Daniel Snyder has been a football fan for his entire life. Today, he is known as the owner of the Washington Football team, a leader in the American sports scene, and one of the most prominent philanthropists in the Washington, D.C. area.
Snyder grew up around Washington and regularly attended football games with his father. Before becoming involved in football, though, he had a number of other major business ventures. His company, Snyder Communications, launched in 1985 and quickly grew to become a global corporation. The business provided advertising and marketing services to 200 massive companies across 17 countries. At the time, Snyder was the youngest CEO of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2000, the business sold for $2.3 billion, which was the largest merger in the marketing industry at the time.
In 1999, Daniel Snyder purchased the Washington Football team, then known as the Washington Redskins. He immediately got to work bringing his vision for the team to life. Since Snyder became the owner of the team, they have raised millions for charities and have become one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world.
With several official stores throughout Virginia and Maryland, the Washington Football team has an incredibly successful retail presence. The team sets up mobile stores for games and other events.
During Snyder’s time as the team owner, 27 players have earned 53 Pro Bowl appearances. Five players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and nine have received the All-Pro honor.
Snyder is committed to improving fan experience, too. He has invested over $100 million into improving the Washington Football stadium, FedExField. The venue now has high-speed escalators, a thousand flat-screen TVs, and two massive video boards in the end zones. Snyder and his team have also improved guest experience by adding stadium gates and more strategic parking plans so that fans can navigate the stadium efficiently.
Although Snyder has delivered great results for the Washington Football team and their fans, his most notable work is his philanthropy. Snyder and the Washington Football organization are highly active around the D.C. area. They make a difference both by providing funds and by offering hands-on support to charitable organizations.
The year after he purchased the team, Snyder established the Washington Charitable Foundation with the goal of connecting the football team with community partners to improve youth development in the area. In the years since, the foundation has given more than $29 million to individuals and organizations within the community.
Each year, the Washington Charitable Foundation runs several programs. In the 2019 season, they hosted more than 100 school workshops and special events promoting children’s literacy and health and wellness initiatives. They also run the Loads of Love program, which funds laundry facilities in schools. This allows children experiencing homeless or housing insecurity to have a reliable place to wash their clothes.
Snyder is dedicated to supporting the military community as well. The Washington Football team has an official military appreciation club, Salute, which organizes initiatives to serve and thank military members. They club hosts pre-game parties for service members, re-enlistment ceremonies, and other military appreciation events.
Snyder’s philanthropy took on some different forms in 2020. After the murder of George Floyd in May, he donated $250,000 to grassroots organizations to raise awareness about social justice. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded around the world, he donated $100,000 to food banks and assisted the Maryland National Guard as they set up a testing location at FedExField.
Much of Snyder’s efforts are focused on the greater D.C. area, but he supports international causes as well. He provided aid to Indonesia and Thailand after the tsunami in 2004. In 2016, he mobilized to send supplies to the Caribbean after the area was devastated by Hurricane Matthew, first sending a plane to the Bahamas and then enlisting two Washington players to hand-deliver supplies to Hospital Bernard Mevs in Haiti.
Several Washington area organizations have honored Daniel Snyder for his philanthropy. In 2010, he was recognized by Beacon House, a group that supports at-risk youth and families. He also received the Distinguished Leader Award from Youth for Tomorrow, an organization that provides care for homeless and at-risk children.
Daniel Snyder has had a long and successful career with his private business ventures and with his work for the Washington Football team. His philanthropic work shows no sign of slowing down, and he looks forward to continuing his support of the Washington, D.C. area and beyond.