Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation

The Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation, founded in 2011 by NFL defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh and his wife Katya, pursues a mission-driven approach centered on three pillars: education, health and wellness, and empowerment. The foundation operates as a family-run enterprise with zero paid staff — all five board members (Ndamukong Suh as President, Ngum Suh as Secretary, Katarina Suh as Treasurer/VP, and trustees Bernadette Suh and Michael Suh) serve without compensation. This lean structure maximizes the proportion of funds directed to charitable purposes. The foundation's grantmaking strategy blends direct community programming (financial literacy workshops, backpack giveaways, school supply drives) with grants to established nonprofits working in education and children's services. Rooted in Portland, Oregon — Suh's hometown — the foundation reflects a place-based philanthropy model where a professional athlete channels resources back to the community that shaped him, while also supporting national organizations aligned with its core pillars.

The Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation shows a variable funding pattern reflecting the episodic nature of athlete philanthropy. Total assets stand at $1.57 million (2024), with contributions of $525,000 received in 2024 and total expenses of $270,097. Annual contributions to the foundation have fluctuated significantly — from $0 in 2014-2015 to $700,050 in 2019 — tracking with Suh's NFL career earnings and personal giving capacity. Charitable disbursements have ranged from $0 to $255,552 annually. In 2024, the foundation made a $20,000 grant to Baby2Baby (Los Angeles, CA) for basic necessities for children. In 2023, a $202,070 grant went to Gift of College (Phoenix, AZ) for college assistance. In 2022, grants included $100,000 to Rubin Geffen and $20,000 grants to various Portland-area organizations. The foundation's most significant philanthropic acts have been outside the 990 framework — Suh personally donated $2.5 million to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and $250,000 to Grant High School in Portland for athletic facilities.

The Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation sits within a cohort of NFL player-founded family foundations focused on education and community empowerment. Here is a comparison with peer athlete foundations:

Among athlete-founded foundations of similar size, the Suh Foundation stands out for its Portland community focus and financial literacy programming. Its variable annual giving ($20K to $255K) is typical of player-funded foundations where contributions depend on career earnings and personal giving decisions rather than endowment income.

In 2024, the Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation received $525,000 in contributions — a significant infusion — and made a $20,000 grant to Baby2Baby, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides diapers, clothing, and basic necessities to children living in poverty. The foundation's total assets grew to $1.57 million. Ndamukong Suh was selected for the College Football Hall of Fame in January 2026, further raising his profile and the visibility of his philanthropic work. The foundation previously partnered with financial tech company Stash and fellow Portland native/NFL player Brennan Scarlett to launch Stash101 Summer School, serving 160 middle school students in Portland Public Schools with financial literacy curriculum covering budgeting, savings accounts, stock market basics, and diversification. The foundation also continued its tradition of backpack giveaways for Portland Public School students, providing school supplies to middle and high school students in need.

The Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications — it exclusively funds preselected organizations. However, organizations aligned with the foundation's three pillars (education, health/wellness, empowerment) may increase their visibility by: (1) Partnering with Portland Public Schools on education or youth development programs, as the foundation has a strong track record of supporting PPS initiatives; (2) Connecting through the Portland community — the Suh family is deeply rooted in Portland and gravitates toward local organizations; (3) Focusing proposals on financial literacy, school supplies, or basic necessities for children, which align with recent grantmaking; (4) Exploring collaboration with Baby2Baby or Gift of College, which are current grantees and may serve as referral pathways; (5) For organizations outside Portland, demonstrating national impact in education or children's services may attract attention, as the foundation has supported organizations in Arizona, California, and Florida. Note that Suh's College Football Hall of Fame induction in 2026 may increase the foundation's public profile and potentially expand its grantmaking ambitions.