The Jackie Robinson Foundation

The Challenges

From Chaos to Curation

The Jackie Robinson Foundation began digitizing its archive as early as 2008. With materials dating back to the late 19th century, the foundation was drowning in digital files stored across disconnected systems and hard drives, many with no consistent metadata or ownership tracking.

The urgency escalated in 2021 when the team prepared to launch the Jackie Robinson Museum. They needed quick access to specific images of Jackie Robinson and key historical figures, but searching through folders manually was time-consuming and inefficient.

“We had this rich history—hundreds of thousands of photos and documents—and no consistent way to organize or find what we needed,” said La’Tonya Johnson, EVP and COO of JRF.

“It wasn’t just about opening the museum. We needed a solution that could support our foundation long-term.”

The Use Case

From Museum Project to Foundation-Wide Program

When the Jackie Robinson Foundation first implemented MediaValet, the goal was singular: to support the July 2022 opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum. With a tight deadline, the DAM was used primarily to collect and organize photos of Jackie Robinson that could be licensed and displayed in time for the exhibit. The initial taxonomy was built specifically around these needs, focused on speed and relevance to the curatorial team.

The Potential Beyond the Museum

Once the museum opened its doors, Latonya Johnson took a step back—and saw a much larger opportunity. The foundation’s archive extended well beyond Jackie’s personal legacy. It held decades of organizational history, content from scholar events, donor galas, and media appearances—none of which were easily accessible. Johnson recognized that the DAM could serve not just one department, but the entire foundation.

JRF began expanding its use of MediaValet across departments:

• Program staff could now access historical scholar data and event photos.
• Development teams could build donor pitch decks with curated visuals.
• Marketing teams gained the ability to respond faster to real-time events.
• External collaborators like designers and media partners could be sent secure, curated collections via Portals.

What started as a one-time implementation quickly evolved into a core component of JRF’s internal operations and external communications.

One moment in particular showcased the power of an organized, searchable archive.

“We had an alumnus under consideration for a Supreme Court seat,” said Johnson. “Thanks to MediaValet, we pulled her application from 25 years ago and photos from past conferences—within minutes.That’s the power of organized data.”

This wasn’t just a matter of convenience—it demonstrated the foundation’s ability to tell rich, human stories from its history at a moment’s notice.

From Static Archive to Dynamic Story Engine

Today, the DAM is used for everything from tributes and alumni spotlights to board engagement and public relations. JRF continues to build collections for influential public figures, social media campaigns, and historical storytelling. The archive has gone from a locked vault to a living resource—supporting mission-driven storytelling at scale.

To preserve over a century of content and bring it to life for modern audiences, the Jackie Robinson Foundation needed more than just storage—they needed powerful tools for discovery, sharing, and collaboration. MediaValet provided a suite of capabilities that transformed how the foundation works with its archive—making it easier to find, organize, and activate content across the organization and beyond.

Face Recognition and AI
JRF used Face Recognition to identify people across decades of archival images, helping build personalized collections for alumni, staff, and board members. This made it easier to retrieve photos for tributes and storytelling—especially when institutional memory fell short. AI proved essential in securing buy-in by showcasing powerful, personal visuals that would have otherwise been buried.

Advanced Metadata and Taxonomy
Initially structured for the museum, JRF’s DAM taxonomy was reworked to reflect how staff search today—by people, events, and initiatives. This shift made the system more intuitive and accessible for new users, ensuring the archive could serve long-term storytelling and operational needs beyond its original scope.

Portals
Portals allow JRF to easily share curated collections with museums, media partners, and even individual board members. Instead of sending zip files or tracking email threads, staff can send a single portal link—with licensing and permissions included. It’s faster, more secure, and easier to manage.

Scalable Access and Collaboration
MediaValet empowers every department to quickly access the content they need—whether it’s for social posts, donor communications, or historical research. Designers, vendors, and program staff can now find and use assets without relying on one gatekeeper, speeding up workflows across the organization.

The Results

A Legacy Preserved, and Activated

Streamlined access to 100+ years of archival content
Hundreds of thousands of photos, documents, and historical materials are now centralized, searchable, and enriched with metadata—eliminating content chaos and unlocking the value of the archive.

Increased collaboration across departments and external partners
Staff and vendors alike can now access curated collections and share them securely via portals, reducing manual requests and version confusion.

Accelerated turnaround on press requests and tributes
 When a notable figure passes or a moment calls for reflection, the team can quickly locate and share relevant images—often within minutes, not hours or days.

Secured executive and board buy-in through real-time search demonstrations
By showing board members personal, decades-old images on demand, Johnson turned the DAM into a storytelling tool that won hearts—and funding.

Positioned the foundation to monetize and license its assets in the future
With ownership and usage rights tracked, JRF can explore new revenue streams and partnerships without the risk of misuse or uncertainty.

Next Steps

Further Digital Transformation

Next up? Integrating JRF’s extensive video library and archival documents into the DAM and enabling content streaming directly through the website—taking the foundation’s digital transformation even further.

Interested in learning what a MediaValet DAM can do for your organization? Reach out to a rep to find out today!