Kevin Durant

SOURCE OF WEALTH: NBA Player, Thirty Five Ventures

FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Community

OVERVIEW: Kevin Durant launched the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation (KDCF), which seeks to enrich the lives of at-risk youth through educational, athletic and social programs and recently committed $10 million to create College Track at The Durant Center. Durant has also given millions to his college University of Texas.

BACKGROUND: Born in 1988 in Washington D.C., Kevin Durant attended University of Texas and was drafted by the then Seattle Supersonics. Later, he and former teammate Russell Westbrook helped lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Finals. NBA champion Durant currently plays for the Golden State Warriors. Off the court, he launched Thirty Five Ventures with manager and business partner Rich Kleiman, which has invested in companies like Postmates.

ISSUES:

EDUCATION & YOUTH: Durant donated $3 million to his alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, $2.5 million of which was earmarked for the men's basketball program, prompting university officials to rename the team's playing space to "The Kevin Durant Basketball Facility For Men."

The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation (KDCF), meanwhile, aims to enrich the lives of at-risk youth through educational, athletic and social programs. KDCF committed $10 million over 10 years to create College Track at The Durant Center in Durant’s hometown of Prince George’s County, Maryland. The Durant Center will also feature additional career readiness, STEM, financial literacy and other educational programs to impact the entire community.

KDCF’s Build it and They Will Ball Courts Renovation initiative aims increase the number of high-quality basketball courts accessible to underprivileged youth across the United States and internationally. KDCF also runs Team Durant, a youth basketball program which “provides coaching, mentorship, and character development for 15 Boys and Girls teams for ages 8-17.” 

Since 2015, KDCF has distributed over $450,000 in grants to organizations addressing youth homelessness. Other grantees have included Black Girls Code, Teen Diaries Foundation, Silicon Valley Debug, Larkin Street Youth Services, Oakland Elizabeth House, New Heights Youth Inc, and Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsulas.

LOOKING FORWARD: Just in his 30s, Durant is just kicking off his philanthropy, but his work empowering youth should be watched carefully.

CONTACT:

Kevin Durant Charity Foundation
1450 Brickell Avenue, 18th Floor
Miami, FL 33131