NBA Foundation Grants 2026: Deadlines and Who Gets Funded
Updated 3 official sources
Quick Answer: If you're a nonprofit hoping to apply, NBA Foundation grants aren't open on November 10, 2026: the fall 2026 window on the foundation's Fluxx portal closed October 31, and 2027 dates aren't posted.
Full answer and how we checked it
The foundation runs two windows a year (the last spring window was March 1 to 31, 2026). It funds school-to-career programs for under-resourced youth ages 14 to 24 in NBA markets in the US and Canada. Its FAQ puts the average grant at $250,000 and the minimum at $25,000, but its fiscal 2025 grants had a median of $150,000.
Who this is for: This guide is for nonprofits running job readiness, career training, mentoring, college access and paid internship programs for young people in an NBA city. It covers who can apply for NBA Foundation grants, when the windows open, how big grants really are, and which organizations got funded. Grantsights isn't affiliated with the NBA, the NBA Foundation or any team.
Data note: Grant figures come from the National Basketball Association Foundation's Form 990 for the fiscal year July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 (EIN 85-3122376), read from the e-filed return on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer on November 10, 2026. The foundation is a public charity, so its US grants are listed on Schedule I. Grantsights parsed all 113 Schedule I grants, worth $18,960,000, which matches the return's line for grants to domestic organizations. Schedule F adds 3 grants worth $1,150,000 to unnamed recipients in Canada and Mexico, for $20,110,000 in total grants paid, the figure on Part I of the return. Nothing was excluded (0 grants, $0), because the fiscal 2025 return reports no grants to individuals, no employee matching and no lump sums to giving platforms. The prior return (fiscal year ending June 2024: 157 US grants worth $44,461,250, plus $780,000 abroad) is used for comparison.
Last updated: 2026-11-10.
In this guide
- NBA Foundation grants open now: 6 routes checked
- Who qualifies: 7 rules from the NBA Foundation's FAQ
- How much NBA Foundation grants pay
- Who actually gets NBA Foundation grants
- How to apply for an NBA Foundation grant, step by step
- What the NBA Foundation's Grant Pages Don't Tell You
- NBA team foundations: the local route
- Is the NBA Foundation worth an application? A 4-question check
- Where to look if the NBA Foundation isn't a fit
- How Grantsights Checked This Guide
- Sources
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NBA Foundation grants open now: 6 routes checked
Grantsights checked 6 NBA-related routes on November 10, 2026. None takes grant applications today.
| NBA route | Pays for | Who can apply | Published amount | Status on November 10, 2026 | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBA Foundation grant cycle | One- or two-year youth workforce and career readiness projects | 501(c)(3)s and registered Canadian charities serving youth 14 to 24 in an NBA market | $25,000 minimum; $250,000 average | Closed. Fall 2026 window ended October 31; 2027 dates not announced | Grant Information (opens in a new tab) |
| Renewal grants | Continuing funding for current grantees | Grantees invited after their final report | Not published | Invitation only | Grant Information FAQ (opens in a new tab) |
| NBA HBCU Fellowship | 10-week summer internships in the business of basketball | HBCU undergraduate and graduate students | Not a grant to organizations | Individuals only | HBCU Fellowship (opens in a new tab) |
| All-Star Pitch Competition | Prize money for entrepreneurs | Entrepreneurs in the All-Star host market | $900,000 awarded to date, per NBA.com | Individuals and businesses only | Pitch Competition (opens in a new tab) |
| Tickets, jerseys, gala tables, player appearances | Not funded | Not applicable | None | Not offered. FAQ says no in-kind donations or gala sponsorships | Grant Information FAQ (opens in a new tab) |
| NBA team foundations | Each team's own local giving | Set by each team | Set by each team | Varies. See the team section below | Mavs Foundation grants (opens in a new tab) |
Recently closed: the fall 2026 grant cycle. The Grant Information page still read "Fall application cycle open now through October 31st" on November 10, 2026, but that date has passed. The spring 2026 window ran March 1 to 31, 2026.
