One detail in the Alec Bohm lawsuit made my heart sink.
The Philadelphia Phillies infielder claims his parents used funds from the Alec Bohm Foundation, his charitable organization, to pay their personal expenses.
What a loss — not only because Bohm’s foundation has the potential to do good, but also because situations of charitable mismanagement are often preventable with a few good conversations.
The good work athletes do
Athletes launch foundations to use their platform for good. That impulse, the desire to give back, is something I see in professional sports every day.
Athletes fund youth sports programs in underserved communities. They build fields and facilities where kids can play. They support families through medical crises and show up at hospitals, fire stations, and schools because these communities mean something to them.
When done right, athlete philanthropy changes lives for the people they help and for the athletes themselves. The “giving high” is real. Athletes who engage meaningfully with their communities perform better, feel more connected to their purpose, and build legacies that outlast their playing careers.
That’s what makes situations like Bohm’s so heartbreaking. The people who should have benefited from his charitable work may receive nothing. And an athlete who wanted to do good now faces questions about whether his foundation was run properly.
For agents, team executives and industry professionals who guide athletes through these decisions, understanding the risks is essential. Because when an athlete’s foundation fails, it comes with a reputational hit and, more importantly, the loss of great potential for positive impact.
What’s missing from conversations
Too often, athletes staff their foundations with family members. Mom becomes executive director, and Dad handles finances. It feels natural because these are the people they trust. However, if those family members lack nonprofit management experience, they’re learning on the job, with the athlete’s money and reputation at stake.
If we’re serious about protecting athlete philanthropy, agents and advisers must help athletes ask:
- Is the athlete receiving regular financial reports showing where foundation money goes? Not verbal updates, but actual statements with documentation.
- Is the money being disbursed consistent with the foundation’s mission?
- Does the foundation have an independent board, or is it entirely family-controlled?
- Are foundation funds in completely separate accounts from personal or business finances? Mixing accounts is a massive red flag.
- Is someone with nonprofit expertise ensuring compliance with IRS and state requirements?
- If the foundation is paying salaries to family members, are those salaries reasonable and properly documented?
- Can the athlete explain to a reporter or an IRS auditor generally what the foundation does and where the money goes?
If an athlete can’t answer these questions, it may be time to connect them with qualified nonprofit support before problems escalate.
The gap that could lead to problems
I’ve had countless conversations with players, families, and representatives about launching charitable foundations. Enthusiasm is always there, and they genuinely want to make a difference. But too often, the early questions focus on tangible pieces: What should we name it? What paperwork do we need to file? Who can help us throw the first fundraiser?
Those are important questions. But rarely does anyone ask the harder ones that inquire about independent oversight, compliance, and systems needed to protect the foundation’s work and mission.
That’s the gap that leads to situations like Bohm’s. These foundations may navigate complex nonprofit regulations without the expertise or infrastructure to do so effectively.
Professional nonprofit organizations have systems such as independent boards, financial controls, regular audits, and transparent reporting that family-run operations often overlook or are unprepared for. This doesn’t mean a family can’t be involved, but proper structure, oversight, and accountability should be non-negotiable.
Athletes need independent oversight. They need people running their foundations who understand nonprofit management. Protecting an athlete’s off-field mission, part of their legacy, should be a priority.
It ensures that every dollar athletes dedicate to helping others reaches the communities they care about.
The industry’s role
Teams, leagues and agents are uniquely positioned to guide athletes toward sustainable, compliant philanthropy.
This means providing financial literacy and nonprofit governance education as part of rookie programs and player development initiatives. Connect athletes with qualified philanthropic advisers before they launch foundations, not after problems emerge.
Advisers can encourage athletes to start with simpler charitable structures (fiscal sponsorship, donor-advised funds, partnerships with existing nonprofits) before creating the complexity of a private foundation or a public charity. And they can make it clear that launching a foundation is a serious business decision that requires the same professional support as any other financial or legal matter.
The bottom line
Athletes are some of the most generous people in sports. They give their time, their platforms, and their resources to make communities better. That generosity deserves to be protected with the same professionalism and care they bring to their sport.
For the agents, executives, and advisers who guide them: Helping athletes structure their charitable work properly isn’t just good risk management. It’s how we ensure their desire to do good translates into lasting impact.
A charitable foundation is more than a family project. It’s a regulated legal entity with serious obligations. “But’” with the right stewardship, it becomes a powerful vehicle for lasting impact, reflecting an athlete’s values and changing lives.
The work athletes are doing matters too much to put at risk. Let’s help them get it right.
Connie Falcone is the founder and CEO of Firefly Athlete, a philanthropic advisory firm working with professional athletes and sports organizations.
