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
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$19M
Total Assets
$21.3M
Total Revenue
$33.5M
Total Expenses
$25.1M
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
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
MARK TATUM
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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