With a relentless dedication to improving the lives of others, Nichol Whiteman is the Chief Executive Officer of the award-winning Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF). Under Nichol’s leadership, LADF tackles the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos.
During Nichol’s tenure, LADF launched incredibly impactful programming including Dodgers Dreamteam (formerly Dodgers RBI), a youth development initiative serving more than 12,000 youth today.
As part of LADF’s commitment to Southern California communities, the Foundation completed its 50th Dodgers Dreamfield, created a benefit gala, and increased fundraising by 1,000% with Nichol at the helm. Direct programming is only the beginning. Whiteman also advocates for LADF to be a strong charitable partner for nonprofits within the Los Angeles community through strategic grant making that builds capacity and reach. Collectively, Whiteman has cultivated partnerships that have resulted in more than $40 million in community investment in the form of direct programs and grant making, impacting over 2.3 million children.
With a degree in Economics from Spelman College, Nichol was the first in her family to graduate from college and has a passion for education, equity, and diversity. Her unwavering dedication resulted in positions in investment management and publishing before beginning a philanthropic career as VP, Western Region of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. As a child of Jamaican immigrants “in search of a dream," she frequently highlights the power of diversity in advocating for resources and opportunities for marginalized populations.
As a Black woman in Major League Baseball, Nichol understands the importance of access. She uses her resources to open doors and opportunities for youth from all backgrounds. In addition to her professional achievements, she mentors countless men and women. With a mighty team that shares her commitment to advocacy, Whiteman aims to deepen the impact of LADF programs and enhance the Foundation’s visibility and philanthropic influence across Los Angeles. Appointed to the State of California’s Commission on the Status of women and Girls, Nichol now extends her impact beyond Los Angeles as she fights for the opportunities and support that all communities deserve.
A product of Nichol’s vision and unwavering dedication, the Los Angeles Dodgers is now the proud owner of an ESPY. Named the 2020 ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year, the highly-coveted award recognized LADF’s work as the team’s official charity. Celebrating the team environment that Nichol fosters internally and in the community, the Aspen Institute named LADF as a 2020 Project Play Champion for its new meaningful, and specific work. She has also helped pave the way to LADF receiving the 2020 Beyond Sport Award for Reducing Racial Inequalities, which reflects the Foundation’s commitment to strengthening communities through social justice.
The New York native has been recognized throughout the industry for her exceptional contributions having earned the 2020 National Medical Fellowship Leadership in Philanthropy Award, the 2020 Visionary Award presented by Southern California Leadership Network (SCLN), and the MOSTe Motivating Our Students Through Leadership Experience 2020 Lantern Award among many others. In 2019, she spoke at the Laureus Youth Summit and ESPN Town Hall to share how the power of sport can empower youth leaders and how sports teams and their foundations can participate in programs that promote inclusion and build bridges in local communities. In 2018, she received the Sports Business Journal Game Changers Award and the Anti-Defamation League's Deborah Award. Her 2017 honors include Ebony Magazine's Woman Up Award and The Pink Tea Rose Foundation's Progressive Leadership Award.
Nichol is a member of Women in Sports and Entertainment and LA Community Leaders and holds positions on the advisory and regional boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Covington Capital Management, the Women’s Leadership Council, A Better Chance, Inc., New Teacher Center, Davinci Schools Board Fund, the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Positive Results Corporation, and Portal Schools board of trustees. Additionally, she sits on the board of the Los Angeles chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance and serves on the YMCA of Metro LA’s Sports and Impact Panel.
Attracting attention from acclaimed journalists, she has been featured in outlets including Forbes Magazine, NBC’s CA Live, and the LA Times. During the tumultuous year of 2020, Nichol still found time to engage with the community during a profoundly troubling time when our nation greatly needed to hear from its leaders. Amidst the task of continuing on-the-ground support, she also served as a panelist and/or keynote speaker for The Future of Accessibility in Youth Sports presented by LeagueApps, the 2020 Social Innovation Summit, and the Lunch with a Leader Series presented by the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy to name a few. Further expanding LADF’s impact, she is a proud member of the Strategic Partners Group for Play Sports Coalition—a unique coalition of community and national sports organizations and leaders who support young athletes, working families, coaches, and volunteers across the country.
While the pandemic has undoubtedly impacted all communities, urban communities have been disproportionately suffering resulting in Nichol shifting LADF’s operations to be part of the immediate solution. With a firm belief that each person has the power to positively impact a life, Nichol's journey continues to be full of inspiration and hope as she fights for young people to realize their dreams. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband Timothy and two sons, Timothy Jr. and Nicholas.
