Billie Jean King Foundation

What Billie Jean King Foundation does

The Billie Jean King Foundation (BJKF) is a 501(c)(3) grant-making nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by tennis legend and social justice pioneer Billie Jean King, her partner Ilana Kloss, and the global CEO advisory firm Teneo. Headquartered in Randolph, New Jersey with event operations in New York, the foundation operates through three interconnected pillars — Sports, Education, and Activism — to advance gender equity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and access to leadership through the transformative power of sports. Its flagship programs include the annual BJKF Symposium (held since 2014 at venues such as the Museum of Natural History, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and Goldman Sachs headquarters, convening 200+ cross-sector leaders), the Inspiring Leader Award, the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award in partnership with ESPN (broadcast annually during the ESPYS, awarding $10,000 national and $2,500 regional grants), proprietary research publications such as the PowHER Redefined report (co-produced with nFormation, surveying 1,700+ professional women including 1,181 Women of Color), and national advocacy campaigns including Demand IX (with the National Women's Law Center and Women's Sports Foundation for the Title IX 50th anniversary).

The foundation does not develop proprietary technology; its platform is fundamentally a convening, grant-making, and advocacy infrastructure supported by a high-profile advisory board (including Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Sir Elton John, and Robin Roberts) and a broad partnership ecosystem spanning sports leagues (USTA, WTA, NHL, NBA), consumer brands (Mattel, SHESPOKE, Teneral Cellars, Starbucks, Pearle Vision), and research/advocacy bodies (Deloitte, nFormation, NWLC, Athlete Ally). Its youth beneficiaries are primarily high school and college-age individuals using sports for social good, with secondary audiences of corporate partners, advocacy organizations, and women's sports groups.

The foundation's revenue model is non-commercial donation- and partnership-driven. As a 501(c)(3), it relies on tax-deductible individual and corporate donations, recurring licensing/royalty arrangements with consumer brand partners (e.g., $5 per bottle of Teneral Cellars' All In Zinfandel, proceeds from the SHESPOKE Rally x BJK collection, Mattel's Inspiring Women Series), large virtual event fundraisers (the 2020 'A Salute to the Original 9' virtual event raised over $1 million for COVID-19 relief for women of color), grants to grantee organizations (Women's Sports Foundation, CityParks Foundation, Athlete Ally, LPAC), and corporate-collaboration partnerships (e.g., Starbucks on pay equity principles). All programmatic outputs are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries.

Name

Billie Jean King Foundation

Legal name

Billie Jean King Foundation

Website

https://billiejeankingfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Billie Jean King Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 by Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss, advancing gender equity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and youth leadership through sports via grant-making, annual symposiums, the ESPN-broadcast Youth Leadership Award, research publications, and the Demand IX Title IX advocacy campaign.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Social Advocacy and Grant-Making Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Nonprofit foundation
• Equity inclusion advocacy
• Youth leadership grants
• Sports social impact
• Workplace diversity research

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the foundation relies on donations from individuals and corporations. Donations are tax-deductible.
2. Partnership Revenue Sharing: Revenue sharing arrangements with partners such as Teneral Cellars, where $5 per bottle sold from 'The Perfect Match' collection goes to BJKF.
3. Product Partnerships: Portion of proceeds from branded merchandise partnerships (e.g., SHESPOKE Rally x BJK collection) benefit the foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Billie Jean King Foundation is a grant-making 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that channels donations and partnership revenue into programs advancing equity and inclusion through sports, education, and activism. It delivers the annual BJK Youth Leadership Award with ESPN, hosts annual symposiums and the Inspiring Leader Award, publishes workplace equity research such as the PowHER Redefined report, and runs advocacy campaigns like Demand IX. Its offerings are funded primarily by tax-deductible donations and revenue-sharing product partnerships, with all programs delivered free of charge to beneficiaries.

