Photo courtesy of findmyhbcu.com

MIAMI – The NBA Foundation has announced that Bethune-Cookman University, among the oldest HBCUs in the nation, is a 2025 recipient of the organization’s 14th grant award which empowers young Black men.

The Daytona, Florida university’s Black Male College Explorers Program will receive part of a $16.3 million grant that goes to dozens of nonprofits across the country each year.

B-CU’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement Dr. Sherry Paramore said the funding is vastly important.
“This generous investment of $300,000 from the NBA Foundation enables us to expand our influence and support young Black men as they begin to carve out their futures,” Paramore said in a statement. “Together, we are not merely altering individual life trajectories but also fostering the development of stronger, more resilient communities through education, empowerment, and access to meaningful opportunities.”

The Black Male College Explorers Program, which debuted in 1993, gives mentorship and guidance to local youths in grades 6 through 12.

With a focus on empowering minority male youth throughout the Sunshine State, the program cultivates academic excellence, ensures high school graduation, facilitates access to post-secondary education, and promotes long-term success, both personally and professionally.

The NBA Foundation is a non-profit organization established and initially funded by all 30 NBA teams.

The Foundation is focused on driving economic opportunity and empowerment in the Black community.

It works in partnership with the teams’ affiliated charitable organizations and the NBPA to support national and local organizations with a specific focus on team markets.

The NBA Board of Governors has committed $30 million annually to the Foundation, in addition to other funding sources.