Mission
The NBRPA Financial Assistance Grant is a charitable fund with a mission to benefit, support and assist individual NBRPA members in financial need.
Purpose
The NBRPA Financial Assistance Grant is organized and operated to (a) receive and administer funds for individual, need-based, immediate purposes.
These Grant Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) establish the policies and procedures pursuant to which the NBRPA Financial Assistance Grant will disburse funds as grants.
Funding Limitations
Funding will be provided to eligible NBRPA members who have been determined to currently face dire, compelling, imminent financial circumstances or members who are seeking assistance in career and educational development. Grants are for the use of NBRPA members and are not available to support the not-for-profits or existing business interests of the applicants. Any NBRPA member who has received the Dave DeBusschere Scholarship or the Earl Lloyd Memorial Scholarship in the same year of this application or the preceding year, will be prohibited from receiving any grant funds. All grants are reviewed by the Finance, Audit, and Compensation Committee. The NBRPA will provide funds to qualified individuals in the amount no higher than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500). Please note that the Committee has full and final discretion on the amount of each award. Preference for full awards of $2,500 will be given to those who do not qualify for the NBA Players Legacy Fund (WNBA, Harlem Globetrotters, former NBA players with less than 3 full seasons).
The NBRPA Financial Assistance will award funds to members with financial needs such as, but not limited to the following:
- Mortgage Relief
- Medical/Surgery/Personal Care Expenses
- Past Due Debt
- Funeral Expenses
- Career Development
- Vocational Training
- Other Areas Applicable to a Former Player
Please note that the foregoing list may be revised or amended at any time pursuant to resolution of the NBRPA Board of Directors.
Application Process
All grant requests may be submitted in writing and delivered to the NBRPA at the following address:
National Basketball Retired Players Association
Attn: Erin Miller
444 N. Michigan Ave.
Suite 2970
Chicago, IL 60611
Grant requests may also be submitted electronically to memberalert@legendsofbasketball.com.
Written grant requests must be made using the grant application attached as Exhibit A.
The NBRPA, the NBRPA Finance, Audit, and Compensation Committee, and the NBRPA Board of Directors reserve the unqualified right to reject or deny any application that is submitted.
Grant Awards
Grants will be awarded on an ongoing basis as determined by the NBRPA, the NBRPA Finance, Audit, and Compensation Committee, and the NBRPA Board of Directors from time-to-time. This grant program provides no more than a total sum of $75,000 in grants annually; therefore, applications may be reviewed on a rolling basis dependent on the flow of requests.
The NBRPA, the NBRPA Finance, Audit and Compensation Committee, and the NBRPA Board of Directors may modify all or part of this schedule, including, but not limited to, after an application has been submitted, in its sole discretion.
The grant determination process is extremely competitive, and the number and size of grants allocated each year will depend on the number of applications received and the amount of funding requested. Applications are assessed based on the strength of the application and the operations of the potential recipient– they are not judged by the personal profile of the applicant or any relationship with the NBRPA or its members. All applications are thoroughly reviewed and evaluated based on a number of factors including, but not limited to:
- The applicant’s personal finances – must have an Adjusted Gross Income of $150,000 or less;
- A review of each applicant’s net worth and financial accounting will be made;
- The lives of those intended to be touched by the need-based award;
- The usage of the award
- The clarity of the application and presentation of its financial information.
Applications are reviewed monthly by the Finance, Audit, and Compensation Committee. Each application period requires submission of all materials by the 20th of each month in order to be considered for that cycle. Please allow 30 days from the application submission for a decision on your funding request. You will be notified by email as soon as your request for a grant has been determined. Do not call to check on the status of your request.
All NBRPA Financial Assistance grant recipients are required to provide the NBRPA with programmatic and financial reporting information on their respective grant awards. By doing so, the NBRPA is able to ensure that it helps support quality grant-making nationwide. Failure to complete the grant report by the date listed in the grant agreement is a violation of that agreement. If the grant report is not completed, the applicant will be ineligible to receive any future NBRPA Financial Assistance grants.
A member is limited to receiving One (1) Financial Assistance Grant once every two years. The final approval of Financial Assistance Grant applications is not guaranteed and is subject to the timing of the application, purpose of the request, and availability of the funds. Grantees must provide a report on how and when the funds were used in order to be eligible for future Financial Assistance Grant consideration. No Financial Assistance Grant application may exceed Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500) and the application, if approved, may be reduced at the discretion of the Finance, Audit, and Compensation Committee. Decisions of the Finance, Audit, and Compensation Committee are final and not appealable.
To apply for the NBRPA Financial Assistance Grant, click here.