CHAMPAIGN – The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) announced a successful Giving Tuesday initiative on Friday after raising $365,321 from 456 gifts in support of Fighting Illini student athletes.
"We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for ICON and our NIL efforts during the campaign," said President and CEO of ICON, Kathleen Knight. "Now is a critically important time for us to ramp up our fundraising efforts and the Illini responded in a big way. We thank everyone who has already gotten involved with ICON, helping to bring meaningful NIL opportunities to our student-athletes and making a positive impact on the local community."
Cumulating on Giving Tuesday, the campaign raised more than $265,000, including over $81,000 for ICON, the preferred third-party entity supporting Fighting Illini student-athletes in their name, image and likeness (NIL) endeavors, Fighting Illini student athletes will be recognized for their efforts in the community and valuable input outside of their sport.
ICON facilitates partnerships between Fighting Illini student-athletes and fans, alumni, businesses, non-profits and other community organizations to create meaningful NIL opportunities. In addition to providing financial support to student-athletes, these NIL opportunities infuse professional and entrepreneurial lessons that will set them up for sustained, elite-level success, on and off the field of play.
In addition to the donations made to ICON, over $184,000 was donated to the I FUND. I FUND is the official fundraising arm of Fighting Illini athletics, dedicated to providing educational opportunities for student athletes while ensuring coaches have the resources needed to compete for conference and national championships.
The money raised by I FUND will go towards supporting student-athlete scholarships, attracting and retaining elite coaches and student athletes as well as building and maintaining a competitive advantage.
With the cumulative total for ICON and I FUND surpassing $100,000, a generous anonymous donor added a $100,000 donation of their own to ICON.
Although the Giving Tuesday Fundraiser is over, fans can still contribute to both ICON and I FUND. Fans interested in supporting scholarships and championship resources for Illinois student-athletes, make a gift here. Illini fans interested in supporting NIL opportunities can learn more about ICON and activate a membership here.
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