Dawn Wallace, the leader of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation, is the Arizona Cardinals Football Club’s recipient of the National Football League’s 2025 Inspire Change Changemaker Award.
Wallace was recognized on the field at the Cardinals Inspire Change game on Sunday, Dec. 21, for driving significant, measurable change in her community, and received tickets to Super Bowl LX in February in Santa Clara, Calif.
Wallace also received a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation, matched by the Flinn Foundation, which she chose to give to the Arizona Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. The donation will help the nonprofit organization provide 200 beds, plus bedding and a stuffed animal, for children in need.
“I’m deeply honored and humbled to receive the NFL’s Changemaker Award. I’ve always sought to lead by serving others, lift voices that deserve to be heard, and build stronger communities,” Wallace said.
“I’m profoundly grateful to the Arizona Cardinals for recognizing this mission and for their continued commitment not only to success on the field but also to creating meaningful change off the field.”
According to a Cardinals press release, Wallace’s dedication to civic education and engagement exemplifies the team’s commitment to civic leadership in the community. Her work demonstrates how football can inspire meaningful community leadership and civic participation through initiatives like the Cardinals’ annual Civics Matters trip, which connects student leaders with federal lawmakers and provides firsthand civic experiences in Washington, D.C.
Wallace joined the Flinn Foundation in 2020 as vice president, civic leadership, and oversees the nonpartisan Arizona Center for Civic Leadership.
The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2026, offers civic education, engagement, and leadership development programs including youth 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.
Wallace previously served in the office of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and led the development of the governor’s P-20 education agenda, and managed Ducey’s second inauguration ceremonies and the memorial service for U.S. Sen. John McCain. As part of the 2012 Centennial Celebration, Wallace produced the “Kids at the Capitol” DVD that included civics education modules for Arizona middle school students.
She also previously served as director of government relations for the Maricopa County Community College District and held policy-advisor roles in the Arizona House of Representatives and State Senate. Earlier in her career, she was a budget analyst for Govs. Jane Dee Hull and Janet Napolitano.
Wallace holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Arizona State University and an Arizona teaching certificate to teach social sciences in grades 6-12. She is the chair of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, a board member for the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation, and serves on the advocacy committee of Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council.
The Phoenix-based Flinn Foundation is a privately endowed, philanthropic grantmaking organization established in 1965 by Dr. Robert S. and Irene P. Flinn. Its mission is to improve the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations. In addition to the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership, the Foundation supports the advancement of Arizona’s bioscience ecosystem, the Flinn Scholars Program, and Arizona’s arts and culture sector.