NBA Foundation grantee City Year supports career development by placing young AmeriCorps members in schools across NBA markets.
In its continued effort to drive economic empowerment in under-resourced communities, the NBA Foundation has announced its 14th round of grants—its largest to date. Partnering with 82 nonprofit organizations across the U.S. and Canada, the Foundation is awarding $16.3 million to support workforce development across a broad range of industries, including criminal justice reform, creative arts, healthcare, STEM and more.
Since its inception in 2020, the NBA Foundation has committed over $140 million in funding to help youth ages 14–24 develop essential skills, access mentorship, and build pathways to long-term career success. To date, the funding has impacted over 770,000 youth across NBA markets.
“We are thrilled to announce this latest round of funding, offering support to amazing organizations that are providing workforce development opportunities in a diverse range of industries.” said Ruth Jurgensen, Executive Director of the NBA Foundation. “We are proud to work with such dynamic nonprofit partners that do impactful work to create economic mobility.”
Through both existing and exciting new partnerships, these organizations exemplify the NBA Foundation’s mission of creating equitable access to opportunity.
Family Promise of Greater Cleveland: Addressing homelessness through workforce access
Family Promise staff in their gifted Cavaliers gear and one of the client’s children.
A new partner this year, Family Promise of Greater Cleveland, embodies the Foundation’s commitment to holistic community empowerment. The nonprofit provides temporary housing and wraparound services for families experiencing homelessness, helping them transition to stability through job readiness and family-sustaining employment.
“We see this opportunity as a life-altering chance for our clients to change the trajectory of their future,” said Connie Sievers, Grants and Communications Manager for Family Promise. “This grant will help us support heads of household in securing stable employment—the critical piece in helping families remain housed after their time in our program ends.”
Through its Workforce Experience Program, now revamped thanks to NBA Foundation funding, Family Promise connects clients with employers willing to offer jobs with built-in flexibility and fair market wages. The organization covers wages during a probationary period, giving both employer and employee the opportunity to assess fit—reducing barriers to hiring while building long-term career pathways.
Sievers noted that the program had been dormant since 2014 due to a lack of funding. “We are so grateful to the NBA Foundation for allowing us to bring it back. This is equity in action.”
Family Promise also benefits from a close partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers and their G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge. From providing game tickets and holiday gifts to offering critical community support, the Cavs have remained deeply engaged with Family Promise’s mission.
“The relationship the Cleveland Cavaliers have with the NBA Foundation helps us drive even greater impact and more positive outcomes for our Northeast Ohio community,” said Pam Frasco, Cleveland Cavaliers Vice President of Social Impact and Executive Director for the Cavaliers Community Foundation. “The Cavaliers are proud to collaborate with the NBA Foundation to support organizations like Family Promise of Cleveland, that are making meaningful and powerful change in the community.”
City Year: A longstanding partner supporting the next generation of civic leaders
City Year Corps Member in school leading youth.
Also highlighted in this round is City Year, a returning grantee and one of the NBA Foundation’s earliest partners. Since becoming a partner in 2021, City Year has reached more than 6,000 young people to serve across the country and supported their career pathways across eight NBA markets.
City Year places AmeriCorps members, diverse individuals aged 17 to 25—full-time in schools in communities across the country to help young people reach their full potential and develop the next generation of leaders. With the Foundation’s backing, City Year has enhanced college and career pathways for its corps members while increasing the percentage of Black participants across its programming.
“Corps Members are a diverse group of amazing young adults from all backgrounds,” said Stephen Spaloss, Executive Vice President and Chief Social Responsibility Officer. “They often tell me, ‘I’m setting an example, I’m seeing people who are like me and I’m making the most of this year’ That’s the goal—to inspire, connect, and uplift.”
Thanks to NBA Foundation support, City Year has:
- Served over 200,000 students across 8 NBA markets
- Supported more than 6,000 young leaders to explore their service-to-career pathway
- Enabled 121 AmeriCorps members to enroll in college
- Facilitated 385 full-time employment opportunities
“This partnership is a model for how sports organizations can deeply engage with communities beyond symbolic gestures,” Spaloss added. “The NBA Foundation doesn’t just talk the talk, they show up, they do the work with us. That’s powerful, and it’s how City Year looks to build impactful partnerships.”
A vision for longterm impact
As the NBA Foundation continues its work to create meaningful, lasting change, this latest round of funding marks a pivotal milestone—not just in dollars, but in lives touched and futures transformed.
To see the full list of NBA Foundation’s grantees, visit the official website.
