Our Foundation
At the Mariano Rivera Foundation, our work is dedicated to providing children from impoverished families with life skills that will set them on the path to a brighter future.
Founded in 1998 by Mariano and Clara Rivera, along with our caring volunteers and generous donors we have strengthened communities and changed lives through college scholarships, back-to- school events and disaster relief. With access to STEM learning opportunities, mentorship programs, life skills and vocational training, students are prepared for college and empowered to enter the workforce with determination to succeed in high-demand positions.
Our Founder
Mariano Rivera was raised in Puerto Caimito, Panama, growing up playing baseball with his friends. The obstacles he faced both as a child and as he entered his baseball career helped to shape his approach to life. Through commitment and perseverance, he developed skills and virtues that would become keys to his success, contributing to one of the most successful careers in Major League Baseball, and the only player ever to be unanimously selected to the Hall of Fame.
Our Values
We mentor students, with core values that guide our efforts.
Faith
Faith is the portal whereby dreams can become reality. All things are possible for those who believe.
Commitment
As an organization, we are committed to excellence, and we choose to partner with others who share our mission.
Integrity
Honesty, transparency, and character development are core ethical principles we strive to model at all times.
Achievement
Our goal is to lead underserved youth to a pathway to success by providing them with the skills and tools to secure a better future.
Community
Our love for community is the reason we exist. It's where we live and where we serve the most vulnerable among us.
Stewardship
We believe in the spirit of giving, benevolence and accountability, using processes that are responsible and managed with care.
Our Stories
Program Director, Refuge Foster Care Emergency Center
Losing my mother at 4, I faced challenges in my formative years. The guidance I lacked affected my confidence and assurance. The Mariano Rivera Foundation and its partnerships became more valuable to me than the top university I attended. Through its efforts, I learned to be a catalyst leader. Now I am grateful to serve as a Program Director for an Emergency Center for Foster Youth where I am challenged and empowered to be among today’s Change Agents.
Resident Parent, Refuge Foster Care Emergency Center
I grew up in turmoil, having an absent mother who passed away when I was 12, leaving a negative impact. Through the Mariano Rivera Foundation and its partnerships, I found a family and received much needed words of life and transformation. I am now working with foster youth and dream of opening a therapeutic center to reciprocate the hope that I received.
Finance Officer, Ignite
When death becomes more common to you than life itself, hope is challenging to grasp. By age 16 I attended more than ten funerals of loved ones while serving as my grandmother’s caregiver, causing me to lose my belief in the future. Thankfully, through the Mariano Rivera Foundation’s outreach I began to believe again—I found community, identity and hope for the future. Today I am able to celebrate life and reciprocate hope to youth, young adults and women.
