The Arizona Cardinals Football Club has named Dawn Wallace as the team's recipient of the 2025 Inspire Change "Changemaker Award." It is an annual recognition celebrating leaders who are driving significant, measurable change in their communities across the NFL's Inspire Change initiative's four pillars: education, economic advancement, police-community relations, and criminal justice reform.
Wallace will be recognized at the Cardinals Inspire Change game on Sunday, December 21 vs. the Atlanta Falcons for going above and beyond in making a difference for her community. She will also receive a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation, which she has chosen to give to the Arizona Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.
Wallace's dedication to civic education and engagement exemplifies the Cardinals commitment to civic leadership in the community. Through initiatives like the club's year-round Civics Matters programming — which focuses on Civics Education and Responsible Citizenship to empower young students to lead, serve, and shape the future of the state and nation by connecting learning to real experiences, locally and nationally — her work demonstrates how football can inspire meaningful community leadership and civic participation.
Wallace oversees the nonpartisan Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation which enhances civic life in Arizona through civic education, engagement, and leadership development programs. The Center's programs include youth civic leadership programming, educational workshops on Arizona policy and political topics, partnerships with state organizations focused on strengthening and promoting civic participation, and the prestigious Flinn-Brown Fellowship, an immersive learning experience for experienced community leaders interested in enhancing their role in civic life. Prior to joining the Flinn Foundation, Wallace produced the "Kids at the Capitol" DVD that included civics education modules for Arizona middle school students.
For more information on the NFL's 2025 Changemaker recipients, visit NFL.com/causes/inspire-change/changemakers.
