Michael Jordan’s $10 Million Donation to UNC School of Social Work
Michael Jordan and his mother, Deloris P. Jordan. Source: Raleigh News & Observer.
On October 5, 2026, Michael Jordan donated $10 million to his alma mater, UNC–Chapel Hill. Specifically, the donation will go towards UNC’s School of Social Work in honor of Jordan’s mother, Deloris P. Jordan. This gift honors her 40-year relationship with the Carolina community and recognizes her commitment to philanthropy, including her global work with the Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Centre.
The donation is the largest sum to the UNC School of Social Work. The funds will be used in the newly renamed Deloris P. Jordan Global Social Development Innovations Center, an institute founded to promote innovative strategies, practices, and overall enhance the well-being of youth and their families. This new allocation will also work to expand the center's reach by establishing the Jordan Family Scholar’s program, an initiative providing $12,500 scholarships to ten students.
While the donation will precipitate growth for the program's scholarship opportunities, it also brings into focus an issue for the students: the financial barriers. After regulation changes regarding Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loans, social work is no longer classified as a profession but now as a graduate study. The change in classification has an impact on how much a student in non-professional fields can take in loans, with MSW graduate students having an explicit loan limit. These students are now capped at an annual $20,500 in loans and an overall $100,000 maximum throughout their course of study. If the financial support social work students are given is reduced below what they can provide for themselves, it is likely that the field will lose students who are of lesser means to financially support their studies. The Jordan family’s donation can help mitigate the impact of the new loan limits.
Despite this philanthropic gift, the decreasing federal financial support threatens the field’s workforce growth. As of 2024, North Carolina averages 12.7 licensed social workers per 10,000 residents. While there is no national benchmark for a good ratio between social workers and residents, the current ratio reflects a burden, with workers potentially overloaded with cases. The shortage is unevenly distributed, with Camden, Hyde, and Tyrrell counties reporting no workers for their residents. In addition, the shortage of 30,000 workers is projected by 2030, revealing how much this workforce decline is worsening. The data reflects that without immediate financial intervention, the state’s workforce crisis could deepen.
Given the financial turmoil and workforce decline, donor funding at UNC is a stable source of student support. In the fiscal year 2025, 26 percent ($123.95 million) of university donations went towards supporting students. By directing his donation specifically to social work education, Michael Jordan’s contribution helps reduce the insecurities and burdens MSW students face.
At UNC School of Social Work, this investment in students’ future can target their decreasing numbers in the workforce. The contribution will bring a two-day Global Research Symposium featuring youth-led research, emerging technologies, and a fireside chat with Deloris P. Jordan, showing how community support can bring forth community innovation. Ultimately, this gift demonstrates how philanthropic investment can strengthen support for an education field that North Carolina needs.