Our honest read: this is one of the few large national youth funders with a true open application, but it opens for only a few weeks twice a year. Have your documents ready before the next window, and don't assume it'll open in March 2027 until the FAQ says so.
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Who qualifies: 7 rules from the NBA Foundation's FAQ
The foundation's FAQ, checked November 10, 2026, sets 7 tests. The Fluxx application won't be reviewed if you miss one.
1. Tax status. You must be a registered 501(c)(3) or a registered charity in Canada. The FAQ says the foundation can't review a group whose 501(c)(3) is pending, but a group with a fiscal sponsor can apply using the sponsor's budget and 990. According to IRS guidance on 501(c)(3) exemption requirements (opens in a new tab), the status requires an organization built and run only for exempt purposes whose earnings never benefit a private shareholder or individual.
2. A filed return. You need an IRS Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-PF, or a Canadian T3010, from your most recent year. A brand-new group that hasn't filed one should wait, per the FAQ.
3. Youth ages 14 to 24. The FAQ defines under-resourced youth as people 14 to 24 who are "systemically excluded" from the networks and capital needed for higher education and work. Programs that also serve younger or older people qualify only if they meaningfully reach that age band.
4. School-to-career focus. Job readiness, skills training, job placement and career advancement. The FAQ lists 8 fields, including job placement, college access, sports and tech and media, the arts, entrepreneurship, justice-impacted workforce programs and the trades, green jobs, and health and disability justice. It says projects don't have to be sports- or male-centered.
5. An NBA market. Programs must run in one of the 28 NBA markets. A national group can apply if its proposal targets those markets, and Canadian charities anywhere in Canada can apply. A proposal covering 4 or more markets is reviewed as national; fewer than 4 is local.
6. At least 25 youth a year across your programs.
7. Required uploads: a program budget, a 990, a board list and an organizational budget (an annual report is optional).
The foundation's 990 mission and its pages describe the focus as under-resourced youth; the eligibility list on November 10, 2026 doesn't set a race requirement.
How much NBA Foundation grants pay
The FAQ says the average grant is $250,000, awards are usually 10% to 12% of the applicant's budget, and the floor is $25,000. That ratio matters more than the average: a group with a $500,000 budget should expect something near $50,000 to $60,000, not $250,000.
Grants are one or two years. Most fund a defined project, though the FAQ says general operating support is considered case by case. Summer programs and internship stipends can be funded.
Who actually gets NBA Foundation grants
According to our analysis of the fiscal 2025 Schedule I, the foundation made 113 US grants worth $18,960,000, median $150,000, to organizations in 25 states plus DC. The most common amount was $100,000 (29 grants), followed by $50,000 and $250,000 (14 each).
| Fiscal 2025 grant size | Grants | Total paid |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 to $49,999 | 6 | $160,000 |
| $50,000 to under $100,000 | 17 | $925,000 |
| $100,000 to $249,999 | 59 | $7,950,000 |
| $250,000 to $499,999 | 28 | $8,225,000 |
| $500,000 to $600,000 | 3 | $1,700,000 |
| Total (Schedule I) | 113 | $18,960,000 |
Every Schedule I line has the same purpose text, "in support of programs in furtherance of NBA Foundation's mission," so the return doesn't show a program mix. The recipient names do: job training groups, college access programs, coding and media schools, and youth development groups.
Where the money went
| State (recipient address) | Grants (fiscal 2025) | Total |
|---|---|---|
| California | 25 | $4,350,000 |
| New York | 9 | $1,850,000 |
| Oregon | 6 | $1,450,000 |
| Texas | 9 | $1,110,000 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $1,075,000 |
| District of Columbia | 6 | $1,075,000 |
| Illinois | 6 | $975,000 |
| Louisiana | 4 | $800,000 |
| Georgia | 4 | $750,000 |
California, home to 4 teams, took 23% of the US money. Portland punched above its weight: 6 Oregon grants worth $1.45 million, including $450,000 to Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center.
