A decade ago, Nike co-founder Phil Knight bequeathed a whopping amount of money to the University of Oregon to build a facility for only athletes. My memory is foggy, but I thought the structure was a hybrid dorm and training complex for football players only. Maybe not. A quick search found this:
https://www.businessinsider.com/phil-knight-own-locker-oregon-football-facility-2013-9
In this connection, the Washington, D.C.-based Chronicle of Philanthropy has announced its annual list of the biggest publicly announced charitable donations from individuals or their foundations, which totaled more than $3.5 billion in 2023. Among the biggest recipients were a handful of universities and scientific research institutions, a family foundation, and a racial-justice group.
Phil Knight and his wife made a $400 million pledge to the “1803 Fund.” According to its homepage, the fund’s mission seeks to transform current and future generations of “Black Portland” (OR). Visit the homepage here: https://1803fund.com/
The donation will establish Rebuild Albina, an effort to revive the economic and cultural prosperity of what was once a thriving Black neighborhood that fell into neglect in the 1970s from a mix of predatory lending, discriminatory government practices, and long-term construction projects. Hopefully, the Albina Board of Directors will employ local Portlandians in this massive rebuild effort! Just Do It!
In Portland Business Journal: Nike co-founder Phil Knight recognized as a top donor in 2023
