Michael Jordan provides $10 million gift to UNC School of Social Work in honor of his mother

Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. The Chicago Bulls legend owns several records, such as the highest career regular-season scoring average (30.1 points) and the highest career playoff scoring average (33.5). Plus, his six NBA Finals MVPs are the most a player has ever earned.

Jordan’s latest record has nothing to do with the sport and everything to do with philanthropy that hits close to home.

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The former North Carolina superstar donated $10 million to his alma mater, providing the largest single gift in the history of the UNC School of Social Work. He did so in honor of his mother, Deloris, a longtime social worker.

“My mother has always believed in the power of helping children, families and communities, and she has spent her life putting that belief into action,” Jordan, 63, said in a statement.

“Honoring her through this gift to the UNC School of Social Work is truly meaningful to my family and to me. North Carolina will always be home, and I’m proud to support the social workers who are on the ground each and every day helping people navigate challenges, find opportunities and build stronger communities. I hope this gift helps make it possible for more students to pursue this important work.”

The gift paved the way for the Jordan Family Scholars program. Each of the 10 master of social work students who were named the inaugural Jordan Family Scholars received a $12,500 scholarship.

“We could not be more grateful to Michael Jordan for this generous investment in Carolina and the people and communities we serve,” said UNC chancellor Lee H. Roberts in the school’s Monday release.

“Deloris Jordan’s lifelong dedication to children and families is reflected in this investment, which will strengthen the School of Social Work’s ability to improve lives across North Carolina and beyond.”

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Notably, back in 2010, Deloris Jordan founded the Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Centre (KWCWC) in Nairobi to offer more accessible healthcare throughout the country. KWCWC has reached more than 200,000 individuals, according to the release from the UNC School of Social Work.

The Global Social Development Innovations Center, created at UNC in 2017, has been renamed the Deloris P. Jordan Global Social Development Innovations Center. It will host a global research symposium. There, scholars, practitioners and partners from more than 20 countries will trade knowledge and share experiences with an eye toward furthering global youth development. During the two-day event, Deloris Jordan will discuss her work in Kenya.

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Previously, in 1996, Michael Jordan and his family founded the Jordan Institute for Families to help facilitate nurturing family life, with an emphasis on maternal health, caregiving, home visiting, mental health, economic support, child and family well-being and social work leadership.

Jordan knocked down a game-winning shot to win the Tar Heels a national championship in 1982. Since, he’s given back to UNC, a trend that continued with his latest donation to the UNC School of Social Work.

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