Milwaukee Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family launched the charitable non-profit organization, the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation – also known as CAFF – last summer. It already has raised $1.5 million at one premier event in February, and donated $1 million to mental health in March and has partnered with other non-profits to aid several causes in less than a year.
But this foundation could be different from the ones that often come and go, especially with sports stars.
CAFF is a multi-cause, multi-country philanthropic group with the mission of supporting a wide array of needs and causes for generations to come.
Giannis and the Antetokounmpos went all-in on this very personal endeavor. They consider CAFF – as much as their love for family, and their improbable story as immigrants from Nigeria to Greece to professional basketball in the NBA, with three brothers holding NBA championship rings, to be their legacy – a legacy that they care about a great deal.
And since more 80% of all charity donations in the U.S. come from regular people like you and me – not corporations and billionaires – here’s a proper introduction of CAFF.
CAFF (Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation): What’s in a name?
Giannis was adamant about the name of this foundation, despite being advised that it would have been better to call it the “Antetokounmpo” or “Giannis” Foundation, because that’s already a globally recognized brand name.
“I told them – sorry for my language – I don’t give two Fs,” Giannis said. “We started this in 2017; CAFF Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation, because of my dad. That’s what it is. And that’s how it is going to stay. One hundred years from now when my mother has passed away, it’s going to be Charles and Veronica Family Foundation.
“That’s the way it started; I don’t care about the attention, the politics behind it. I just want to help and impact as many lives as we can. And I am able to go at night to sleep with that.”
CAFF was launched last year June 24, near Charles Antetokounmpo’s Aug. 3 birthday. Charles passed away in 2017 at just 54 years of age.
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Foundation X is a partner to CAFF and will run the show
The Antetokounmpos hired Emily Vennerstrom and her company, Foundation X, to run everything. Vennerstrom, out of Minneapolis, was a grant maker at large corporations for about 15 years while working in corporate philanthropy. In 2021 she started Foundation X, a philanthropic services company. This is important; some foundations sponsored by athletes are run by family or friends without experience in raising and giving away money – and that can lead to problems.
“Foundation X is able to provide service to anyone who has a vision for how they want to give back but needs a professional partner to make that come to life,” said Vennerstrom.
CAFF is supporting already existing campaigns
Vennerstrom said in Minnesota alone there are about 38,000 nonprofits.
“So the world doesn’t really need another program provider,” Vennerstrom said. “But these nonprofits – small and large – really need more support.
“The family said, ‘Let’s use the Antetokounmpo name, our platform, our ability to raise money and let’s go find the people who are already doing the transformative work in the communities.’ We’re really here as a partner, to fuel those efforts – versus trying to do our own efforts – because we know so many people are already doing amazing work.”
Here are some campaigns and causes receiving support from CAFF:
Milwaukee Diaper Mission
Organization distributes diapers and menstrual supplies. Mariah and Giannis have supported this mission with in-person donations and work.
International Rescue Committee
CAFF provided support for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.
AntetokounBros Basketball Academy
This is the only one that the family started and runs on its own. The program is for 100 kids – 50 boys, 50 girls – in Athens who meet certain socioeconomic status. They are given high quality basketball training. Partners include Cooper’s Academy and Nike.
Widows
CAFF will look for opportunities to provide emotional and financial support to women and families affected by loss.
“That’s something that my mom is passionate about,” Giannis said. “She says there are a lot of people out there that are feeling lonely and feeling lost. They don’t have anybody to help them. She asked us to support them. Make them feel good and happy about things. And hopeful about the future.”
CAFF fundraising has been successful
Giannis, Thanasis and the family made an appearance in New York in February, with “The Daily Show”, to promote CAFF on the same day they held a successful fundraising dinner. The event raised $1.5 million.
“It was truly spectacular,” Vennerstrom said. “Giannis and Thanasis got up on stage and just completely spoke from the heart. They both got really emotional. They started the foundation in their father’s legacy, honoring their mom and dad. Giannis was really tearing up and said, ‘I don’t know if my family and I are going to change the world, but we’re going to try.’
“It was just so authentic; people felt it, like there was an emotional charge in the room.”
CAFF’s 100-year goal
The Antetokounmpo team has a big goal: to make CAFF continue well after the brothers stop playing basketball.
“This is something that is going to be here after we are gone. That was my vision,” Giannis said.
By doing that, the foundation wants to create an endowment-type fund where the a portion of fundraising is invested every year and keeps building the base level. That way CAFF can support causes in almost any economic climate, regardless of future fundraising.
“It was my responsibility to help my family. And once they’re good, I feel like it’s my responsibility to help other people now,” Thanasis said. “When you have an institution, a foundation, a movement, this could have the possibility to go and help the world. This is going to be our legacy for us.”
Giannis will donate, too
Giannis said he will donate his own money, too.
People shouldn’t assume that is always the case. Sports celebrities can donate their time, image and likeness to causes. Some waive their appearance fees so that the charity doesn’t have to endure another cost during a fundraiser or charity event. But the Antetokounmpos are taking things a step further by pledging their own money to CAFF, too.
“Me and my family are definitely going to contribute,” Giannis said. “Obviously.”
CAFF will be run efficiently
It was important to the Antetokounmpos, Vennertrom and Foundation X to run CAFF efficiently, and have as little overhead costs as possible to use the most amount of money for an impact.
“We really believe in effective philanthropy,” Vennerstrom said. “And so we try to make sure that all of our clients and our donors understand that there’s transparency around who we’re funding, what they do with the money and then really seeing that impact come to life in communities.”
Vennerstrom said Foundation X has low administration costs by design.
“That’s our whole reason we exist is really so that nonprofits can be as lean and efficient as possible,” she added. “So the most money possible can go out to the communities.
“Corporate giving ends up to be about 12% of the total giving. Individuals don’t always feel like they have the resources they need to be sophisticated givers. Or, we look at our world sometimes and feel like, we’re giving billions of dollars away every year, but are our communities changing?
“We support individuals to make sure they feel connected to their gifts and that they do make an impact and that they do change the world.
“In our first meeting the family said, ‘Emily we just want to help people – like our family was helped by so many people. Can you help us do that?’
“It’s an absolute privilege to work with a family as authentic and humble as them.”
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