Our Story
The Bobby Jackson Foundation began in 2012 with a single donated gym slot on Minneapolis’s North Side and a handful of volunteers who refused to let another season get cancelled for lack of funding. What started as Saturday morning clinics has grown into a year-round set of programs serving more than 300 students each school year.
We are deliberately small and deliberately local. Our board lives within fifteen miles of every gym we fund. That keeps our overhead low, our decisions fast, and our accountability personal — when a family asks where their donation went, we can show them the exact gym, tutor, or scholarship it paid for.
Our Mission
To support the education and athletic development of young people in the Twin Cities by funding consistent, neighborhood-based programs that combine team sport with academic accountability.
What We Believe
- Consistency over intensity. A good program shows up on Tuesday in February, not just for the photo op in June.
- Sport is a classroom. Teamwork, losing gracefully, and showing up on time are learnable skills.
- Money should stay close. Grants go to organizations our board can visit on a Tuesday afternoon.
- Measure what matters. We track attendance, grades, and graduation — and publish the numbers to our donors.
How We Work
The foundation operates as a grantmaker and program operator. Roughly 60% of our annual budget funds our own after-school programs; the remainder goes to community grants for local coaches, tutors, and small nonprofits. Our books are reviewed annually by an independent accountant, and our Form 990 is available to donors on request.