About the Center

About Us

Admiral Center extends community work beyond simple charity and in to sustainable philanthropy with maximum impact.

We're raising the standard of celebrity philanthropy by empowering our members to achieve tremendous results through the support of the top philanthropists in the world.

Who We Are

The Admiral Center is a partnership between NBA Legend David Robinson and Living Cities, a collaboration of 22 of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions. Our purpose is to provide top-performing athletes and entertainers with the expert strategic and technical services they need to expand their community work beyond simple charity and in to sustainable philanthropy with maximum impact.

What’s the difference? Charity can generally be described as a series of good-will offerings of time and/or money, while philanthropy is a long-term strategic approach towards making real and sustainable change. Philanthropy is more than a photo opportunity at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, making appearances, or even helping an individual or small group of people. Philanthropy is a long-term, strategic approach towards making a deep and sustainable impact on the issues that concern you most with the potential to affect generations to come.

What We Do

For members who have existing programs that serve the causes they care about, we will work with any current staff members and consultants to help assess the efficiency and impact of those programs and provide assistance in growing their impact and expanding their reach. If challenges exist around program development, growth strategy, public awareness, and/or long term sustainability, we will focus our support on those key areas to advance the success of the established cause.

For members who are starting their philanthropy for the first time, we help them define their vision and identify/develop solid programs that can make a real difference. As these programs are implemented, we will track their success and provide quality control and assessment at key stages of their development. As a nonprofit community initiative, our sole motivation is to help our members do the greatest amount of good in the most effective way possible.

To accomplish this, we utilize the tremendous philanthropic examples of David Robinson, whose integrity and commitment led him to contribute $10 million of his personal wealth to his chosen cause, and Living Cities’ 18 year history of bringing mainstream market power to low-income people and the underserved urban communities in which they live. To date, Living Cities has leveraged more than $500 million in investments into $16 billion of tangible community impact, from schools to health care centers to retail establishments.

In short, the Admiral Center, its partners and staff have the knowledge and the experience to help our members practice successful philanthropy that makes a real difference in people’s lives with the highest levels of impact and efficiency.

How We Work

In today’s economy, community organizations have to work both harder and smarter to make sure they stay above water. This is why we take a strategy-based approach to help our members achieve lasting impact with efficient and intelligent solutions. Making a real difference requires a minimum commitment of time and money over multiple years to have a true impact.

Members of the Admiral Center commit at least $100,000 annually to their cause over a three-year period. We do not manage the money – the funds go directly towards the causes, programs, and community partners our members choose to work with. If members are already investing these amounts into their program, our staff helps make sure that donated funds are being spent with the greatest amount of efficiency and community results.

A separate membership fee of $25,000 per year goes to support the services that our staff provides on a non-profit basis – including strategic planning, program support/development, marketing and media relations, and sustainability / fundraising support. A yearly $25,000 membership fee represents a substantial savings over the cost of adding the staff and operational capacity to acquire these services independently. Through the support of Living Cities, our system empowers our members to establish, enhance or expand the objectives of their cause quickly and efficiently.