About National Basketball Players Association Foundation
The NBPA Foundation provides strategic funding and support while also communicating the players’ endeavors to the world in order to accelerate and maximize the impact.
Focus Areas
youth programsdisaster reliefsocial entrepreneurshipcourt refurbishmentscommunity supportplayer educationlegacy initiatives
Who They Fund
youth / childrenyouth athletes / sports participantsscholarship recipients (students)communities impacted by disasters
Funding Style
direct service / program support
About National Basketball Players Association Foundation
A $250,000 grant to Wesleyan University for youth scholarships and other charitable purposes stands out in the National Basketball Players Association Foundation’s recent giving. That award sits alongside a steady stream of support for youth sports, disaster relief, and community-based programs, showing a funder that uses grants to back both education and recreation. The foundation’s portfolio also reaches into national intermediaries and local nonprofits, including Charities Aid Foundation America, World Central Kitchen, Mayors Fund to Advance New York City, and Givedirectly, each funded for youth sports programming or disaster-related work. The foundation’s stated funding pillars include community support, player education, disaster relief, legacy, and youth sports. Recent grants show those themes in practice: scholarships, court and recreation support, and charitable support for organizations serving young people and affected communities. The National Basketball Players Association Foundation also makes repeated grants to some organizations across multiple years, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. Its pattern includes both higher-dollar grants and a broad set of awards at the $50,000 level, with a national reach across universities, relief groups, and youth-serving nonprofits.
What National Basketball Players Association Foundation Funds
Youth sports programs are the clearest recurring theme in the National Basketball Players Association Foundation’s recent grants. It gave $90,000 to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for youth sports programs and other charitable purposes, and $56,544 to Playworks for the same general purpose. Other youth-sports awards went to organizations such as Learn Fresh Education Company and Peace Players International. Education also appears through scholarship support. Wesleyan University received $250,000 for youth scholarships and other charitable purposes, and the same institution received another $50,000 grant in 2025 for youth sports programs and other charitable purposes. Disaster relief is present as well. The foundation awarded $49,529 to US Fund for UNICEF for disaster relief, showing that its grantmaking extends beyond sports and education into emergency response. Smaller awards to community organizations like Next Door Foundation Inc and Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association reinforce that local youth and community support remain part of the mix.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.2M
Total Assets
$44M
Total Revenue
$5.2M
Total Expenses
$5.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $13K and $25K, with a median of $23K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$23K
75th Percentile
$25K
Geographic Reach
National36 states funded
About 13% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ERIKA SWILLEY
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