Michael Jordan gives $10M to UNC's School of Social Work, names center for his mother

Michael Jordan has committed $10 million to the University of North Carolina School of Social Work — the largest single gift in the school's history — naming its flagship global research center after his mother, Deloris P. Jordan, and launching a scholarship program for graduate students who might otherwise be priced out of the profession.

The announcement at a celebration on the Chapel Hill campus channeled three decades of Jordan family investment in social work into one record-setting gift. Jordan, a UNC alumnus from the class of 1986, framed the donation explicitly as a tribute to his mother's life's work.

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. Honoring her through this gift to the UNC School of Social Work is truly meaningful to my family and to me.— Michael Jordan, UNC alumnus and donor

The money flows to three areas. The Global Social Development Innovations Center — founded in 2017 to develop evidence-informed approaches to youth and family well-being — will be renamed the Deloris P. Jordan Global Social Development Innovations Center and will receive funds for renovation and expansion. The Jordan Institute for Families, which Michael Jordan and his family founded in 1996, will also receive support. And a new Jordan Family Scholars program will provide $12,500 scholarships to Master of Social Work students facing financial barriers; ten inaugural scholars were named at the celebration.

The Jordan Institute for Families has, since 1996, worked across maternal health, caregiving, home visiting, mental health, economic support, and child and family well-being, according to UNC. The newer Global Social Development Innovations center partners with communities and local organizations in more than 20 countries, developing and evaluating interventions guided by local knowledge.

Deloris Jordan, born in 1941, is a noted author and philanthropist who serves on the board of the Jordan Institute for Families. Her international work includes founding the Kenya Women and Children's Wellness Centre in Nairobi in 2010, which serves survivors of gender-based violence and child abuse while training first responders. According to UNC, the center has reached more than 203,700 individuals.

I am deeply proud to have been part of the Carolina family for more than 40 years, and it is especially meaningful to know that this gift will strengthen the education and opportunities available to those preparing to serve others. Knowing that this work will extend beyond North Carolina through the Deloris P. Jordan Global Social Development Innovations Center makes it all the more special.— Deloris P. Jordan

UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee H. Roberts and School of Social Work Dean Ramona Denby-Brinson both emphasized the gift's reach beyond the classroom. The announcement also kicked off a two-day Global Research Symposium at the Friday Conference Center, drawing scholars, practitioners and partners from more than 20 countries to share research on youth development, emerging technologies, and sustainable solutions. The symposium includes a fireside chat with Deloris Jordan focused on her work in Kenya.

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.— Ramona Denby-Brinson, Dean, UNC School of Social Work

The scholarship component addresses a documented workforce gap. UNC's announcement notes an urgent national need for more social workers, and the Jordan Family Scholars program is designed to make graduate education accessible to students who face the greatest financial obstacles to entering the field.

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.— Michael Jordan

Why it matters — The gift directly expands scholarship access for social work graduate students at a moment of documented workforce shortage, while extending UNC's community research partnerships to more than 20 countries.

Reported by unc.edu, ssw.unc.edu, newsobserver.com, wral.com