Per-Assist Donations Fund Six Philadelphia Groups
Philadelphia nonprofits and businesses can see how a $76-per-assist model links charitable funding to measurable team performance.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia 76ers have selected six local organizations to receive funding through the Assists for Safe Communities program during the 2026-27 NBA season. The program donates $76 for every assist recorded by a 76ers athlete this season, with proceeds split among the six recipients.
Why it matters
The initiative ties charitable giving directly to on-court performance, a structure that makes philanthropic funding track measurable team output rather than a fixed annual budget. For Philadelphia-based businesses, it illustrates how sponsorship-linked giving can be built around a performance metric that is publicly tracked and easy to communicate.
The 2025-26 season produced 2,019 assists, which the program converted into more than $153,000 for recipient organizations. The $76-per-assist rate applies to 2026-27 assists, so the final total for the six new recipients will depend on how many assists the team records this season.
The players
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia-based NBA franchise, whose assist totals determine the program's per-season donation pool.
Penn Medicine
The academic health system of the University of Pennsylvania, which co-runs the Assists for Safe Communities program with the 76ers.
The details
Under the program, each assist recorded by a 76ers athlete this season triggers a $76 donation, and the proceeds are divided among the six newly selected organizations. The initiative is in its third year and was first hosted as a joint violence prevention program during the 2024-25 NBA season. Penn Medicine and the 76ers have partnered since 2022, and the program is structured so that the donation pool scales with the team's assist production.
Timeline
2022: Penn Medicine and 76ers partnership begins.
2024-25 NBA season: Joint violence prevention program first hosted.
2025-26 season: 76ers record 2,019 assists, raising over $153,000.
2026-27 NBA season: Six new recipients funded through assists this season.
Market Landscape
Professional sports franchises frequently route community giving through foundations funded by ticket and merchandise revenue. The 76ers and Penn Medicine instead tie donations to a single in-game statistic, which makes the funding level directly visible to fans.
Businesses in Philadelphia that sponsor local nonprofits can use the per-assist model as a reference for linking sponsorship dollars to a measurable, publicly tracked performance metric. Organizations seeking program funding should note that the 2026-27 pool depends on how many assists the team records during the season.
The takeaway
Performance-linked giving gives donors and recipients a clear, verifiable funding signal, so sponsors considering similar structures should define the metric and reporting method in advance. Track the season's assist total as the program's next data point, since it sets the final dollar amount for the six new recipients.
Further reading
Explore more Philanthropy coverage to see how Philadelphia organizations structure community giving.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Former Penn President Liz Magill earned $4.46 million the year following her resignation - The Daily Pennsylvanian.
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