Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
Penn State University alumnus, longtime university benefactor and trustee emeritus Ira Lubert and wife Pam Estadt have gifted the athletic department $10 million to name the Lubert Family Welcome Center, a new “landmark space” at the entrance of Beaver Stadium, as reported by statecollege.com, citing a school announcement. The contribution from Lubert and Estadt marks the fourth eight-figure gift the university has received toward the stadium's $700 million renovation.
Northwestern State University in Louisiana has received the largest one-time gift to its athletic department in school history — $1.9 million donation from alumni Dr. Jennifer and David Thornton that will provide new artificial turf at both Brown-Stroud Field, home of Demon baseball, and softball's Lady Demon Diamond. According to an athletic department announcement Tuesday, the gift will give Northwestern State the first two no-fill turf fields in the United States. In addition to turfing the fields, the donation will pad baseball's outfield wall and overhaul the current lighting system at the softball complex.
The Murray State University football program received a $100,000 investment from the Racer Football Alumni Association that was presented at the 2024 home opener against Butler in Roy Stewart Stadium on Sept. 7. The contribution will help support numerous strategic initiatives and projects around the program. According to an athletic department announcement Monday, previous investments from the RFAA have allowed the department to invest in educational benefits for football student-athletes and make much-needed enhancements to the team's facilities, including updates to the team meeting room, team lounge, coaches suit, locker room and more.
The University of Rhode Island announced Thursday that 1978 URI graduate David Barrett and wife Kristen Cobb have made a multi-part, $5 million donation to the state land-grant school. Barrett serves as managing partner of health care and technology venture capital firm Polaris Partners. According to Providence Business News, the couple's gift is earmarked to help student-athletes pursue business degrees.
Total amount of these gifts:
$17,000,000
