Who we are
The first 50 years
First Serve Community Fund (formerly known as Tennis for Charity, Inc.) is dedicated to advancing the lives of youth in the Greater Cincinnati Area. Founded in 1975, the organization is a 501(c)(3) corporation.
Tennis for Charity has spent the last half-century using tennis as a means to enhance community and enrich the lives of those less fortunate. For 35 of those years, Tennis for Charity operated the professional tennis tournament in Mason, Ohio, now known as the Cincinnati Open. For 22 of those years, it also owned the Lindner Family Tennis Center, the site of the Cincinnati Open. For all 50 years, Tennis for Charity made significant charitable donations annually to the beneficiaries of the tournament, including Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the Barrett Cancer Center at University of Cincinnati Hospital, and countless youth tennis organizations.
The next 50, and beyond
With recent changes in ownership of both the Cincinnati Open and the Lindner Family Tennis Center, we realized the need to redefine the organization. As a result of this rebranding process, First Serve Community Fund was born and remains committed to helping youth.
First Serve funds tennis programs and provides grants to partners who focus on the underrepresented and at-risk youth, many of whom might not otherwise have access to learn the game of tennis. Many of the programs that First Serve funds also include educational components, with the goal of providing a pathway to a college education. There are currently approximately 500 youth enrolled in the various programs to which First Serve provides grants.
