INSTITUTIONAL GRANT PROGRAM
Leading sustainable and meaningful change to directly impact the fight against systemic racism is at the center of Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand’s 10-year, $100 million Black Community Commitment (BCC). Since announcing the BCC in June of 2020, we have been focused on two things – action and impact.
Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand’s commitment to the Black community incorporates investment in sustainable solutions to drive systems change in the areas of economic justice, education, narrative change, and social justice. Our institutional grantees are leading the way to create a world in which Black people can thrive.
CENTER FOR BLACK EDUCATOR DEVELOPMENT
The Center for Black Educator Development is revolutionizing education by dramatically increasing the number of Black educators so that low-income Black students who need it most can reap the full benefits of quality public education.
2023 INSTITUTIONAL GRANT RECIPIENTS
THE BLACKHOUSE FOUNDATION
The Blackhouse Foundation expands opportunities for Black filmmakers by providing physical gathering venues for constituents at the world’s most prominent film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival, and encouraging the inclusion of Black filmmakers through support, education, knowledge and fellowships.
COLORCREATIVE
ColorCreative drives conversations that confront racism. Their Find Your People program works explicitly to place more diverse talent in roles across the film and entertainment industries. They train department heads to support their engagement with a pipeline of industry professionals of color.
THE OPPORTUNITY AGENDA
The Opportunity Agenda is a community dedicated to building narrative and cultural power to move our nation toward a vision of justice, equity, and opportunity for all.
STORYCORPS
StoryCorps aims to preserve and share humanity’s stories to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. StoryCorps’ newest initiative, Brightness in Black, launching in 2024, will invite every Black American to record, archive, and share stories that expand and reclaim the narrative of the Black experience in America. Brightness in Black is a co-creation collaboration with communities, recording and distributing these stories in places StoryCorps is and has not been, to counter deficit-framed narratives, while sharing tools and training that support the continued celebration of Black lives and the storytelling that will change hearts and minds.
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE’S JOURNALISM AND SPORTS PROGRAM
Morehouse is the only historically Black college or university dedicated to educating and empowering Black men. For fifteen years, Morehouse’s Journalism and Sports Program has addressed a distinct need – the lack of Black leadership in sports journalism and athletics. The program has educated and professionally developed more than 600 students from Morehouse and the Atlanta University Center, producing more than 80 graduates who now work in media and sports and almost 40 graduates who have earned master’s degrees in those fields.
2022 INSTITUTIONAL GRANT RECIPIENTS
BLACK FEM
BlackFem is a national nonprofit that is closing the race and gender wealth gap by mobilizing cities, political systems, culture centers, and educational systems to be the mechanisms through which we maximize the wealth-building capabilities of Black women and women of color, their families, and their communities.
MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP FOR TOMORROW
Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) exists to advance racial equality by elevating the career and economic trajectory of people of color and changing employer practices to improve outcomes for all.
NEXT GEN PERSONAL FINANCE
Next Gen Personal Finance’s mission is to revolutionize the teaching of personal finance in all schools and to improve the financial lives of the next generation.
PROFOUND GENTLEMEN, INC.
Profound Gentlemen’s mission is to build a local community of male educators of color who provide a profound additional impact on boys of color. We develop, support, and retain highly effective male teachers of color across the nation to positively affect the academic, social, and emotional success of all children in traditional, private, public and charter schools, with particular attention to the achievement of boys of color.
THE HIDDEN GENIUS PROJECT
The Hidden Genius Project trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities. Through our student-centered, project-based approach, we invest in young Black men, give them access to technology training, and plug them into an ecosystem of innovation and empowerment.
YWCA METROPOLITAN CHICAGO- TECHGYRLS PROGRAM
TechGYRLS, a program of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, is a youth empowerment program designed to raise girls’ interest and confidence in the critical areas of science, technology, engineering, arts & mathematics (STEAM).
2021 Institutional Grantees
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 7.5 million in-person visitors and millions more through its digital presence. The nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting, and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history.
IDA B. WELLS SOCIETY FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
It's no secret that newsrooms have a diversity problem. And for investigative news teams, the numbers are even worse, with few people of color on the staff who produce the kinds of in-depth work that helps set the public agenda. The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting seeks to change that at all levels. We are a news trade organization, founded by award-winning journalists Nikole Hannah-Jones, Ron Nixon, and Topher Sanders, with a mission to increase the ranks, retention, and profile of reporters and editors of color in accountability journalism.
DONORSCHOOSE
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, 5 million people and partners have contributed $1.2 billion to support more than 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the classroom, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders.
BLACK VOTERS MATTER
Black Voters Matter (BVM) Capacity Building Institute’s mission is to increase civic engagement and power building in predominantly Black communities. Our belief is that effective voting allows a community to determine its own destiny. Towards this end, we work to strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations seeking to expand civic engagement and project support for institutional strengthening.
LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall. LDF was launched at a time when the nation’s aspirations for equality and due process of law were stifled by widespread, state-sponsored racial inequality. From that era to the present, LDF’s mission has always been transformative: to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.
FORMERLY INCARCERATED CONVICTED PEOPLE & FAMILIES MOVEMENT
FICPFM is a base building civil rights network consisting of over 50 civil and human rights organizations led by policy experts, subject matter experts, organizers, thought-leaders, artists, and attorneys who also have conviction histories or are family members who are closely involved with people living with conviction histories.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE JORDAN BLACK COMMUNITY COMMITMENT
As part of our joint, 10-year $100 million commitment, Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand are committed to leading sustainable and meaningful change to directly impact the fight against systemic racism.
