Michael Jordan just committed $10 million to a program at the University of North Carolina (UNC) that most sports fans have probably never even heard of.
The gift to UNC’s School of Social Work, announced on October 5, 2026, is the largest single donation in the school’s history.
Jordan named the contribution after his mother, Deloris P. Jordan, who has spent decades building support systems for children and families across two continents.
The commitment breaks from the athletics-focused giving that has shaped public perception of Jordan’s relationship with the Chapel Hill campus.
Also Read: Fixing Money 101: NC’s Plan to End Financial Fragility
The money creates new scholarships for graduate students facing financial barriers and strengthens community-focused programs that reach far beyond North Carolina. In a state where some rural counties lack access to licensed clinical social workers, NC Newsline says the timing of this gift could make a real difference.
Jordan grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, attended UNC, and has invested in the state’s social work programs for three decades since entering professional basketball.
What Jordan’s record-setting donation will fund at UNC
The $10 million will expand and rename UNC’s Global Social Development Innovations Center after Deloris P. Jordan, the university announced in a press release.
The funding will also strengthen the Jordan Institute for Families, a research and community engagement hub that the Jordan family established during Jordan’s playing career.
A portion of the gift establishes the Jordan Family Scholars program for Master of Social Work students who face elevated barriers to completing graduate education.
Ten students were named the inaugural Jordan Family Scholars during the celebration, with each scholar receiving a $12,500 award.
A family legacy rooted in Chapel Hill since 1996
Jordan’s connection to UNC’s School of Social Work predates his ownership of a National Basketball Association franchise and his NASCAR racing team, 23XI Racing.
The Jordan Institute for Families was founded at UNC in 1996 by Michael Jordan and his family, with a mission centered on helping cultivate safe, stable, and nurturing families across the full span of life.
Its ongoing work spans maternal health, caregiving, mental health, economic support, and child well-being programs in communities throughout North Carolina and beyond.
More Education:
- Billionaire Ken Griffin just made a $3 billion technology bet with Carnegie Mellon, and the payoff could turn Miami into Silicon Valley
- Inside the EdTech Privacy Audit That Changed State Law
- The federal student loan safety net just shrank. Here’s what parents need to do before fall tuition is due
The Global Social Development Innovations Center, which is being renamed in Deloris Jordan’s honor, develops evidence-informed approaches to family well-being in North Carolina and in countries abroad, the announcement outlined.
Deloris Jordan founded the Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Center in Nairobi in 2010, providing healthcare to survivors of gender-based violence, the announcement stated.
More than 203,700 people have been reached through the center’s programs, community engagement, and advocacy efforts across the region since its founding, the university detailed.
North Carolina’s social worker shortage makes Jordan’s gift timely
Jordan’s donation targets a profession facing urgent demand at both the state and national level, and the urban-rural divide in North Carolina illustrates that pressure.
North Carolina has nearly 10,000 licensed clinical social workers, but urban counties have roughly twice as many providers as rural areas. At least three counties across the state have zero licensed clinical social workers available to serve their residents, NC Newsline reported.
Dr. Ramona Denby-Brinson, Dean and Distinguished Professor of the University of North Carolina at Capital Hill, framed the funding as a long-horizon commitment, citing the research centers, student programs, and international partners positioned to benefit from the investment well beyond the October 2026 celebration.
<strong>The magnitude of Michael Jordan’s gift will have an immediate and lasting impact, reaching from our classrooms in Chapel Hill to the many organizations and communities we partner with in North Carolina and across the globe,</strong>
Lee H. Roberts, Chancellor of the University of North Carolina, emphasized in the UNC release that Deloris Jordan’s dedication to children and families shaped the structure and purpose of the investment.
Roberts also pointed to the geographic reach of the commitment, framing it as one that would extend the school’s capacity to serve people both within North Carolina and in the communities beyond the state where UNC Social Work’s programs operate.
North Carolina also launched a statewide initiative in 2026 to bolster its social work workforce and address provider shortages in high-need areas, NC Newsline reported.
UNC’s new BSW program and what it means for applicants in 2027
Jordan’s donation comes as the school expands its programs and creates new degree pathways for prospective students. The UNC System Board of Governors unanimously approved the school’s first Bachelor of Social Work degree program in August 2026.
Applications for the inaugural cycle are expected to open during the 2026–2027 academic year, with 30 undergraduates expected to begin in fall 2027. The undergraduate program creates a direct pathway into the graduate degree.
The new undergraduate degree also supports the school’s goal of reaching 1,000 students by fall 2029, creating more opportunities for future applicants.
At least 30 states are projected to face a shortage of more than 195,000 social workers by 2030, with North Carolina among them, WFAE reported. The new BSW program and the goal of reaching 1,000 students will be important steps in helping address that shortage in the years ahead.
Related: Warren Buffett’s take on teacher pay rings especially true today
