Sandra Brunson shares lessons on leadership behind second-round foundation

A $50,000 grant to Top Achievers Foundation has pushed The Second Round Foundation beyond family story and into active grantmaking. Sandra Brunson, who co-founded the nonprofit with her son Jalen Brunson in 2022, says the work is meant to meet a practical gap for young people who need education, sports access, healthy nutrition and other basic supports to thrive.

Sandra Brunson serves as the foundation’s co-founder and chief financial officer, while Jalen Brunson is listed as a co-founder and board member. The organization says it was built to create equity for young people through education, sport and community, with a board that also includes CEO Nija Ali Williams and several other members. The foundation’s structure shows a model that is meant to do more than generate visibility around a popular athlete: it is set up to raise money, direct grants and build programs.

The name itself ties back to Jalen Brunson’s path to the NBA. The foundation says he was selected 33rd overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA Draft, a second-round pick that inspired the organization’s identity. Sandra Brunson said the foundation was born out of her son’s journey, and she framed that journey as a lesson in leadership, telling him, “As a leader, he has to understand that everyone has a job to do.” She added that teammates need to feel comfortable in their roles and believe in them.

That message has been reinforced in the family’s daily routine for years. Sandra Brunson said she has texted Jalen before every game since high school, a small ritual that reflects both support and accountability. She also stressed that mental health matters in helping young people succeed on and off the court, an emphasis that fits the foundation’s broader focus on the conditions around performance, not just performance itself.

For The Second Round Foundation, the question is not whether an athlete’s name can attract attention. The more important test is whether the organization can translate that attention into steady support for youth-facing programs. The $50,000 grant to Top Achievers Foundation suggests it is already trying to do exactly that.