17 May 2024
By Göran R Buckhorn
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Men’s Rowing has launched an ambitious $10 million endowment campaign to secure the program’s financial future. Alumni have already secured $5 million in gifts and commitments, it said in a press release.
On Monday, the Friends of UCLA Rowing (FOUR) announced the public phase of a $10 million endowment campaign for the UCLA Men’s Rowing program, a significant moment in collegiate sports history in the U.S. The campaign aims to establish a sustainable financial future for the rowing team, supporting its journey toward becoming the nation’s leading collegiate club rowing program by 2030.
In the press release it reads:
The $10 million endowment will substantially cover the planned increase in the annual budget from $300,000 to $600,000. This budget expansion will enable strategic investments in coaching, equipment and technology, and athlete development – paving the way for future generations of rowers to benefit from the life lessons rowing distinctly teaches.
The campaign started on a good note as half of the endowment has already been reached in gifts and commitments. A historic $2.5 million in donation came from alumnus Bob Newman (’68) and his wife Mary Jo. This is the largest gift in the history of UCLA Club Sports, setting a powerful example for others.
“This campaign isn’t just about rowing. It’s about continuing a legacy of excellence and leadership that UCLA Men’s Rowing has fostered since 1933. It’s a chance for us to give back to a program that shapes leaders,” said Newman.
The UCLA Men’s Rowing program, which was founded in 1933, following the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, has consistently demonstrated excellence and ambition. The Varsity Eight’s recent victory at the 2023 ACRA National Championships – securing UCLA’s first-ever national title in rowing – underscores this point, it says in the press release. The program’s success is further highlighted by its strong showing at the 2022 Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships and its participation in prestigious events like Henley Royal Regatta.
“Our program is surging on all dimensions. The boats are fast, the athletes are aspiring leaders, the coaches are top-tier, and the alumni are hyper-engaged,” said Dominic Pardini, President of FOUR. “We’re becoming the model for a sustainable future of college athletics – independent from conference politics and 100% community supported for the love of the game.”
The UCLA Men’s Rowing program is distinguished by its embrace of American walk-on athletes—students who often have no rowing experience but are driven by determination and rigorous training and develop high levels of athleticism in making boats go very fast. This approach challenges these athletes to compete nationally and highlights the program’s culture of camaraderie and resilience, which is integral to defining the spirit of UCLA rowing.
The program, thriving under a club model, also represents a future-forward approach to collegiate sports. This model has not only enhanced accessibility, attracting a diverse group of student-athletes but has also fostered a robust community support system. Unconstrained by typical collegiate sports bureaucracies, the program adapts swiftly to the evolving landscapes of collegiate athletics, ensuring sustainability and growth even in challenging times.
In the seven-man strong Endowment Campaign Committee is Matt Smith, who retired as the Executive Director of World Rowing at the end of 2021 and was the recipient of the 2022 USRowing Medal of Honor. Smith told HTBS:
We believe that this is the future of “non-income” (one could say “character building”) university sports as we see the evolving landscape of college football and basketball with the massively growing costs on “very challenged” university budgets.
To read the Endowment Campaign Brochure, click here. To read the Endowment Campaign Strategic Plan, click here.
To learn more about the campaign or to make a gift, please go here. For direct inquiries, the UCLA Foundation’s Donor Relations team can be reached at gifts@support.ucla.edu or call 310-794-9081.