Onbrand

Our foundation is named after Bryan A Leach one l of Chicago’s greatest Basketball Legends. Bryan was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis and passed away in February of 2017.
Bryan was an huge advocate leader and a well known basketball legend in chicago where racial disparities in health are very prevelant in our inner city communities. Many common causes are economic stability and lack of healthcare resources. We believe in the power of a brighter future for every child, regardless of their circumstances.

The Bryan A. Leach Foundation is dedicated to advancing youth development in Chicago through literacy, mentorship, and community-based programming. Rooted in lived experience within Chicago Public Schools, our work addresses a critical challenge: too many children are reading below grade level, limiting their academic success and future opportunities.
Literacy is at the core of our mission. We strive to ensure that every child reads at or above grade level by increasing access to books, promoting positive reading habits, and embedding literacy into engaging, culturally relevant activities. Through our partnership with First Books, Open Books, Books For Cause and Dolly Parton Imagination Library, we provide free, high-quality books to children and families, helping to build home libraries and foster a lifelong love of reading.
To strengthen engagement, we use basketball as a strategic entry point—connecting with youth through sport while reinforcing mentorship, discipline, and the importance of education and life skills.
Our impact extends through key community initiatives, including:
* A Back-to-School Basketball Event serving over 500 youth with backpacks, school supplies, meals, and entertainment edit
* A Health and Wellness Fair connecting families to vital health resources
* An Annual Turkey Drive providing food to over 600 families facing food insecurity
* Year-round programming in partnership with the Chicago Park District, including Movies in the Park and Teens in the Park at the Bryan A. Leach Basketball Court
Through these integrated efforts, the Bryan A. Leach Foundation delivers essential resources, strengthens families, and creates measurable impact by improving literacy outcomes and expanding community access to opportunity.
By investing in our work, supporters help us grow our reach, deepen our impact, and continue building pathways for youth to succeed in school and in life.