Named examples from the fiscal 2025 return
The largest grants went to established national and regional groups: 10000 Degrees in San Rafael, California, $600,000; City Year in Boston, $600,000; National Urban League, $500,000; Braven in Chicago, $400,000; INROADS in Atlanta, $400,000; and Social Justice Learning Institute in Inglewood, California, $400,000.
Smaller groups got funded too. For example, DivInc received $250,000 in fiscal 2025 in Houston, and STEM NOLA in New Orleans and the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals in Olive Branch, Mississippi, received $300,000 each. One organization in Oklahoma, Freedom City in Oklahoma City, received the $25,000 minimum, as did Black Girl Film School in Los Angeles and the Muggsy Bogues Family Foundation in Charlotte. Four grants went to projects through fiscal sponsors, such as $150,000 to the Terence Crutcher Foundation through the Tulsa Community Foundation.
Rounds announced since the return
The foundation announces grants in numbered rounds on NBA.com. According to the January 29, 2026 Round 16 announcement, the foundation had deployed more than $160 million in total grantmaking; Grantsights counted 91 new grantees and 69 renewal grantees on its list, but the announcement gives no round total. The August 5, 2026 sixth-anniversary article says Round 17 awarded $3.3 million to 54 organizations and that the foundation has awarded $165 million, more than half of its initial $300 million commitment.
How to apply for an NBA Foundation grant, step by step
The Grant Information page and FAQ set out 7 steps. All of them happen in an open window except the first two.
- Confirm your market. Your program has to run in one of the 28 NBA markets (the FAQ links the market list), or anywhere in Canada.
- Gather the documents now. Latest filed 990 or T3010, organizational budget, program budget and board list. Size your request at about 10% to 12% of your budget.
- Watch the Grant Information page for the next window. In 2026 the windows were March 1 to 31 and a fall cycle that closed October 31.
- Register in Fluxx. Create an account on the foundation's Fluxx portal. The confirmation email's login link expires (the FAQ says within 48 hours in one answer and 24 hours in another), so use it right away.
- Complete the application. Pick your target NBA market, fill in the Financial Health Worksheet from your 990 or audit, and give the age breakdown of the youth you serve. Those three fields are the FAQ's top causes of submission errors.
- Submit and wait up to 12 weeks. The answer is an approval, a request for more information, or a decline. The board approves grants quarterly.
- If declined, reapply in a later window. The FAQ says the foundation can't give feedback.
Common mistake: applying as a youth basketball league or for a one-day event. The foundation funds career pathways, not sports for its own sake, and it doesn't sponsor galas.
What the NBA Foundation's Grant Pages Don't Tell You
Grantsights checked the foundation's pages against its fiscal 2024 and 2025 returns and its round announcements. Five things stand out.
1. Grants have shrunk. The foundation paid $45,241,250 in grants in fiscal 2024 (median $250,000) and $20,110,000 in fiscal 2025 (median $150,000). Round 17 in August 2026 averaged about $61,000 per organization. Don't underestimate how far the advertised $250,000 average sits from recent awards.
2. Most money goes to new grantees each year. Only 18 of the 113 organizations on the fiscal 2025 Schedule I also appear on the fiscal 2024 list, matched by EIN. Renewals happen by invitation after a final report, and grantees not invited back wait for the next open window.
3. Team ties help, even though they aren't required. The FAQ says a team connection isn't required, but the foundation prioritizes and tracks groups that partner with NBA teams, and it works with teams during selection. Tickets donated by a third party don't count.
4. You can't talk to staff first. The FAQ says staff don't hold conversations before a complete application is reviewed, give no feedback after a decline, and use AI to support (not decide) parts of the review. Your written application is the whole pitch.
