“I don’t want to just stock pile money, I love being able to help people!”: Charles Barkley opens up about his philanthropic endeavors and why the Sixers legend likes to donate privately

Charles Barkley is a firm believer in giving back to society and keeping it private.

NBA legend Charles Barkley is usually making headlines for his sports commentating antics. However, he has a philanthropic side that is much less known.

In a sitdown with Graham Bensinger of ‘In Depth’ podcast in 2016, Barkley talks about his donations. He revealed how he donated a total of 3 million dollars to 3 different schools in 2013. The official announcement of these donations was made during a conference call for the American Century Championship’s celebrity golf tournament in Nevada.

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He donated 1 million dollars apiece to the Wounded Warrior Project, Morehouse College, and his alma mater Auburn University. Citing tax reasons, Barkley promised a recurring donation for 10 years to these institutions.

In the words of Sir Charles himself – “The $3 million I gave, I just can’t write a cheque, it’s a lot of money! So I gave the schools a 100,000$ for 10 years. The way it works is – if you keep doing well in school, you get more money.”

Sixers legend Charles Barkley is humbled by the gratitude of the kids he helps

Charles Barkley further added – “Every time I go visit my mom I got stacks and stacks of mail from these kids. They tell me what they’re gonna do and how their school is going. There’s nothing better than that.”

Host Graham Bensinger then asked him if there were any letters that stood out, in particular. Barkley initially denied having a stand-out moment, but went on to share a story involving his childhood classmate. “I went to my niece’s graduation and somebody I went to school with had a kid there. They came up to me a gave me a big hug thanking me for the scholarship. That’s probably the most meaningful thing”

Bensinger questioned Charles about the secrecy of his donations and why it has been important for the NBA analyst. Chuck had a hilarious response regarding publicizing his good deeds – “It would encourage more people to call me and ask for money.” He further added – “I can’t believe my life.”

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