Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has formally launched a charitable foundation that will operate on both sides of the border, with registered charitable status in Canada as well as the United States.
The Hamilton, Ont., native and Oklahoma City Thunder guard announced the launch of The SGA Foundation on Sept. 2 in a release distributed through PR Newswire, describing the organization as a nonprofit rooted in Ontario and Oklahoma, the two places the release says shaped his path to the NBA.
“I’m here to officially announce the launch of The SGA Foundation, in both Canada and the US,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in the release. “We’re building pathways for kids and the families raising them, built on self-belief, growth, and access. This is about making real impact and giving back to the communities that have supported me for so many years.”
The foundation operates as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States and as a registered charity in Canada, according to the announcement. That dual structure matters in practice: a separately registered Canadian charity can receipt Canadian donations and direct grants domestically, rather than routing Ontario work through an American entity.
Three stated pillars guide the work: self-belief, growth and access. The release ties the first of those to Gilgeous-Alexander’s own path, noting he was cut from his high school team before working his way to a scholarship at the University of Kentucky and, eventually, an NBA championship with Oklahoma City.
Gilgeous-Alexander said the foundation formalizes community work he has already been doing for years without a permanent organization behind it.
“I’ve been fortunate to do work in the community for years, from annual visits to children’s hospitals, to seasonal givebacks, to basketball camps, and I don’t take that for granted,” he said in the release. “Now, with my own foundation, I have a real platform to do it more intentionally, showing up for these communities in ways that are lasting and meaningful, and building something that can support them long after I’m done playing.”
His mother, Charmaine Gilgeous, was also quoted in the announcement.
“I always told him, there’s going to be a doctor, there’s going to be an NBA player, so believe it could be you,” she said. “I never imagined it would lead here, to him building something rooted in supporting others and putting kindness first. Seeing him turn that belief into something for other families, that’s the proudest I’ve ever been.”
Specific programming has not yet been detailed. The release says the foundation will maintain a year-round presence and that its longstanding programs and impact initiatives are set to be announced next month, which would put the first concrete program news in October. The organization says its work will be shaped around gaps in the communities it serves, guided by the causes closest to Gilgeous-Alexander, and that it is anchored in Ontario, Oklahoma and communities in between, with room to expand.
The announcement lists sga.foundation as the foundation’s website and @thesgafoundation as its Instagram account. The release also identifies the American entity by its employer identification number, 41-5188024, a detail that lets prospective donors verify the U.S. registration directly.
The launch was covered on Sept. 3 by Oklahoma outlets including News 9 and KTUL, and by Yahoo Sports.
