Kari Pardoe

Kari Pardoe is a Senior Program Officer at the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, where she leads work across early childhood, afterschool, and youth sports and recreation. Her public work focuses on collaborative grantmaking, youth voice, and expanding access to programs that support healthy development for young people in Southeast Michigan and Western New York.

Youth Sports Providers Are Missing a $5.7 Billion Afterschool Funding System

Kari Pardoe of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation argues that youth sports providers are missing a major path to growth by treating afterschool as a separate field. Drawing on work in Southeast Michigan and Western New York, she says sports organizations that see themselves as youth development providers can use afterschool networks, training systems, and public funding to reach children who are not already in organized sports.

The Aspen InstituteMay 20, 20267 min read