A thoughtful and compassionate philanthropist who has family ties to autism, Lurie is dedicated to raising critical research funds for the developmental disorder and has leveraged his resources as a professional sports owner to turn autism awareness into action.
In 2019, Lurie expanded on this commitment by launching the team's signature charitable initiative, the Eagles Autism Foundation, which has since raised over $16 million to help drive scientific breakthroughs and establish Philadelphia as a major center for autism research and care.
Through the Eagles Autism Foundation, the organization is viewed nationally as a progressive leader in the autism community. Most notably, the Eagles Autism Challenge presented by Lincoln Financial Group, which is the foundation's annual cycling and 5K run/walk event, contributes 100 percent of the participant-raised funds toward groundbreaking and exploratory work in the field of autism, including a record $4.1 million in 2022.
To ensure the most transformational projects are funded, Lurie organizes a nationally recognized independent peer review panel each year that is tasked with evaluating and approving submitted proposals. A total of 63 research projects and community grants that specialize in treating and caring for individuals and families affected by autism have been funded.
In addition, the Eagles became one of the first sports franchises in the country to build a state-of-the-art sensory room, presented by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and received Sensory Inclusive Certification for Lincoln Financial Field in partnership with Kulture City. The Eagles also became the first professional sports team to partner with Popcorn for the People, a non-profit organization that is devoted to creating meaningful employment for those with autism and developmental disabilities.
On May 8, 2019, Lurie was presented the Commitment to Cures Award by the American Brain Foundation for his ongoing work to find cures for neurodevelopmental diseases and disorders.
Lurie is a director of the NLM Family Foundation, which commits significant resources to autism research and education. He also established the Lurie Family Foundation to strengthen efforts toward autism research.
CHAMPIONS IN THE COMMUNITY
Under Lurie's ownership, the Philadelphia Eagles' dedication to serving the community has manifested in a variety of ways, as the organization continues to set a powerful example within professional sports.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eagles contributed $1 million in donations to help relief efforts in Philadelphia, focusing on providing critical assistance to the well-being of essential healthcare workers and their families, as well as supporting local businesses. The Eagles also hosted numerous community blood drives and vaccination clinics at Lincoln Financial Field. Additionally, Lurie personally donated $1 million to Penn Medicine to establish the COVID-19 Immunology Defense Fund.
Over the past four years, the Eagles Social Justice Council, which is a committee of select players and Eagles staff, has awarded $1.6 million to local organizations working to improve education, mentoring, health services, criminal justice reform, reentry programs, and workplace development.
In 2018, Lurie was recognized by the Fritz Pollard Alliance with the Paul "Tank" Younger Award, which is annually granted to an NFL executive, coach, or owner who promotes gender and racial diversity. As a result of his efforts to foster civic responsibility throughout the organization, Lurie was the recipient of the Torch of Liberty Award conferred by the Anti-Defamation League of Philadelphia and was honored by Philadelphia's Operation Understanding, an acclaimed group that advances interracial harmony among future leaders of the African American and Jewish communities.
Go Green, a groundbreaking initiative launched by the Eagles in 2003, aims to reduce the organization's footprint on the environment and creates programs that improve quality of life in the Philadelphia area. In December 2018, Lincoln Financial Field was awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. On top of that, the Eagles became the first professional sports team in the world to receive the prestigious ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System certification.
One of Lurie's first philanthropic endeavors was the creation of the Eagles Youth Partnership in 1995. For 20 years, the organization's charitable wing served over 50,000 at-risk children in the Philadelphia region, focusing on health and education programming. In 2015, Lurie oversaw the Eagles Youth Partnership's transition to the Eagles Charitable Foundation. Its signature program, the Eagles Eye Mobile, today provides children with greater access to vision care in partnership with Vision to Learn.
The Eagles have conducted community-changing playground builds in Philadelphia for the past 24 years, maintaining a belief that every child deserves a safe place to play and learn. The entire organization – including players, coaches, and staff – contributes to the installation of a large play structure, a mini-turf field, colorful murals, and mosaic tables.
In 2011, in acknowledgment of their community efforts as well as their Tackling Breast Cancer and Go Green campaigns, the Eagles were presented with the coveted Sports Team of the Year Award by Beyond Sport.
