Michele Kang, billionaire owner of several professional women’s soccer organizations, including the Washington Spirit and the London City Lionesses, has donated $25 million to launch the Kang Women’s Institute.
According to Fortune, the institute will live within U.S. Soccer’s Soccer Forward Foundation and serve to elevate women’s soccer in the U.S.
The Kang Women’s Institute will focus on injury and maternity research, coaches’ training, and accessibility for youth athletes through science, innovation and elevated best practices. So far, these goals have resulted in a national study to assess the needs of female soccer players, a new framework created in partnership with NWSL and USL to define player safety practices, and the development of programs to improve athletes’ physical and mental wellbeing.
“For too long, women have trained, played and recovered using models built for men. That ends now,” said Kang. “This Institute will put female athletes at the center of U.S. Soccer’s scientific research and build the evidence, systems and standards that will allow women and girls to reach their full potential. This is not just about closing a research gap; it’s about creating a future where every player has the knowledge, care, and opportunity to thrive.”
Related: Fundraising Friday: Spirit Owner Kang Gifts $30M to U.S. Soccer for Youth Development
According to research from U.S. Soccer, only “6% of published research in sports and exercise journals is focused exclusively on women.” The Kang Institute will work to close that research gap.
“Michele’s belief in the women’s game is extraordinary, and I’m incredibly grateful for her leadership and generosity,” said U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone. “For far too long, women and girls have trained under systems and standards built for men, and the Kang Women’s Institute is an essential first step in changing that. By grounding our work in real research and evidence, we can finally give female players the support, care, and understanding they deserve. This is the beginning of a much larger effort, and Michele has helped us take a huge leap forward in reshaping the future of the women’s game for generations to come.”
Kang’s $25 million gift is not the first of her large-scale investments in sport. In 2024 she pledged $30 million to U.S. Soccer to expand competitive soccer opportunities for youth athletes and talent identification for the professional pipeline.
