NBA’s Plan to Help HBCUs

As part of All-Star 2021, the NBA and its partners will donate more than $3 million to support HBCUs and communities of color disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. 

Donations will go through four organizations: Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund, National Association of Equal Opportunity, and Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity.

All-Star Game teams will compete for either the UNCF or TMCF, with an initial $500,000 donation to each organization. Another $1.75 million will be donated between the two organizations based on in-game incentives. 

• For every assist, State Farm will donate $1,900 to the UNCF.
• For every dunk, AT&T will donate “5Gs,” or $5,000, to the TMCF.
• AT&T will send $50,000 to an HBCU represented by each Dunk Contest participant, and $100,000 to the winner.
• Taco Bell will donate an initial $35,000 to each of the six HBCUs represented by Skills Challenge participants, and an additional $40,000 to the winner.
• In the 3-Point Contest, MTN DEW will award two students $100,000 through a scholarship fund, $3,500 for every successful “Moneyball” make and $5,000 for every “MTN DEW Zone” make.

Though HBCUs account for 20% of the country’s Black graduates, they make up only 3% of all United States colleges. 

COVID impacted these institutions dramatically, as funding and enrollments dropped significantly. These All-Star initiatives are part of an effort to help alleviate those losses.