Widely considered one of the most progressive owners in professional sports, Lurie embraces innovative thought. His commitment to enhancing every element of the organization through forward-thinking decisions has been a hallmark of his tenure as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Lurie invests in both people and ideas. Throughout his ownership, he has gone beyond traditional football practices by focusing on infusing talented individuals from other industries into the Eagles' business operations. As a result, the Philadelphia Eagles have become a leader in professional sports with regards to gender diversity in the workplace.
The Eagles' organic effort toward staying ahead of the curve and mining for value where others may not see it has also been fundamental to the football team's success over the years.
During the 2021 offseason, Lurie hired a 39-year-old first-time head coach in Nick Sirianni – the second-youngest head coach in Eagles history – following a highly productive, three-year stint as the Indianapolis Colts' offensive coordinator. In his first season, Sirianni guided the Eagles to a 9-8 record and playoff berth, becoming the third head coach in franchise history to reach the postseason in their debut campaign.
Doug Pederson was hired by the Eagles as a first-time head coach in 2016. In his second season at the helm, Pederson led the team to its first Super Bowl Championship in franchise history when the Philadelphia Eagles outdueled the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
In 1999, Lurie found a match with former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Andy Reid, who at 40 years old took on a lead role for the first time in his career and was the second-youngest head coach in the NFL at the time of his hiring. Reid enjoyed a 14-year stay with Philadelphia (franchise record) and became the winningest head coach (140-102-1, .578 – including playoffs) in Eagles history. Named the 2002 NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, Reid led the team to nine postseasons, which included five conference title games and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Lurie's first head coaching hire, Ray Rhodes, came to Philadelphia in 1995 as just the third African American head coach in modern NFL history. In his first season with the Eagles, Rhodes guided the team to a 10-6 record and playoff berth and earned AP NFL Coach of the Year honors.
Each of Lurie's first five head coaching hires have earned postseason appearances within their first two seasons.
Lurie, who was named NFL Owner of the Year by Sporting News in 1995 and by Pro Football Insider in 2000, currently serves on numerous NFL committees, including the Finance Committee, Media Committee, International Committee, and the Super Bowl & Major Events Advisory Committee.
After purchasing the Eagles, Lurie recognized that the organization's facilities needed a total reconstruction, which required the design and relocation of its office headquarters, practice facility, and stadium. He immediately committed to providing the franchise with everything it needed to succeed and constructed two state-of-the-art facilities in South Philadelphia – the NovaCare Complex (2001) and Lincoln Financial Field (2003).
Although Lincoln Financial Field was erected to house its main tenant, the Philadelphia Eagles, Lurie also created a destination that could hold a wide variety of events. Fittingly, the first ticketed event at the new stadium was a soccer match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona in August 2003, followed by a Bruce Springsteen concert soon after.
Since then, Lincoln Financial Field has continued to evolve with an ever-changing entertainment landscape and underwent a two-year, $125 million revitalization in 2013. Over the years, the venue has hosted high-profile events including sold-out concerts, national and international soccer matches, the NCAA Lacrosse Championships, the Army-Navy game, Monster Jam, Temple University football games, and more.
Prior to purchasing the Philadelphia Eagles, Lurie joined General Cinema Corporation, a major movie theater company founded by his grandfather, Philip Smith. Two years later, he started Chestnut Hill Productions and produced a variety of films. In 2008, Lurie established Screen Pass Pictures and served as an executive producer of Inside Job, the 2010 documentary film, which earned the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and Inocente, which earned an Academy Award for Best Short Documentary in 2013. Most recently, Lurie formed Play/Action Pictures to produce socially impactful documentary films, including Totally Under Control (2020), Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021), MLK/FBI (2020), and The Meaning of Hitler (2020). Most recently, Summer of Soul earned an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2022.
Lurie's passion and love of sports began when he was a young boy growing up outside of Boston. Lurie became an avid fan of the NFL and all the major leagues after watching the first ever sudden-death overtime NFL Championship between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants in 1958.
Prior to entering business, Lurie served as an adjunct assistant professor of social policy at Boston University. He earned a B.A. from Clark University, a master's in psychology from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in social policy from Brandeis University. Lurie served as Clark University's commencement speaker to the graduating class in May 2019.
Born on September 8, 1951, Lurie has two children. He resides in the Philadelphia area with his wife, Tina. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, golfing, tennis, movies, music, and discovering great restaurants.
