SOURCE OF WEALTH: NBA Player
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Michigan Community
OVERVIEW: Draymond Green does not yet appear to have a formal charitable vehicle. He has given strong support to his alma mater Michigan State University.
BACKGROUND: Draymond Jamal Green Sr. grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, and played college basketball at Michigan State University. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2012, where he has played ever since, playing a key role in championship runs.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: Draymond Green gave a $3.1 million to Michigan State University Athletics to endow the men’s basketball program and help pay for a strength and conditioning center. Green’s gift is the largest ever given to Michigan state athletics by a former player and according to Forbes it is also the largest donation ever made by an active professional athlete to their former school.
MICHIGAN COMMUNITY: Green has directed sums to Saginaw Community Foundation, which “works to improve the quality of life in Saginaw County by linking donor interests with the community’s most pressing needs and promising opportunities.”
OTHER: Green is on the board of the Ross Initiative in Sports and Equality (RISE), a nonprofit founded by real estate mogul Stephen Ross that is dedicated to improving race relations through the unifying elements of sports. He has also been involved in volunteer work in the Bay Area and beyond.
LOOKING FORWARD: Still in his thirties, Draymond Green is still in the midst of an active hoops career. But he should be watched for greater giving down the line. Away from his Michigan locus, racial equity is another area to watch in the future.
