Warriors Pledge $10M over 10 Years to Establish NBA Foundation for Racial Equity

The Golden State Warriors announced Thursday they're going to donate $10 million over the next 10 years to the NBA Foundation in a first-of-its-kind effort dedicated to "creating greater economic empowerment in the Black community."

Warriors president and COO Rick Welts said:

"We are doubling down on our organizational commitment and accountability in the fight for racial and social justice. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber released a statement in May outlining our roadmap; specifically, our organizational Voice, Feet, Heart and Wallet resources; these principles will guide our organizational efforts for many years to come."

The commitment, made in coordination with the Warriors Community Foundation, includes an initial donation of $100,000 apiece to the Kingmakers of Oakland and Urban Ed Academy in San Francisco.

The Warriors Community Foundation previously donated over $22.5 million to programs aimed at educational equity.

In June, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr discussed the importance of making a long-term impact that goes beyond a financial commitment during an appearance on NBC Sports Bay Area's "Race In America: A Candid Conversation" series:

"I think being committed—if you're a corporation, taking on that commitment of building a relationship with these grassroots organizations.

"Not just, 'Hey, here's a check for [$5,000], we're proud of you.' Build a relationship with the grassroots organizations, build a relationship with city government and continue this work. That's the whole key, and that's what I'm going to try to do. That's what the [NBA] Coaches Association is doing. We're trying to build lasting relationships so that the work can continue, even beyond the emotion of the aftermath of something like this."

In January, the Warriors launched the "Beyond28 Campaign" to celebrate Black history for the entire year rather than just during Black History Month in February.