Product overview

The Billie Jean King Foundation is a grant-making 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss. The foundation operates through three interconnected pillars—Sports, Education, and Activism—to create an equitable future through the transformative power of sports. Its core programs include the Leadership Initiative (with annual symposia, research publications, and the Inspiring Leader Award), and the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award (BJKYLA) partnership with ESPN. The foundation also conducts advocacy campaigns like Demand IX and publishes research such as the PowHER Redefined report. The organization partners with diverse organizations including ESPN, USTA, Women's Sports Foundation, NBA, NHL, and various corporate allies to advance its mission of equity and inclusion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award (BJKYLA) Annual award honoring U.S. high school and college-age students who use sports to improve their communities and create social impact. National honorees receive $10,000 grants and regional honorees receive $2,500 grants, with recognition during the ESPN ESPYS broadcast.
• Inspiring Leader Award

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million raised for COVID-19 relief for women through the 'A Salute to the Original 9' virtual fundraiser
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• ESPNcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with ESPN to present the annual Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award during the ESPYS. The award recognizes high school and college-age individuals who use the power of sports as a catalyst for social good. Award recipients receive scholarships and recognition at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards.
• United States Tennis Association (USTA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership with USTA to host the 5th Annual BJKF Symposium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the US Open and 45 years of equal prize money at the US Open. Includes Pride events at the US Open.
• National Women's Law CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NWLC along with Women's Sports Foundation on the Demand IX awareness campaign for the 50th anniversary of Title IX in 2022, aiming to equip the Title IX Anniversary Coalition with 1 million signatures to demand more robust Title IX protection.
• nFormationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to produce the PowHER Redefined research report studying the experiences of Women of Color in the workplace. The survey consisted of over 1,700 professional women with representation across Asian, Black, Latina, and Multi-racial women.
• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced three research publications focused on the power millennials have to influence workforce composition and advance workplace diversity. Key publications include 'Unleashing the Power of Inclusion,' 'The millennial majority is transforming your culture,' and 'The Radical Transformation of Diversity and Inclusion.'
• Teneral CellarsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to launch 'The Perfect Match' Collection celebrating 50 years of Title IX. For every bottle of All In Zinfandel sold, $5 goes to the Billie Jean King Foundation. The collection celebrates revolutionary equality bills protecting people who face abuse because of gender, sexuality, or race.
• Women's Sports FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation was founded by Billie Jean King in 1974 to advance the lives of women and girls through sports. BJKF supports WSF with grants to help provide financial fuel to aspiring champion athletes, fund research, educate, advocate, and help communities get girls active.
• WTA CharitiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host 'A Salute to the Original 9' virtual fundraiser honoring the 50th anniversary of the Original 9's $1 contract. The event raised over $1 million directed to COVID-19 relief efforts for women with a focus on women of color.
• Athlete AllycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthlete Ally's mission is to end homophobia and transphobia in sport and to activate the athletic community to champion LGBTQ equality. BJKF supports their efforts to create inclusive LGBTQ athletic environments.
• MattelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for the 'Inspiring Women Series' of Barbie dolls. The Billie Jean King Barbie features the doll in an outfit, glasses and sneakers based on her 1973 'Battle of the Sexes' victory against Bobby Riggs.
• SHESPOKEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to create the Rally x BJK collection of lipstick and lipgloss. A portion of proceeds from the collection benefits the BJKF. The color is a deep purple, closely associated with equality.
• StarbuckscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStarbucks developed principles addressing systemic barriers to equal pay. BJKF collaborated with Starbucks to share lessons learned from their success in achieving gender and racial pay equity and encourages other companies to embrace pay equity principles.
• National Hockey League (NHL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-ever Summit focused on diversity and inclusion for the NHL held as part of The NHL Awards show in Las Vegas in June 2019. The Summit focused on advancement of women and people of color in hockey and society.
• CityParks FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCityParks activates free sports programs in parks across New York City. BJKF supports CityParks with financial grants to continue their efforts in inspiring the next generation of athletes.
• University of Virginia Darden School of BusinessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to produce a series of case studies 'Serving Up Equity – A Women's Sport Business Case Study Collection' highlighting stories of women leaders and gender issues in sports.
• LA Dodgers FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to donate over 5,000 copies of 'I am Billie Jean King' by Brad Meltzer to 5th graders in Long Beach, CA community. BJKF continues to partner with LADF in their mission to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice.
• Wimbledon / AELTCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with AELTC and Pride Sports UK for a Wimbledon-first 'Inclusive Leadership' event ahead of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, encouraging LGBTQ+ youth to be their authentic selves.
• Long Beach Century ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Century Club fundraised for Billie Jean King to go to Wimbledon and continues to support amateur athletics in Long Beach, CA, particularly for middle schools, high schools and colleges.
• A Kids Company AboutminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBillie Jean King co-authored 'A Kids Book About Equality' with Jelani Memory. The book helps kids notice when things are unfair, empowers them to ask why, and shows them a way to do something about it.
• LPACminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLPAC focuses on electing LGBTQ women and nonbinary candidates. BJKF has provided grants to support their important research efforts, helping coalesce LGBTQ women as a concrete political demographic.
• The Vaid GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBJKF seeks to preserve Urvashi Vaid's legacy and support the important work of The Vaid Group through a research contribution grant.
• Women's Tennis AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBillie Jean King co-founded the WTA. The foundation continues to partner with WTA Charities for events supporting women in tennis and related causes.
• Girls LeadershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBJKF supported the development of Girls Leadership's first research study exploring how young women of color achieve their fullest potential as leaders, what holds them back, and why cultivating leadership for girls of color is crucial to workplace equity.
• Pearle Vision and OnesightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for 'Clear Inspiration' vision care initiative supporting underserved communities with eye care access.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• YWCA USA: Large, established national nonprofit whose programming spans gender equity, racial justice, and empowerment — a broader mandate than BJKF but overlapping mission and donor base.
• Special Olympics: Global sports-based nonprofit serving athletes with intellectual disabilities. Operates a similar combination of sport, inclusion, and youth/family grantmaking but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Beyond Sport: Global nonprofit that convenes leaders across sport, government, and social impact, with a broader international footprint than BJKF. Both organizations promote sport as a vehicle for social change and target overlapping corporate sponsors.

