Michigan State men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo pledged $500,000 of his own money to the Izzo Legacy Foundation during the group's annual Impact Awards ceremony Thursday, Sept. 17, in East Lansing.
The surprise came at the end of the evening. The foundation had already distributed more than $500,000 in grants to nine Lansing-area nonprofits, with each charity partner receiving up to $50,000, according to WILX and WLNS.
"Because Lupe and Raquel have done so much, I feel like I have no ownership in this other than my name. So tonight, without my wife knowing, I'm going to donate $500,000 over the next five years," Izzo told the crowd, according to WILX.
Izzo and his wife, Lupe Izzo, founded the Izzo Legacy Foundation in 2019. The foundation selects Michigan nonprofits each year as charity partners and raises money through the annual Izzo Walk/Run/Roll on Michigan State University's campus.
This year's nine grant recipients are Child and Family Charities, the Greater Lansing Food Bank, Hand2Hand, Lansing Promise, Small Talk Children's Advocacy Center, The Reading People, Teaching & Mentoring Young Leaders, VETLIFE and the Capital Region Community Foundation, according to WLNS.
Jayme King, executive director of Lansing Promise, called the grant "absolutely overwhelming" at the ceremony, according to WILX. Lansing Promise provides college scholarships and post-graduation resources for students in Lansing schools.
Child and Family Charities CEO Julie Thomasma told WLNS at the Sept. 17 ceremony that the grant will help expand homeless services for youth, including medical care, dental care, job skill training and financial literacy. The organization also plans to extend services to rural areas through a mobile support vehicle. Separately, the foundation provided a $100,000 grant that helped fund "Hugh's Happy Place," a new playground named for one of Izzo's nephews, at the Child and Family Charities Hub at 405 W. Greenlawn Ave. in Lansing, which opened in September, according to WILX and WLNS.
Alex Brace, executive director of Small Talk Children's Advocacy Center, told WLNS at the ceremony that fundraising for child abuse services is difficult. The center provides free therapy for child victims of physical and sexual abuse, and Brace said knowing no child will be turned away is what motivates her work.
Erin Hagen, the foundation's Charity Partner Committee chair, told WLNS that charity partners submit grant applications after the annual race. The foundation's board then reviews them and awards grants.
Lupe Izzo told WLNS at the ceremony that the grants help partner organizations grow stronger so they can better serve the community. The foundation has distributed more than $1.3 million to charities since 2019, according to WLNS.
What's next
The Izzo Legacy Foundation's website shows the 2027 charity partner application window has closed. Next year's partners will be announced in September.
