Welcome to Fundraising Friday: AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
The University of Massachusetts athletic department announced Tuesday a $1 million lead gift by alum John F. Kennedy to support the newly launched Script U Scholarship Society, which will fund additional scholarships and benefits for student-athletes to meet the demands of a changing NCAA Division I landscape. This new society allows UMass alumni and fans to directly support student-athlete scholarships and help offset the total annual scholarship cost to the department. It is also designed to enhance the overall fan and donor experience, to simplify giving and to make it easier for supporters at all levels to get involved, according to announcement on the university's athletics website.
Rutgers recently announced it had received an anonymous $250,000 donation toward its NIL efforts, and the university is using that gift to encourage matching one-time donations. As reported by NJ.com, the school, in collaboration with NIL collective The Knights of the Raritan, is running a match campaign with that donation, furthering the ongoing YouKnighted campaign launched in November. Once the original contribution is matched, it will unlock another $500,000, boosting the total pot of money to $1 million, NJ.com reported, adding there is no stated deadline for the campaign.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle and Kilgore (Texas) College football alum Lane Johnson will be donating $100,000 to the school from proceeds derived from the sale of “A Philly Christmas Special” that Johnson and other teammates record each year. As reported by KYTX in Tyler, Texas, this is the second consecutive year that Johnson has made this donation. The latest gift will be used for renovations of restrooms at the football field house, new football uniforms, and new helmets and shoulder pads. In addition, a portion of the funds will go toward renovations at Masters Gym, including new carpet in the women’s locker room and a new commercial washer and dryer.
Total amount of these gifts:
$1,350,000
Running total for 2025:
$266,173,500
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2024:
$943,830,339
