Ad Council Honours NFL’s Roger Goodell and Raises Record $10m

The Ad Council’s 71st Annual Public Service Award Dinner has raised a record-breaking $10 million to fund the nonprofit’s national social impact campaigns, while honouring NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for his leadership in public service.

The event was held at New York’s Glasshouse and brought together more than 1,500 leaders from advertising, business, marketing, nonprofit and tech. The evening was hosted by Emmy, Grammy, Academy Award, and Tony winner Whoopi Goldberg; WABC-TV and ‘Good Morning America’ weather anchor Sam Champion; and former NFL quarterback-turned-TV personality Jesse Palmer.

The night came together with performances from Tony-nominated singer Jasmine Amy Rogers and R&B/soul artist Yoli Mayor. Déjà Vu of ABC’s ‘Live with Kelly & Mark’ served as live announcer.

Rita Ferro, president of global advertising at The Walt Disney Company, who was recently named chair of the Ad Council’s board, co-chaired the dinner, alongside Tim Ellis, CMO of the NFL and Ad Council board member.

“The Annual Public Service Award Dinner is an important reminder of the impact we can make when we collaborate across industries,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “Together, we’re not just raising funds; we’re driving meaningful impact on the most critical issues facing our communities.”

The NFL, Google, YouTube and The Walt Disney Company were Titanium sponsors, with Adobe, Hearst, Meta, TikTok and Verizon among Diamond sponsors.

Roger Goodell was recognised with this year’s Public Service Award for the league’s long-standing dedication to social impact, and joining him on stage to accept the honour was Victor Cruz, Pro Bowl and Super Bowl-winning wide receiver for the New York Giants.

Under Roger’s leadership, the NFL has supported military families and frontline workers, promoted youth health and wellness, cancer prevention and social justice initiatives, and championed the Ad Council’s major efforts, including the ‘Love, Your Mind’ mental health campaign.

The programme also spotlighted three ‘Champions for Good’ connected to Ad Council campaigns. Those included four-time Olympian and mental health advocate Chaunté Lowe; Freedom Jones, founder and CEO of Street Pause, Inc. and senior community violence intervention advisor at Center for Hope; and the DuRard family, co-founders of Jonathan’s Path, which supports teenagers in and ageing-out of foster care.

Their stories were profiled in films produced by eMotion studios and directed by Bryan Rowles, with Adobe acting as creative content sponsor.

Reflecting on the need for dialogue in polarised times, Lisa Sherman said, “If we agree to disagree, the conversation ends. But if we block out the noise, if we dig deep enough to find not only what separates us but [also] the unbreakable ties that bind us, then we find the beliefs we have in common…the ones that remind us all that we’re human. If we agree to agree, we start a conversation.”