UMass Athletics Announces Banner Fundraising Year

AMHERST, Mass. – The Minutemen Club is coming off another highly successful year of fundraising as the athletics department raised over $8.4M in the 2022-23 academic year, a 10% increase from 2021-22.

A total of 2,873 donors supported Massachusetts Athletics last year, helping the department exceed its goal of $8M.

"We are extremely grateful for the tremendous philanthropic support of our alumni/ae, fans and friends of Massachusetts athletics," said director of athletics Ryan Bamford. "Over the last two years we have set department records for fundraising, allowing us to meet the experiential needs of our student-athletes and providing championship resources to our teams who represent the flagship so proudly. In addition to our amazing supporters, I want to thank our Minutemen Club staff for their efforts to drive donor investment in Massachusetts athletics to unprecedented heights."

Fundraising revenue has grown dramatically since Bamford took the reins at Massachusetts as the department has seen a 400% increase from 2015-16 to 2022-23, up more than $6.5 million dollars annually.

During the eight-year period, the Minutemen Club has generated over $33M in charitable gifts allowing the department to invest in enhanced academic support services, add important sports performance and mental health resources, provide supplemental student-athlete nutrition and additional opportunities for out-of-region travel. In addition, donations have allowed the department to complete nearly $100M in capital projects since 2014, resulting in a completely refreshed athletics facility portfolio.

"The level of support for the athletic department this year was tremendous," said Chief Development Officer for Athletics David Biancamano. "I want to thank all who participated and applaud the increased generosity from so many. Year-after-year, our loyal constituents of alumni/ae, fans, parents, and friends make a significant impact, and we are grateful they choose UMass Athletics as one of their philanthropic priorities."

The athletic department raised a record $451,725 from 1,673 donors during UMass Gives, a two-day campus wide giving initiative this past April. The total dollars raised topped last year's total of $375,000. The athletic department has seen its UMass Gives totals increase by almost 4000% since 2016.

The Minutemen Club is the fundraising arm of Massachusetts Athletics. The Minutemen Club raises critical resources through the Maroon Excellence Fund, sports-specific designations, capital projects and gift planning to provide an exceptional experience for the 650+ student-athletes on UMass' 21 varsity sports teams. The funds provide student-athletes with tools to realize their full potential in the classroom, in competition and in the community.

University of Massachusets Athletics

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