The Chuck Cooper Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of barrier-breaker Charles “Chuck” Cooper, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and the first African American drafted into the National Basketball Association. The Foundation aims to help underserved students break their own barriers in their pursuit of higher education. The foundation awards graduate-level scholarships and provides leadership development, mentoring, outreach, and networking opportunities to underserved students of all ages. Since 2013, the Foundation has awarded more than $320,000 in scholarships to students at Pittsburgh area universities.