Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander launched the SGA Foundation on Sept. 2. The nonprofit is focused on supporting children and families in Oklahoma and his home province of Ontario, Canada.

The foundation operates as a registered 501(c)(3) in the United States and a registered charity in Canada, according to a press release distributed Wednesday. The two-time MVP and NBA champion said the organization is built on three pillars: Self-Belief, Growth and Access. Its stated mission is to build pathways for kids and the families raising them to reach their full potential.

"I've been fortunate to do work in the community for years … and I don't take that for granted," Gilgeous-Alexander said in the announcement. "Now, with my own foundation, I have a real platform to do it more intentionally."

That community work has included annual visits to children's hospitals, seasonal giveaway events and basketball camps, according to the press release. Gilgeous-Alexander, who is from Hamilton, Ontario, was cut from his high school team before working his way to the NBA. The foundation cites that experience as central to its Self-Belief pillar.

He was cut. He kept going.

Charmaine Gilgeous, Shai's mother, will be involved in the foundation's day-to-day operations, OKC Thunder Wire reported. In the press release, she said she always told her son to believe he could be a doctor or an NBA player. Seeing him build something rooted in supporting other families, she said, is the proudest she has ever been.

The bond between Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City has deepened across seven seasons. At the Thunder's championship parade on July 1, 2025, he told the crowd that fans in OKC were chanting "MVP" when he was averaging 19 points on a 20-win team. "They understand," he said that day. "They know exactly what it takes and what it looks like, and without them, we are not this."

The foundation said it will maintain a year-round presence in both Oklahoma and Ontario. Specific programs and impact initiatives are scheduled to be announced in October 2026.