Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
Beginning with next month’s Milan Cortina Winter Games, billionaire Ross Stevens will give $200,000 to every U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athlete, regardless of their success in competition, in a move to help them gain financial security. As reported this week by Forbes, the $100 million donation by Stevens, the founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Holdings Group, is the largest gift to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee in its history.
Florida Atlantic University announced Thursday another transformative gift from long-time donors Michelle and Michael Hagerty, who have pledged $2 million in support of women's scholarships and the Competitive Excellence Fund. Making their first gift to athletics in 2021, the Hagerty Family has donated more than $12 million over the last five years.
University of Virginia Athletics and the Virginia Athletics Foundation announced Thursday that retired UVA executive VP and COO Pat Hogan and wife Sharon have made a combined $1 million commitment to UVA’s baseball, softball and women’s golf programs. Of the generous commitment, $500,000 will go to support the baseball program’s current scholarships, while the remaining $500,000 will be committed to create the Pat and Sharon Hogan Endowed Scholarship for Softball, along with the Pat and Sharon Hogan Endowed Scholarship for Women’s Golf.
Indiana State University Athletics announced Tuesday a program-changing $500,000 commitment from 1998 graduate and current trustee Troy Woodruff and wife Melissa to the Crossroad of Champions initiative in direct support of the Sycamore men's basketball program. The gift will provide critical resources to retain and attract top-level athletes, but also strengthen program sustainability and position the Sycamores for long-term success.
Total amount of these gifts:
$103,500,000
Running total for 2026:
$160,100,000
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2025:
$1,671,578,500