5. The FAQ contradicts itself on asking your local team. One answer says not to reach out to your local team independently after a decline, then recommends visiting the team's website to explore partnerships. A red flag worth noting: approach a team as its own funder, on its own terms, not as a fallback for an NBA Foundation decline.
NBA team foundations: the local route
Every NBA team runs its own community giving, separate from the league foundation. Grantsights checked 2 team foundation pages on November 10, 2026.
Mavs Foundation (Dallas). Its grants page says organizations must be 501(c)(3) public charities active for at least 2 years, operating within 75 miles of American Airlines Center, serving children, women or families in North Texas, with an operating budget of $250,000 or more. It won't fund schools. The page says 2026-27 recipients would be posted in October and offers a form to be notified when 2027-28 applications open. The foundation's main page says it has given more than $14 million in grants over 30 years.
Trail Blazers Foundation (Portland). Its page says the foundation gives grants to nonprofits, schools and youth across Oregon and Southwest Washington, and lists Learn, Play and Live Greener grants for nonprofits plus a school grant. Since 2009, it says, the foundation and the team have donated more than $17 million.
Find your team's foundation from the community section of its NBA.com page, and check its own rules and dates.
Is the NBA Foundation worth an application? A 4-question check
- Do you serve at least 25 youth ages 14 to 24 a year in an NBA market? If not, stop here.
- Is the work about jobs, careers or college-to-career pathways? A general youth program won't score well.
- Is your budget at least $250,000? At 10% to 12%, smaller groups can't reach much above the $25,000 floor.
- Do you have a filed 990, budgets and a board list ready before the window opens?
Plausible fit: a Houston nonprofit with a $1.5 million budget placing 150 young adults a year in paid IT internships, asking about $150,000 for two years. Poor fit: a volunteer youth basketball league asking for uniforms, or an individual seeking a scholarship.
Where to look if the NBA Foundation isn't a fit
Public workforce money is the biggest alternative for youth job programs. According to DOL, its WIOA Youth Formula Program (opens in a new tab) serves eligible youth ages 14 to 24 who face barriers to education, training and work. Its funds go to states and local areas by formula, and local areas must spend at least 75% of them on out-of-school youth. Services run through local workforce boards and American Job Centers, so nonprofits usually take part as local providers. The WIOA workforce grants guide explains how that money reaches organizations.
Youth workforce and career programs: see grants for workforce training, the best grants for workforce development nonprofits, grants for youth programs, grants for mentoring programs and grants for youth entrepreneurship programs. The best grants for youth development nonprofits guide covers broader youth funders.
Sports-based programs: the foundation won't fund a league for its own sake; grants for youth sports leagues lists funders that will.
Other corporate funders for career pathways: the Truist Foundation grants guide covers a bank foundation with an open application for career pathway programs. Wells Fargo Foundation grants work by invitation, so treat them as a relationship to build. MacKenzie Scott's giving has funded many youth and workforce groups, but no one can apply. For more company programs, see corporate grants for nonprofits.
Grantsights tools: Grantsights' youth funder lists group private foundations that gave to youth causes by state, using the grants on their own 990-PF returns, and you can preview your state free. For public money with real deadlines, search the Grantsights grant database.
How Grantsights Checked This Guide
Grantsights checked 7 NBA Foundation, NBA.com and team pages and 2 returns on November 10, 2026. ProPublica's record lists the National Basketball Association Foundation under EIN 85-3122376 as a public charity filing Form 990 on a fiscal year ending June 30.
