Giving Back
Legacy
Our Why
See People. Know People. Love People.
For us, giving has never been about writing a check or simply meeting a need. It’s about people. Sports have taught us that the greatest teams are built on serving one another, showing up when it matters, and making everyone feel like they belong. Our faith has taught us the same thing. Jesus saw people who were overlooked, knew them personally, and loved them unconditionally—and that’s the example we want to follow. We believe every person deserves to be seen, known, and loved, not because of what they’ve accomplished, but because they are deeply loved by God. If we can use the platform we’ve been given, whether through sports or everyday life, to point people toward the hope and love of Jesus, then we’ve accomplished something that matters far more than any scoreboard ever could.
Scholarship Programs
Two Communities.
One Mission.
Duluth, MN
Ham Family Scholarship Fund
Presented By
C.J. and Stephanie Ham launched the Ham Family Scholarship Fund in 2022, in partnership with Essentia Health and the NFL Foundation, to support students of color from the Twin Ports area of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. Growing up in Duluth, C.J. knew the financial and personal obstacles that can stand between a student and a college degree, and he built the fund to help clear them. Its goal is to encourage BIPOC students to pursue higher education and to improve retention and graduation rates through steady financial support.
Administered by the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, the scholarship awards $1,000 a year and can be renewed for up to four years as recipients make academic progress. Applicants identify as BIPOC, demonstrate financial need, maintain at least a 2.5 GPA, and stay active in extracurricular activities. The first scholarships were awarded in 2023, and the fund keeps growing through community donations and proceeds from C.J.’s annual youth football camp.
Sioux Falls, SD
C.J. & Stephanie Ham Endowed Scholarship
In 2024, C.J. & Stephanie Ham created the C.J. & Stephanie Ham Endowed Scholarship at Augustana University. The endowed scholarship was created to assist an underrepresented student from the Sioux Falls region, who is pursuing his/her undergraduate degree at Augustana. The student must demonstrate financial need, and the scholarship may be renewed multiple years. The cultivation of leadership skills while at Augustana is important. Primary consideration is given to a student competing as a student-athlete. If there is no student-athlete who meets the criteria, the scholarship may be designated to a student who is pursuing student involvement through student government, student affairs, or club involvement.
C.J. and Stephanie Ham each hail from the Midwest, C.J. from Minnesota and Stephanie from Iowa. Both were drawn to the academic offerings and rigor Augustana University offers, and both competed as student-athletes. Whether they competed on the football field, track & field, or the soccer pitch, it was the community at Augustana that welcomed and helped them become the best versions of themselves. After graduation, they continued to excel. C.J. became a team captain and a Pro-Bowl player with the Minnesota Vikings. Stephanie continued her education and earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). With all their success, it is their three children that brings them the greatest joy.
Recognized for Service
2× Walter Payton NFL
Man of the Year Nominee
In 2024 and 2025, C.J.'s teammates voted him the Vikings' nominee for the NFL's highest honor, given to the player whose work in the community matches his impact on the field.
Beyond the Field
Community Impact
Long before the camps and the scholarship fund, C.J. was investing in his community. These are a few of the organizations he stands behind, and how you can support them too.
A Club kid from age five to eighteen, C.J. never left it behind. He and Stephanie adopt a Club family every holiday season, serve meals, and show up year-round for the place that helped raise him.
C.J. serves as an American Cancer Society Ambassador, lending his platform to families facing cancer and to the research working to end it. Every October, he and Stephanie carry that mission home with Pamper Her Purple, a day of honor and pampering for women fighting or surviving cancer. They created it in memory of C.J.’s mother, Tina, and host it alongside the American Cancer Society as part of the NFL’s Crucial Catch.
Minnesota Distance Elite is a Minnesota nonprofit that backs post-collegiate distance runners chasing national, international, and Olympic goals, providing the coaching, training, and resources athletes need to compete at the highest level. It is one of the organizations the Ham family is proud to support.
Presenting Partners
Built With Great Partners
