Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
The University of Montana athletics department has received a $3 million dollar gift from the estate of Gary J. Dunn by his widow, Judy Rigler-Dunn, that will support Grizzly softball, Lady Griz basketball and Montana football. The gift will be used to assist all three programs in the area of greatest need. According to Wednesday's announcement, the most visible use of the gift to the public will be at Grizzly Softball Field where it will be used to make permanent stadium upgrades.
Utah State University vice president and director of athletics Cameron Walker announced Wednesday a $2.5 million investment in athletics by longtime Aggies fans Kent and Donna Alder. In recognition of their impact on the athletics department, the club space in the West Stadium Center at Maverik Stadium will be named the Alder Champions Club. The Alders' gift marks the second major commitment the athletics department has received in the past month, bringing $5 million in major commitments since the announcement of its Show Me initiative, aimed at strengthening the department as it enters the reconfigured Pac-12 Conference.
Azusa Pacific University announced Monday that it has received a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor, providing a monumental boost to the highly anticipated relaunch of the Cougar football program this fall. The contribution will fully fund the program’s initial startup costs and first year of operations, ensuring the team is equipped and ready to take the field. Following a six-year hiatus, the revival of football coincides with a dynamic shift for the university: a strategic transition to NCAA Division III and membership in the prestigious Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
University of North Carolina alums Frank and Barbara Sullivan have made a $250,000 gift to Carolina fencing, one of the largest gifts to the program since its inception in 1967. According to Monday's announcement, the gift includes $200,000 directed toward the fencing endowment, and the remaining $50,000 is being used to launch a matching challenge in support of the Friends of Fencing Fund.
University of North Texas head football coach Neal Brown and his family have made a $100,000 gift in support of UNT football through the Neal and Brooke Brown Foundation, further strengthening resources for the Mean Green football program and its student-athletes, the school announced last week.
Total amount of these gifts:
$6,850,000
Running total for 2026:
$282,425,000
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2025:
$1,671,578,500
