NBA Foundation Announces Round 16 Grants Championing Creative Futures and Workforce Readiness

5 days ago

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A NOCCA Foundation culinary student works alongside an instructor in a professional kitchen classroom, highlighting pathways from creative education to career opportunity.

Expanding Pathways to Economic Mobility

The NBA Foundation announced its 16th round of grantmaking, continuing its mission to expand economic opportunity and workforce pathways for young people in under-resourced communities across the country. Through sustained investment in education, career readiness and workforce development, the NBA Foundation is building long-term pathways to economic mobility by partnering with nonprofit organizations that connect young people to training, mentorship and real-world career opportunities.

“We are thrilled to announce this latest grant round. These nonprofit partners help us to deepen our impact, and we are so proud of the work they do to uplift and support youth across all our markets,” said Ruth Jurgensen, Executive Director of the NBA Foundation.

Round 16 Impact and National Reach

With this latest round of support, the Foundation has now deployed more than $160M in total grantmaking, reaching more than 877K young people ages 14-24 with job-readiness resources, supporting over 260K college enrollments and helping secure more than 134,500 job placements, including internships and opportunities through the NBA HBCU Fellowship. Young people connected to Foundation-supported pathways are securing jobs with an average salary of approximately $43K, underscoring the lasting economic impact these investments are creating for individuals, families and communities.

Building a National Ecosystem of Opportunity

Since its launch in 2020, the NBA Foundation has built a national network of nonprofit partners delivering programs that drive measurable outcomes in career development and professional advancement. A growing segment of this portfolio focuses on careers in tech, media, art and live entertainment, reflecting the Foundation’s commitment to supporting digital-first learners, content creators and young people pursuing careers in the creative economy.

Investing in the Creative Economy

Round 16 reinforces the Foundation’s focus on the Tech, Media, Art, Entertainment and Creative Industries space, supporting programs that connect creative expression with workforce readiness. These investments strengthen access to career-connected learning across music, media production, design, digital content creation and live event production, creating new pathways for young people to translate creativity into sustainable careers.

Preserving Culture While Creating Careers

New Orleans-based NOCCA Foundation joins Round 16 as a new grantee, providing pre-professional training to high school students across disciplines, including media arts, jazz, culinary arts, classical and vocal music, visual arts, drama, and creative writing. The program has achieved universal college acceptance and full job placement in creative fields, while its partnerships with the New Orleans Pelicans and Saints have created real-world professional exposure through commissioned artwork and live halftime performances.

Renewal partner Jazz at Lincoln Center continues its legacy as a global leader in jazz education, performance and advocacy. Through initiatives such as Black, Brown and Beige and the Band Director Academy, the organization provides mentorship, career training and professional development for HBCU jazz programs, strengthening artistic pipelines and long-term career pathways in music education and performance.

Developing the Next Generation of Creators

Students at Otis College of Art and Design decorate custom bags through the Black Creatives Institute, building hands-on design skills and pathways into creative careers.

Los Angeles-based Otis College of Art and Design joins Round 16 through its Black Creatives Institute, a nationally recognized initiative that prepares emerging artists and designers for careers in creative industries by building professional skills, industry networks and long-term persistence in creative education.

Create Now also brings its commitment to youth empowerment in creative fields to this round of funding, delivering tuition-free instruction and workforce training in animation, music production and digital media, and connecting young people to career pathways that bridge creativity and economic opportunity.

Creative Careers as a Pathway to Second Chances

Supporting justice-impacted youth through creative workforce development, Driving Force Group, operating in partnership with C2C and Homeboy Productions, expands opportunities for young people in Los Angeles through hands-on media production training, workforce readiness coaching and wraparound support. Participants gain industry exposure through professional mentorship, access to production environments, and learning experiences connected to professional sports ecosystems, creating tangible pathways into the creative economy.

Where Creativity Meets Opportunity

Together, these Round 16 investments reflect the NBA Foundation’s belief that creativity, when paired with access, training and workforce readiness, becomes a powerful engine for economic mobility. By aligning creative education with career-connected learning and industry access, the Foundation continues to redefine what opportunity looks like for young people across its team markets and communities nationwide.

See the full list here:

New Grantees

360 Academic Sports Academy and Bonnie Youth Club
Alamo College Foundation
Andrew J. Young Foundation
Asian Association of Utah
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
BOSS, Inc.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee
Boys and Girls Club of Boston, Inc
Bridges of Norman
Brooklyn Public Library
Broward Education Foundation
Camden Education Fund
Camp Boggy Creek
Center for Black Excellence
Circle of Brotherhood, Inc
City Blossoms
City Leadership
College Beyond
College, Career & Beyond- Midnight Golf Program
Cosign Studios
Covenant House
Create Now
Crosstown Arts
Denver Scholarship Foundation
Department of Sound
Diversion Hub dba Oklahoma County Diversion Hub, Inc
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Driving Force Group, Inc.
Elevate Phoenix
Employ Milwaukee
Eva’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth
Figure Skating Harlem
Flint & Genesee Education & Talent dba Flint and Genesee Group Foundation
Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona
Free to Dream
GenerationNation
Girl Scouts – Arizona Cactus-Pine County
Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis
Gold Crown Foundation
Gray Matter Experience
G-Unity Foundation
Harlem Children’s Zone
Homeless Youth Connection
ImpactTulsa, Inc.
Junior Achievement of Memphis and the MidSouth
La La Land Foundation (ThreeSixty)
Play Equity Fund
Latin America Youth Center
Legends Do Live
Male Mogul Initiative Inc. NFP
Man Up Teacher Fellowship
Martha’s Table
Memphis Medical District Collaborative dba MDCDC, Inc
Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Vision
Mutual Assistance Network of Del Paso Heights dba Mutual Assistance Network
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders
National Hispanic Institute at San Antonio dba for San Antonio Community Leadership Council
New York Junior Tennis League
NOCCA Foundation
One Refugee
one-n-ten dba 1N10, Inc
Otis College of Art and Design.
Philadelphia Academies Incorporated
Portland YouthBuilders
Quest Inc. dba Life Concepts
Re:Source Cleveland
RISE 5280
Rise In Stem fiscally sponsored by Neighborhood Collective
Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Conservancy
ScholarShot
School on Wheels, Inc
Science Museum Oklahoma
SCO Family of Services
Sharefest Community Development, Inc
Sol Collective
Sunrise Association
T. Howard Foundation
The Academy of Goal Achievers
The Base
The HOPE Program
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
The Pinball Foundation
The Posse Foundation
The Remix Project
The Yunion
United Way of Southeast Louisiana
V3 Sports, Inc
White Hall Arts Academy Foundation
Word is Bond
Yes2Jobs
Youth Mentoring Action Network