Emerging players

• Girl Up: UN Foundation initiative that empowers girls through leadership development and sports, with a younger demographic focus. Comparable in target audience and youth-leadership-via-sports model.

Direct peers

• Athlete Ally: Nonprofit focused on LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports, Athlete Ally is a strategic partner and current BJKF grantee. It operates in the same equity-in-sports niche with overlapping donor and corporate networks.
• Women's Sports Foundation: Also founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, the Women's Sports Foundation is the most direct peer — a grantmaking nonprofit advancing women and girls through sports, with research, advocacy, and athlete support programs that BJKF both partners with and supports via grants.
• CityParks Foundation: Receives BJKF grants to run free sports programming in New York City parks. Operates the same grant-recipient model of using sport to serve youth in underserved communities.
• National Women's Law Center: Partner on the Demand IX campaign for Title IX's 50th anniversary. NWLC is a leading women's rights advocacy organization that competes for similar donor dollars and operates in the gender-equity grantmaking space.
• LA Dodgers Foundation: Active BJKF partner that distributes BJKF-funded books and runs sports-education programming in Los Angeles. As a sports-team foundation, it operates a similar model of combining sport, education, and community grantmaking.

Others

• Center for American Progress: Progressive think tank that produces research and advocacy on workplace equity, gender, and racial justice — adjacent to BJKF's PowHER Redefined research work and competes for similar institutional donor funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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• Instagraminstagram.com/billiejeankingfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/billie-jean-king-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Billie Jean King Foundation