NBA Foundation grants record $16 million to support 31 non-profit organizations in celebration of Black History Month

The NBA Foundation today announced 31 new grants totaling more than $16 million—the most awarded round of grants ever—to help create employment opportunities, pursue career advancement and build community. Economic Empowerment of Black Youth. The recipients were named as part of the NBA Foundation’s seventh grant round during the league’s celebration of Black History Month.

BMe and Children’s Defense Fund, two nonprofit organizations have been recognized and awarded as part of the NBA Foundation’s Black History Month Grant Series:

BMe
BMe provides interactive equity training to leading social impact foundations, associations and businesses and builds community among Black leaders invested in creating positive narratives about the Black community.

The NBA Foundation will fund the organization’s flagship program, the BMe Vanguard Scholarship Program. The Vanguard Fellowship is an invitation-only leadership experience for local black nonprofit leaders within the NBA Foundation grantee community who are committed to social justice and equity.

Children’s Defense Fund
Children’s Defense Fund is a Washington DC-based organization that has worked for over 40 years to defend the rights of children against poverty and violence.

This grant will support CDF’s National One-Year Fellowship Program aimed at training promising young black people from across the country for careers as community leaders and organizers.

“We are thrilled to announce that BMe and the Children’s Defense Fund, two non-profit organizations that play a central role in the development of young people in our community, will benefit from the fourth round of NBA Foundation grants,” said Ms. Gayle Benson, Governor of the New Orleans Pelicans and member of the NBA Foundation Board of Governors. “We will continue to support and uplift our communities.”

“Every month is Black History Month,” said NBA Foundation Executive Director Greg Taylor. “This is an ongoing effort that builds on the NBA’s long history of commitment to social justice and civil rights, regardless of the month we make the grant.”

To date, the NBA Foundation has awarded a total of 192 grants totaling nearly $70 million over two years. The NBA Foundation will continue to work with all 30 teams, their affiliated charities and the NBPA to support national and local organizations, using the collective annual commitment of $30 million from the NBA Board of Governors as well as sources of additional funding. To learn more about the NBA Foundation or to apply for a grant, please visit www.nbafoundation.com or follow @NBAFoundation.