From a $1.75 million school gift to a $3 million hospital donation: How Russell Wilson and Ciara built a foundation around helping children | NFL News
For Russell Wilson and Ciara, the words “Why not you?” have become closely tied to the work they do for children and families. Through the Why Not You Foundation, which they started in 2014, the couple has supported education, children’s health and efforts to fight hunger. The foundation said in 2023 that its partnerships had helped raise more than $13 million for these causes. Since then, its work has continued with several large donations and community programs.
How Russell Wilson and Ciara built the Why Not You Foundation around children
The idea behind the foundation came from a message Wilson learned from his father, Harrison Wilson III, who encouraged him to believe that he could achieve his goals even when others doubted him. Wilson later carried that message into his charity work, with the foundation focusing on giving young people better access to education, health care and basic support.Wilson had already been spending time with children at Seattle Children’s Hospital before the foundation was created. His visits became a regular part of his life, and his connection with young patients later became an important part of the foundation’s work. The foundation has also supported pediatric cancer research and programs aimed at helping families facing food insecurity.Education has been another major part of their work. In 2020, the Why Not You Foundation committed about $1.75 million to help rebrand and support Cascade Midway Academy, a charter school south of Seattle. The school later became Why Not You Academy and opened to high school students, with a focus on personalized learning, mentorship and work-based opportunities.The couple has also taken their work into communities where they have lived and worked. In 2023, through a partnership with CommonSpirit Health, the foundation helped provide $1 million in grants to 10 organizations in Colorado and Utah. Each group received $100,000 for work involving areas such as education, health equity, food security and support for children and young people.
From a Seattle school to major gifts for children’s health and hunger
The foundation’s more recent donations show that its work has expanded beyond education. In November 2025, the Why Not You Foundation announced a $3 million gift to Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in New York. The money is supporting two therapeutic spaces, including a Child Life Zone Theater and a play space for children receiving cancer and blood disease care.Just a month later, the foundation announced another $500,000 donation to the Atlanta Community Food Bank and ATL Cares. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the money was expected to help provide more than one million meals to families dealing with food insecurity.In February 2026, the foundation announced a $2 million donation to the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation in Mexico. The gift is being used to expand health and rehabilitation services for children and families in Baja California Sur.Their fundraising efforts have also reached large numbers. In 2025, the Youth Athlete of the Year competition raised $21.66 million, with the money set to support both the Why Not You Foundation and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.The foundation now also runs Why Not You Centers, which are designed to give young people access to mentorship, academic support, creative programs and other resources. According to the foundation, centers are open in Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Pasadena, with more locations planned for 2026.
