PODCAST: S2:EP31–Diana Hosford, TAPS

Join us for S2:EP31 of the Sports Philanthropy Podcast as Diana Hosford of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors sits down with our host, Roy Kessel, to discuss how TAPS helps families of fallen military personnel.

Diana Roday Hosford is the Vice President of Sports & Entertainment for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a non-profit dedicated to supporting families of fallen military service members.

Following a trip to Afghanistan in 2013 and seeing firsthand the sacrifices made by the military and their families, Diana created a new program within TAPS called teams4taps, which seeks to create meaningful opportunities for the families of the fallen to honor their heroes through sports. Since then, she has partnered with more than 175 teams, sports associations and athletes across the country, giving teams the opportunity to honor fallen service members in the presence of their surviving families. Under Diana’s leadership, the program grew into the Sports & Entertainment department, now creating opportunities in the entertainment industry as well. Diana and her team have coordinated or orchestrated over 800 events, allowing more than 10,000 surviving military family members to have their loved ones publicly honored, helping celebrate the life and service of the fallen hero as well as offering comfort to the surviving family. 

In addition to this, Diana overseas International Strategic Partnerships for TAPS, helping build successful meaning partnerships, programming and advocacy across The United kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. 

These partnerships have resulted in TAPS involvement at the last three Invictus Games, an invitation to the Royal Wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018, an opportunity to serve on an international judging panel for the 2019 Princess Diana Legacy Awards and much more. 
With over 20 years experience in the non-profit sector, Diana is a spokesperson for TAPS and regularly speaks about the work of the charity and best practice in helping surviving families build resilience while honoring the life and service of their loved one. 


Diana is incredibly passionate about service, giving back to her community and developing youth-based programming. Prior to TAPS, Diana worked with Special Olympics, Autism Speaks, The Washington International Horse Show and various charities in the Washington DC area. She is an associate member of the Board of Visitors at Children’s National Medical Center and a long-time volunteer and mentor for young adults. Diana attended American University and resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband and daughter. 

Diana Hosford joins our host Roy Kessel on S2:EP31 of the Sports Philanthropy Podcast

HIGHLIGHTS OF DIANA’S PODCAST

  • 00:30 Background of TAPS and its mission
  • 02:00 Diana’s background and prior work
  • 06:00 Focus of her work at TAPS
  • 09:30 Development of a sports-centric part of TAPS
  • 11:30 Working with professional sports teams
  • 15:00 How teams support TAPS initiatives
  • 18:00 Sources of financial support for TAPS
  • 22:00 NFL support for taking families to Pro Bowl
  • 27:00 Finding local families
  • 32:00 How they support 200-225 events per year
  • 39:00 Diana as Commissioner of Tennis
Roy Kessel

Roy Kessel

Roy Kessel is the Founder of the Sports Philanthropy Network. Roy has worked in the sports business world for over 20 years including serving as an instructor in Northwestern University's graduate Sports Management Program. Having served as a sports lawyer representing athletes, entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, Roy has extensive experience helping organizations improve their strategy, marketing, communications and leadership development.
Sports Philanthropy Network

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