Michael Jordan Just Donated $10 Million To His Alma Mater And Named It After His Mom

Michael Jordan has made a $10 million commitment to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Social Work, the largest single gift in the school's history, made in honor of his mother, Deloris P. Jordan, whose lifelong work serving children, families, and communities around the world is the reason he chose this particular place for this particular gift. The donation will expand the reach of the school's Global Social Development Innovations Center, which will be renamed the Deloris P. Jordan Global Social Development Innovations Center, making her name a permanent part of an institution she has been connected to for decades. Deloris Jordan, 85, is a noted author, philanthropist, and president of the James R. Jordan Foundation and its international counterpart. She has served on the board of the Jordan Institute for Families at UNC, which Jordan and his family founded in 1996 to help cultivate safe, stable, nurturing families over the course of a lifetime. She has spent her life doing exactly what the center now named for her does, and her son's $10 million gift ensures that her mission, rather than just her name, continues reaching people in North Carolina and beyond.

As part of the commitment, UNC established the Jordan Family Scholars program, naming ten inaugural scholars from among students pursuing their Master of Social Work degrees, each receiving a $12,500 scholarship. The gift is the latest in a pattern of major philanthropic investments Jordan has made in North Carolina across the past several years. He donated $10 million to Novant Health in 2025, $10 million to Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center to name its neuroscience institute after his mother, and $10 million to Make-A-Wish in 2023. He also committed $100 million over ten years through Jordan Brand toward racial equity, social justice, and education access following the death of George Floyd. UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts said the school could not be more grateful, and described Deloris Jordan's lifelong dedication to children and families as reflected in every aspect of the investment. Jordan's statement was brief and direct: North Carolina will always be home, and he is proud to support the social workers on the ground every day helping people navigate challenges, find opportunities, and build stronger communities. He added that honoring his mother through this gift to the UNC School of Social Work is truly meaningful to his family and to him, and he hopes it makes it possible for more students to pursue this important work. The most decorated basketball player in the history of the sport grew up watching his mother build a life of service. He is using his own life to make sure that continues.

Source:https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/sports/michael-jordan-donates-10m-unc/