Here is a list of Michael Jordan’s philanthropic activities, both personally and on behalf of the Charlotte Hornets:
Personal
- Made a multimillion dollar donation to Friends of the Children in support of the organization’s national expansion campaign and their work in Charlotte and Chicago (2018)
- Donated $2 million to relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence in the form of $1 million each to the American Red Cross and to the Foundation for the Carolinas’ Hurricane Florence Response Fund, and provided care packages and met with people affected by the hurricane in his hometown of Wilmington, NC (2018)
- Donated $7 million to fund two Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Clinics in Charlotte (due to open in 2020) (2017)
- Has served as Make-A-Wish’s Chief Wish Ambassador since 2008, and has donated and brought in more than $5 million to the organization; has granted hundreds of wishes in his 30 years of working with Make-A-Wish (ongoing)
- Donated $5 million to and is a Founding Donor of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC (2016)
- Donated $1 million each to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to address the issue of police-shootings and community policing (2016)
- Donated the proceeds of a legal settlement to 23 Chicago-area charities: After School Matters, Casa Central, Chicago Scholars, Chicago Youth Programs, Children’s Literacy Initiative, Christopher House, Common Threads, Erikson Institute, Gary Comer Youth Center, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund – Illinois, KEEN Chicago, La Casa Norte, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish Illinois, New Moms, New Teacher Center, The Ounce of Prevention Fund, Project Exploration, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Sinai Health System, SOS Villages Illinois, Tutoring Chicago (2015)
- Hosted the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational golf tournament, which raised more than $7 million for a variety of international, national and local charitable organizations, including the American Red Cross International Response Fund, Ronald McDonald Houses of North Carolina, Opportunity Village, and many others (2001-2014)
- Supports the James R. Jordan Foundation and Chicago’s James R. Jordan Boys and Girls Club
- Founded and supports the Jordan Institute for Families at University of North Carolina
- Donated his entire 2001-02 NBA salary to 9/11-related charities
Charlotte Hornets
- Chairman of the Charlotte Hornets Foundation, which is committed to inspiring a philanthropic culture and strengthening the Charlotte region through intentional partnerships, charitable giving and social projects in the areas of Education, Wellness, Hunger and Military Care.
- Since becoming majority owner of the Hornets, Jordan and the team have given away more than $3 million for causes related to education, hunger, wellness and the military. Initiatives include annual events like Cornucopia, which provides Thanksgiving meals to 1,000 families in need, and team Day of Service, which, in 2018, completed refurbishment projects at nonprofits that provide shelter, housing or support services to individuals and families in Charlotte, as well as basketball clinics for groups such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte and Special Olympics of North Carolina. The team also supports community programs including the Barings Book Bus, Teacher Innovation Fund and Education Grants, Yellow Ribbon and Hugo’s Little Heroes
- Donation of $500,000 to literacy, via stocking libraries, preschools, child care centers, community centers and nonprofits in the Charlotte’s low-income areas (2016)
- Over the years, have contributed close to $750,0000 to the Novant Health Community Care Cruiser, which has provided more than 12,000 immunizations to 8,000 under-served youth
- Along with Fox Sports Carolinas and SportSouth, established the Teacher Innovation Fund with a $250k donation to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Schools Foundation. The Teacher Innovation Fund empowers teachers to implement successful, innovative strategies to educate and prepare every child to graduate from CMS college- and career-ready (2014)
- Started the Hornets Book Bus which helps elementary school students develop a life-long love of reading and has donated more than 5,000 books to deserving students (2013)
- Along with Fox Sports Carolinas and SportSouth, donated $250,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank. Half of the donation was for food the other half was for the purchase of the refrigerated Mobile Pantry, which serves more than 25,000 families and provides roughly 1 million pounds of food each year (2012)
* * *
Here is a list of Michael Jordan’s and the Charlotte Hornets’ business accomplishments since he purchased the team in March 2010:
Business milestones
- Purchased Team (March 2010)
- Hornets Sports & Entertainment also manages Spectrum Center (city-owned building)
- Arena Renovations Highlights (Summers 2014 through 2018) – partnership with City of Charlotte
- Crown Club (2015)
- New Scoreboard (2016)
- Fan Shop/Box Office Relocation (2017)
- Flight Deck (2018) – restaurant within arena
- Hornets Transition (2014-15) – Rebrand from Bobcats back to Hornets
- NBA Global Games China (Preseason 2015)
- Greensboro Swarm Launch (2016-17) – owned and operated G League Team
- New TV Deal with FOX Sports Southeast (Spring 2018)
- 30th Anniversary Season (2018-19)
- Hosting All-Star Game (February 2019)
Current situation
- Ticket Sales: STH base now consistently between 10,000 and 11,000 (double what it was at time of purchase).
- Partnerships: Revenue up every year since Hornets transition, doubling over the nine years Jordan has owned the team. New or renewed partnerships with brands such as Bank of America, Barings, Grant Thornton, Lowe’s and LendingTree.
- Retail: 300% increase in retail sales since Jordan assumed ownership. Since the “Hornets” rebrand, team consistently has ranked in the Top 12 of in-arena retail sales. Prior to the rebrand, bottom third in the NBA.
— Source: Charlotte Hornets