Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
Mustang Partners announced Feb. 20 transformative gifts totaling $50 million from four families in support of Southern Methodist University student-athletes. The historic gift from Liz and Bill Armstrong, Carolyn and David Miller, Katy and Kyle Miller, and Mary and Rich Templeton, to the Student-Athlete Benefit Fund will support scholarships, NIL advancement and revenue sharing. According to the announcement at smumustangs.com, the gift also launches the Boulevard Society, a new major giving society designed to elevate philanthropic leadership and invest in the long-term success of SMU Athletics. Mustang Partners also announced the launch of a Boulevard Society initiative to raise an additional $50 million in leadership commitments by Dec. 31, 2026.
Rich and Leslie Frank announced Wednesday that they have made another donation to the University of Illinois, their third seven-figure gift since 2020. This time, according to the announcement at fightingillini.com, the Franks have donated $7 million in support of the Fighting Illini men's and women's basketball programs. In recognition of their gift, the Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics will create the Rich Frank Club at State Farm Center. The new gift will support renovations to team and player spaces at State Farm Center and allow DIA to create the Rich Frank Club, which will be located in the former Orange Krush Club at State Farm Center. The Rich Frank Club will provide a new, membership-driven hospitality space for men's and women's basketball, concerts and auxiliary events, offering an experience unlike any other premium space in the arena for guests to enjoy before, during and after events. The club will include elevated dining and beverage experiences, curated programming, and membership available independent of seating.
Pepperdine Athletics announced Tuesday a transformational $1 million gift from Robert (Bobby) and Tisha Walton, supporting key athletic department priorities including The Mountain at Mullin Park, the golf clubhouse, and the Waves Excellence Fund. In recognition of the gift, the women's basketball locker room in the Mountain at Mullin Park will be named the Ava and Charlotte Walton Women's Basketball Locker Room and a hitting bay in the golf clubhouse will be named the Robert and Tisha Walton Hitting Bay. The Walton family's gift represents a significant investment in the future of Pepperdine Athletics, supporting two of the biggest athletic facility enhancements in Pepperdine Athletics history, both currently under construction on campus in Malibu.
Thanks to a $1 million gift from 1970 graduate and Army veteran Steve Nelson and wife Shirley, the University of Montana will begin renovations on the east and west auxiliary gyms inside Dahlberg Arena next month. According to Wednesday's announcement at gogriz.com, the project will create additional training and practice spaces for men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball. The renovation includes new hardwood floors, scoreboards, shot clocks, practice baskets, air conditioning, and a paint and graphics package.
Total amount of these gifts:
$59,000,000
Running total for 2026:
$250,575,000
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2025:
$1,671,578,500
