About National Basketball Association Foundation
The NBA Foundation drives economic opportunity for under-resourced youth (ages 14-24) by funding programs that generate successful transitions from school to meaningful employment, prioritizing organizations operating in NBA team markets through grants, programs, and partnerships.
Focus Areas
Workforce developmentCareer readinessEducation / access to higher educationEntrepreneurshipHBCU career pathwaysSTEM / Tech programsMentorship
Who They Fund
Black communities (geographic or demographic)Black entrepreneurs and Black-owned small businesseslow-income Black households
Funding Style
direct service / program support
About National Basketball Association Foundation
The National Basketball Association Foundation centers its giving on economic empowerment for under-resourced youth ages 14 to 24, with grants aimed at helping them move from school into meaningful employment. Its recent awards show a clear emphasis on Black communities and on organizations working in NBA team markets. The largest recent grant in the data was $4,063,750 to Children's Defense Fund for programs enhancing economic empowerment in Black communities, a signal of how much weight the foundation places on broad, community-based service delivery. Other major grants point in the same direction: City Year Inc received $1,200,000 for the same purpose, and National Urban League received $1,000,000. The foundation’s portfolio reaches beyond a single program model. It supports workforce development, career readiness, higher-education access, entrepreneurship, STEM and tech programs, HBCU career pathways, and mentorship. The recipient list includes large national intermediaries as well as place-based organizations such as Npower, The Brotherhood Sister Sol, Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities Inc, and Hopeworks 'n Camden. That mix suggests a funder that uses sizable operating-style grants to back organizations serving youth and young adults at different points along the education-to-employment path.
What National Basketball Association Foundation Funds
Workforce and career pathways are central to the foundation’s grantmaking. Year Up received $1,000,000 in 2024 for programs enhancing economic empowerment in Black communities, while Braven Inc received $800,000 for the same purpose. In the same area, Inroads Inc was awarded $800,000, showing support for programs that connect young people to job readiness and professional entry points. Educational access is another clear theme. Thurgood Marshall College Fund Inc received $998,688, and Equal Opportunity Schools received $750,000, both in support of programs enhancing economic empowerment in Black communities. The foundation also backs youth mentoring and STEM-linked pathways: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America - National Office received $650,000, and Black Girls Code received $650,000. Those grants indicate a strategy that combines education, mentoring, and skills-building rather than relying on a single intervention type.
How National Basketball Association Foundation Gives
Typical grant size clusters in the mid-six figures, with p25 at $168,750, a median of $250,000, and p75 at $500,000. Recent grants, however, frequently sit above that range, with many awards of $600,000 to $800,000 and several seven-figure grants. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The data shows repeat support for some recipients across multiple years, including The Brotherhood Sister Sol and Npower, which each appear in both 2023 and 2024. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. Grantmaking is national in scope, and the latest 990 year on file is 2024.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$39.5M
Total Assets
$40.7M
Total Revenue
$33.5M
Total Expenses
$44.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $169K and $500K, with a median of $250K.
25th Percentile
$169K
Median
$250K
75th Percentile
$500K
Geographic Reach
National28 states funded
About 17% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
MARK TATUM
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