| Page or filing | Finding on November 10, 2026 | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Information page and FAQ | Fall cycle through October 31; March 1 to 31, 2026 spring window; $250,000 average, $25,000 minimum; 7 eligibility rules | Plan for the next window |
| NBA Foundation home page | 300+ nonprofit partners; $165 million awarded; 1 million youth served | Size the program |
| Round 16 announcement (January 29, 2026) | More than $160 million deployed; 91 new and 69 renewal grantees listed | See recent grantees |
| Sixth-anniversary article (August 5, 2026) | Round 17: $3.3 million to 54 organizations | See the latest grant size |
| Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025 | 113 US grants, $18,960,000; 3 grants abroad, $1,150,000; median $150,000 | Find peers and realistic asks |
| Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2024 | 157 US grants, $44,461,250; 5 abroad, $780,000; median $250,000 | Track the trend |
| Mavs Foundation and Trail Blazers Foundation pages | Local rules and grants | Find a team route |
Public charities list grants over $5,000 on Schedule I of Form 990; the IRS page of Form 990 schedules with instructions (opens in a new tab) describes Schedule I as grants and other assistance to organizations, governments and individuals in the United States. If you need help with a short concept paper for a team foundation, the letter of inquiry guide covers the format.
Sources
- NBA Foundation: Home (opens in a new tab)
- NBA Foundation: Grant Information and FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- NBA Foundation: HBCU Fellowship (opens in a new tab)
- NBA Foundation: All-Star Pitch Competition (opens in a new tab)
- NBA Foundation: Fluxx application portal (opens in a new tab)
- NBA.com: NBA Foundation Announces Round 16 Grants (January 29, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- NBA.com: NBA Foundation marks six years of impact and opportunity (August 5, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: National Basketball Association Foundation filings (opens in a new tab)
- Dallas Mavericks: Mavs Foundation Grants (opens in a new tab)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Trail Blazers Foundation (opens in a new tab)
- US Department of Labor: WIOA Youth Formula Program (opens in a new tab)
- IRS: Exemption Requirements for 501(c)(3) Organizations (opens in a new tab)
- IRS: Form 990 Schedules with Instructions (opens in a new tab)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the NBA Foundation grant application open right now?
No, as checked November 10, 2026. The Grant Information page says the fall application cycle ran through October 31 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific, and the FAQ lists two windows for the current fiscal year: March 1 to 31, 2026, and fall 2026. Dates for 2027 weren't posted on November 10, 2026.
How much is an NBA Foundation grant?
The FAQ says the average grant is $250,000, awards are typically 10% to 12% of the organization's budget, and the smallest grant is $25,000. Grantsights analysis of the fiscal 2025 Schedule I found 113 US grants worth $18,960,000 with a median of $150,000. The August 2026 round gave $3.3 million to 54 organizations, about $61,000 each on average.
Who is eligible for NBA Foundation grants?
501(c)(3) nonprofits, or registered charities in Canada, running school-to-career employment programs for under-resourced youth ages 14 to 24 in an NBA market. Applicants must serve at least 25 youth a year and upload a filed Form 990 (or 990-EZ, 990-PF or Canadian T3010), an organizational budget, a program budget and a board list. Groups using a fiscal sponsor upload the sponsor's documents.
How do I apply for an NBA Foundation grant?
During an open window, register your organization in the foundation's Fluxx portal, use the emailed login link before it expires, then complete the application and upload the required documents. The FAQ says applicants hear back within 12 weeks. Staff don't take calls before a complete application is reviewed; questions go to grants@nba.com.
Does the NBA Foundation fund basketball programs or individuals?
Not as such. The FAQ says projects don't have to be sports-related and lists 8 career fields it funds, from job placement to the arts and green jobs. Grants go to organizations, not individuals, and the foundation doesn't give in-kind items such as jerseys, sponsor gala tables, or fund current players' charities. Its HBCU Fellowship and All-Star Pitch Competition are separate programs for students and entrepreneurs.
Is the NBA Foundation the same as my local team's foundation?
No. The NBA Foundation (EIN 85-3122376) is a league-wide public charity launched in 2020 with all 30 teams. Each team runs its own community giving: the Mavs Foundation in Dallas and the Trail Blazers Foundation in Portland, for example, have their own rules and grants.
Last updated November 10, 2026. Published by Grantsights from public sources. See our editorial policy, how we build and check guides, corrections and how we make money.
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