On Wednesday, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander introduced the world to his new charitable foundation, The SGA Foundation. The foundation will be featured in the two places that raised SGA, Canada and Oklahoma. It will operate as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States and a registered charity in Canada. The three tenets of the foundation will be focused on Self-Belief, Growth, and Access (aka S.G.A).
The foundation’s mission is to build pathways for kids and the families raising them to achieve their full potential. Every step of SGAs own journey has required him proving himself, from having been cut from his high school team to working all the way up to becoming an NBA champion and two-time league MVP. What kept him moving was self-belief, and the people who showed up for him along the way.
“I’m here to officially announce the launch of The SGA Foundation, in both Canada and the US,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “We’re building pathways for kids and the families raising them, built on self-belief, growth, and access. This is about making real impact and giving back to the communities that have supported me for so many years.” “I’ve been fortunate to do work in the community for years, from annual visits to children’s hospitals, to seasonal givebacks, to basketball camps, and I don’t take that for granted,” Gilgeous-Alexander added. “Now, with my own foundation, I have a real platform to do it more intentionally, showing up for these communities in ways that are lasting and meaningful, and building something that can support them long after I’m done playing.”
The foundation’s work will be shaped around impact that fills real gaps in areas of need, guided by the communities, passions, and causes closest to Shai’s heart. The SGA Foundation will maintain a year-round presence, with longstanding programs and impact initiatives set to be announced next month. Make sure you stay up date by following the foundation on Instagram (@thesgafoundation) and on the foundation’s website, www.sga.foundation.
SGA’s own mother, Charmaine Gilgeous, chimed in on what the charity meant to her:
“I always told him, there’s going to be a doctor, there’s going to be an NBA player, so believe it could be you,” said Charmaine Gilgeous, Shai’s mother. “I never imagined it would lead here, to him building something rooted in supporting others and putting kindness first. Seeing him turn that belief into something for other families, that’s the proudest I’ve ever been.”