How Priority and Wave Help Athletes and Sports Teams Empower Social Impact and Financial Growth

When a professional athlete or sports team wants to do good or promote a worthy cause, their first stop might be social media — a post or a reel on Instagram. But how can they be sure they’re genuinely making an impact or that funds are being donated to the cause they’re promoting? That’s where Wave comes in. “It’s a new platform that not only helps athletes ensure their social media is making a social impact but also helps charitable funding get where it’s supposed to go,” according to Thomas Priore, Chairman and CEO of Priority.

Wave is powered by Priority and utilizes its banking and payments system to run its platform, but it’s about more than that, as Wave’s mission is to help and inspire. Wave is a combination of social engagement and financial impact tools available on one platform allowing its users to make community connections, manage NIL (name, image, and license) collectives and obligations, support fundraising, and automate tax and compliance of funds.

“Wave is unlike any other system, as it uniquely caters to the needs of professional teams and athletes by managing contracts, endorsements, and payments in the platform,” said Thomas Priore. “It is a next-generation tool with features that elevate social impact and community engagement for athletes.”

Wave Is About Connecting

Wave provides a single point of access for player relations, the platform simplifies and streamlines players’ reach and exposure to partners, fans, and media.

Wave’s fundamental goal is to connect people in need of support with people who are in a position to provide it. It was an idea Wave co-founders Casey O’Brien and Dan Scanlan had when O’Brien was fighting his battle with cancer.

“Wave is about connecting a player to the young fan who looks up to them by providing them inspiration and positivity while the kid is going through cancer. It’s about a family recovering from a tough situation and just needs a little pick-me-up. The platform is about connecting people who want to do good with those who need a little support,” said Wave co-founder Dan Scanlan.

Priority’s Thomas Priore explains that Wave partners with professional teams, college athletic departments, high school teams, and youth athletic associations to help them form deeper connections to their communities and to financially support charitable and meaningful causes.

“Heroes can make a meaningful impact with their fans, communities, and neighbors through Wave’s social impact features,” said Priore. “It’s about creating brighter days, lifelong memories, and optimistic outlooks, all while making a financial difference.”

Wave Provides the Tools Needed To Make a Difference

Wave’s social impact and financial tools help heroes make a big difference in people’s lives when they need it the most.

Wave’s Player/Media Relations tools amplify a player, team, or athletic department’s brand and voice by promoting charities and connecting directly with fans. Wave’s player and media relations tools keep fan and media interactions and requests controlled and organized, limiting the risks and exposure of athletes’ personal information.

Wave’s Foundation Support tool eliminates payment collection inefficiencies and allows for in-app donations, sponsorships, and bids, all while ensuring proper donation ledgers for tax purposes.

The Social Impact-Community Engagement tools manage communication securely and privately, while the Marketing and Content Creation tools help athletes create repeatable, unique, and exclusive content to generate monetizable moments.

Wave’s Social Media Management tools curate across all social platforms, highlighting posts and reels of quality content and linking it all to a secure donation page.

A True Vision and Partnership With Wave

Wave’s vision to bring sports heroes together with fans in need was truly inspirational — it being made into a reality is even more inspiring.

“Wave allows teams to promote their social activities, and they’re giving back to the communities — something that makes us all feel better,” said Scanlan.

For Priority chairman and CEO Thomas Priore, helping make Wave a reality has been a heartening and rewarding journey.

Priore said, “This is true transformation through the fusion of capital and technology, all for an incredibly worthy cause — helping athletes, sports teams, and athletic departments inspire their fans and communities and giving them the confidence that the good they aim to do is delivered, managed and reported in the best way possible.”