapolis Public High School (IPS) football teams to play for the first time in the RCA Dome.  In 2004, the PeyBack Foundation selected four new teams to participate in the event, a practice that has continued since that year, so more athletes have the opportunity to play in a professional stadium.  More than thirty Indiana high schools have participated in the PeyBack Classic over the years.

As part of the PeyBack Foundation ongoing mission to better the lives of today’s youth the Foundation has developed a PeyBack Foundation Scholarship.  Beginning in 2009, athletic directors from the schools participating in the PeyBack Classic have the opportunity to nominate students for the scholarship.  All students nominated are involved in athletics, their community, and thrive academically.

The PeyBack Foundation funds various programs in Indiana, Louisiana and Tennessee. The Foundation has distributed more than $4.3 million in grants since 2002, including $800,000 in May 2011 to 147 youth based organizations.  The PeyBack Foundation focuses primarily on economically disadvantaged youth. Emphasis is placed on programs that have a direct benefit to children through relationships and activities. Programs that are intended to enrich the lives of disadvantaged youth through activities conducted outside the typical school day (i.e., after-school and summer programming) are particularly favored by the Foundation.

The deadline for grant applications is February 1^st each year.

The PeyBack Foundation instituted a new program in September of 2004 in conjunction with Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent.  The “True Heroes” program provides events and parties with selected children at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent several times throughout the year.  Peyton wants to show each child that they are not in the fight alone.  Past events included special pizza parties, holiday celebrations at Barnes and Noble, tickets to sporting events, trips to the Zoo, and special visits from Manning.

The PeyBack Foundation is perhaps best known for its relationship with CASA.  Peyton has been a friend and supporter of CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, since he arrived in Indianapolis, donating over $100,000 to their cause. Child Advocates are appointed by the Marion County Courts to represent the best interests of children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse and neglect.  Each year the PeyBack Foundation hosts a flag football game at the Colts Training Facility for several youth within the CASA system.  Peyton is joined by several of his teammates who serve as coaches for this event. The flag football game helps raise awareness for new CASA volunteers.  

The PeyBack Foundation allows disadvantaged children the opportunity to attend Indianapolis Colts home games throughout the season as part of the Foundation’s Ticket Incentive Program. The PeyBack Foundation has purchased 35 tickets to each home game the last eight seasons to allow as many kids as possible to see the Colts play at Lucas Oil Stadium. Community organizations throughout central Indiana are able to apply for tickets by completing a one-page application detailing how they will use the tickets. Each organization must implement an incentive program to choose who attends the game.

The PeyBack Bowl is an annual celebrity bowling tournament, which is the sole fundraising event for the PeyBack Foundation each year.  Since it’s inception in 2003, the PeyBack Bowl has raised over $2.3 million for the PeyBack Foundation; benefiting children at risk.  This private event is open exclusively to sponsors and their guests and includes one on one interaction with popular national and local celebrities, including several members of the Indianapolis Colts, silent and live auctions featuring one-of-a-kind sports memorabilia items and experiences, and the chance to bowl two games to win great team and individual prizes.

Peyton knows how important the holidays are to children and their families. So during the months of November and December, the PeyBack Foundation hosts several holiday events for children and their families. Please click on the following links to learn more about how throughout the years Peyton and his Foundation has touched many families during the holiday season.