USF Athletics adjusted and adapted to new normals during this pandemic. From rescheduling fall sports to the spring to implementing protocols with our athletes to ensure high level mental and physical health during this time, we have maintained safety for our student-athletes and are looking to ensure their experiences here are valuable. To help offset the budget shortfall created by the pandemic within the department, University of San Francisco Athletics launched the Dons Together Initiative with the goal of raising $1 million to support the San Francisco Dons Fund. Â
Since launching on November 23rd, 2020, donors have contributed more than $930,000 towards the Dons Together initiative. Over the past year, philanthropy has been the reason we were able to sustain our programs. Â
Our testing protocol was one of the leading programs among our peer institutions. At $23 per unit, these tests have been offset by donor contributions, allowing our student-athletes the chance to compete in their sport. Planning for team travel was challenging. Some sports, like Men’s and Women’s Basketball, were required to split the teams and take multiple busses to event venues, doubling transportation costs for some games. Additionally, mental health coach Yvonne Gomez provided invaluable support to the athletic department this year. Her interactions with our teams, coaches and student-athletes uplifted students and improved performance in competition and in the classroom. Â
Now we are close to reaching our fundraising goal, and need your help in restoring our financial ability to provide student-athletes with a world-class experience at USF.
All donations to the Dons Together Initiative support athletic scholarships, safe team travel, improvement of physical, academic, and mental health coaching in the virtual environment, as well as an enhancement of the current student-athlete experience through the pandemic. As we plan for the seasons ahead, your contribution directly impacts our student-athletes and our ability to welcome them back to a new and safe campus environment in the fall 2021.
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Your gift to the Dons Together Initiative will impact the lives of Dons student-athletes by helping to fund:
- Increased COVID-19 testing
- Scholarships
- Student-athlete physical and mental health coaching
- Recruitment of future Dons
- Enhance student experience
- Safe team travel
- COVID-19 safety protocol compliance
- Team operating budgets
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By Mail: Please make checks payable to the University of San Francisco Athletics. Please indicate the specific designation "Dons Fund" on the check’s memo line. Mail your gifts to:
University of San Francisco
Attn: Development Services
2130 Fulton St.
San Francisco, CA 94117
For information on corporate matching gifts, transfer of stock, giving by IRA or DAF, please visit: https://www.usfca.edu/giving/how-to-give or contact Brandon Graves (blgraves@usfca.edu) at 707-972-2011.