INSTITUTIONAL GRANT PROGRAM
Leading sustainable and meaningful change to directly impact the fight against systemic racism is at the center of Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand’s 10-year, $100 million Black Community Commitment (BCC). Since announcing the BCC in June of 2020, we have been focused on two things – action and impact.
Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand’s commitment to the Black community incorporates investment in sustainable solutions to drive systems change in the areas of economic justice, education, narrative change, and social justice. Our institutional grantees are leading the way to create a world in which Black people can thrive.
CENTER FOR BLACK EDUCATOR DEVELOPMENT
The Center for Black Educator Development is revolutionizing education by dramatically increasing the number of Black educators so that low-income Black students who need it most can reap the full benefits of quality public education.
2023 INSTITUTIONAL GRANT RECIPIENTS
THE BLACKHOUSE FOUNDATION
The Blackhouse Foundation expands opportunities for Black filmmakers by providing physical gathering venues for constituents at the world’s most prominent film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival, and encouraging the inclusion of Black filmmakers through support, education, knowledge and fellowships.
COLORCREATIVE
ColorCreative drives conversations that confront racism. Their Find Your People program works explicitly to place more diverse talent in roles across the film and entertainment industries. They train department heads to support their engagement with a pipeline of industry professionals of color.
THE OPPORTUNITY AGENDA
The Opportunity Agenda is a community dedicated to building narrative and cultural power to move our nation toward a vision of justice, equity, and opportunity for all.
STORYCORPS
StoryCorps aims to preserve and share humanity’s stories to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. StoryCorps’ newest initiative, Brightness in Black, launching in 2024, will invite every Black American to record, archive, and share stories that expand and reclaim the narrative of the Black experience in America. Brightness in Black is a co-creation collaboration with communities, recording and distributing these stories in places StoryCorps is and has not been, to counter deficit-framed narratives, while sharing tools and training that support the continued celebration of Black lives and the storytelling that will change hearts and minds.
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE’S JOURNALISM AND SPORTS PROGRAM
Morehouse is the only historically Black college or university dedicated to educating and empowering Black men. For fifteen years, Morehouse’s Journalism and Sports Program has addressed a distinct need – the lack of Black leadership in sports journalism and athletics. The program has educated and professionally developed more than 600 students from Morehouse and the Atlanta University Center, producing more than 80 graduates who now work in media and sports and almost 40 graduates who have earned master’s degrees in those fields.
2022 INSTITUTIONAL GRANT RECIPIENTS
BLACK FEM
BlackFem is a national nonprofit that is closing the race and gender wealth gap by mobilizing cities, political systems, culture centers, and educational systems to be the mechanisms through which we maximize the wealth-building capabilities of Black women and women of color, their families, and their communities.
MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP FOR TOMORROW
Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) exists to advance racial equality by elevating the career and economic trajectory of people of color and changing employer practices to improve outcomes for all.
NEXT GEN PERSONAL FINANCE
Next Gen Personal Finance’s mission is to revolutionize the teaching of personal finance in all schools and to improve the financial lives of the next generation.
PROFOUND GENTLEMEN, INC.
Profound Gentlemen’s mission is to build a local community of male educators of color who provide a profound additional impact on boys of color. We develop, support, and retain highly effective male teachers of color across the nation to positively affect the academic, social, and emotional success of all children in traditional, private, public and charter schools, with particular attention to the achievement of boys of color.
THE HIDDEN GENIUS PROJECT
The Hidden Genius Project trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities. Through our student-centered, project-based approach, we invest in young Black men, give them access to technology training, and plug them into an ecosystem of innovation and empowerment.
YWCA METROPOLITAN CHICAGO- TECHGYRLS PROGRAM
TechGYRLS, a program of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, is a youth empowerment program designed to raise girls’ interest and confidence in the critical areas of science, technology, engineering, arts & mathematics (STEAM).
2021 Institutional Grantees
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 7.5 million in-person visitors and millions more through its digital presence. The nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting, and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history.
IDA B. WELLS SOCIETY FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
It's no secret that newsrooms have a diversity problem. And for investigative news teams, the numbers are even worse, with few people of color on the staff who produce the kinds of in-depth work that helps set the public agenda. The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting seeks to change that at all levels. We are a news trade organization, founded by award-winning journalists Nikole Hannah-Jones, Ron Nixon, and Topher Sanders, with a mission to increase the ranks, retention, and profile of reporters and editors of color in accountability journalism.
DONORSCHOOSE
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, 5 million people and partners have contributed $1.2 billion to support more than 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the classroom, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders.
BLACK VOTERS MATTER
Black Voters Matter (BVM) Capacity Building Institute’s mission is to increase civic engagement and power building in predominantly Black communities. Our belief is that effective voting allows a community to determine its own destiny. Towards this end, we work to strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations seeking to expand civic engagement and project support for institutional strengthening.
LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall. LDF was launched at a time when the nation’s aspirations for equality and due process of law were stifled by widespread, state-sponsored racial inequality. From that era to the present, LDF’s mission has always been transformative: to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.
FORMERLY INCARCERATED CONVICTED PEOPLE & FAMILIES MOVEMENT
FICPFM is a base building civil rights network consisting of over 50 civil and human rights organizations led by policy experts, subject matter experts, organizers, thought-leaders, artists, and attorneys who also have conviction histories or are family members who are closely involved with people living with conviction histories.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE JORDAN BLACK COMMUNITY COMMITMENT
As part of our joint, 10-year $100 million commitment, Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand are committed to leading sustainable and meaningful change to directly impact the fight against systemic racism.
BLACK COMMUNITY COMMITMENT
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