Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
The largest donation in the history of New Trier High School in suburban Chicago is paving the way for an expansive update of the outdoor athletic facilities at the school’s Northfield campus. During its Monday meeting, New Trier’s School Board approved a donation agreement with the New Trier Education Foundation that will provide an anonymous “transformative gift” of just over $9.75 million to the school. As reported by The Record, renovations slated to take place at the Northfield campus include replacing the existing synthetic turf at the stadium and adjacent fields, converting a portion of the northern grass fields to synthetic turf and removing that area’s existing track, replacing the visitor-side stadium bleachers, and removing the temporary east-side bleachers and replacing them with permanent seating.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell athletic department has received an unprecedented $4 million philanthropic commitment from alum John Kennedy, as announced April 11 by director of athletics Lynn Coutts. The gift will be used to fund the enhancement of athletics facilities and support the needs of River Hawk student-athletes. In honor of Kennedy's generosity and lifelong support of UMass Lowell Athletics, the UMass Board of Trustees has voted to rename the Costello Athletic Center as the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex in a special dedication ceremony in October 2025.
The University of North Florida in Jacksonville saw its plan to create a state-of-the-art esports arena get a $3 million boost from the City of Jacksonville last week. By a 15-1 vote, the City Council approved funding for the state university to build what mayor Donna Deegan’s administration has described as a state-of-the-art electronic sports venue inside the John A. Delaney Student Union at UNF. The school wants to establish the esports facility by January 2026, according to city documents. As reported by Jacksonville Today, UNF has informed the city that the ability to host national tournaments for competitive video gaming — a multibillion dollar industry — will help the school grow its enrollment and benefit its science, technology, engineering and math graduates.
Total amount of these gifts:
$16,750,000
Running total for 2025:
$293,148,500
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2024:
$943,830,339
