Leveling the Playing Field Southeast Michigan

Did you know that 1 in 5 underserved households are not getting their kids involved in athletics because of the rising price of sporting equipment?  Leveling the Playing Field (LPF) is a nonprofit that collects and redistributes equipment to expand access and equity within youth sports and recreation programs in under-resourced communities. Essentially, we operate a food bank for sports equipment.

LPF collects new and gently-used sports and playground equipment from local youth sports communities. Volunteers then sort the donations in our warehouse so we can distribute the gear to schools and organizations working to provide an affordable and accessible option to under-resourced youth groups, community programs and schools throughout several markets.

In evaluating our success, a primary benefit LPF brings to youth sports organizations is the ability to reallocate equipment funds towards other aspects of their program that increases affordability and accessibility. Nationally, 90% of our beneficiaries report that they have additional financial flexibility for their program as a result of our donations.