What To
Support
There are many ways to give through Michigan Athletics, and we'd love to discuss them with you to find something that suits your character, your principles, and your desire for impact.
The Michigan Athletics Champions Fund allows us to comprehensively prepare student-athletes in the most meaningful enrichment areas: counseling, career and leadership development, performance nutrition, athletic medicine, strength and conditioning, international travel and recruiting.
Our reality is that more than 20 percent of our annual budget comes from private philanthropic donations; it is your generous support that enables us to comprehensively support our more than 900 student-athletes. Michigan Athletics receives: academic success, athletic medicine, career preparation, counseling, leadership development, performance nutrition, recruiting, strength and conditioning, and team travel.
$0
... in Michigan Tax Revenue
... from the state of Michigan Budget
... from the University of Michigan Budget
... from University of Michigan Student Fees
Check out the Fiscal Year 2024 Champions Fund Impact Report here
to see how our donors collectively came together to support Michigan student-athletes!
Nine Pillars of the
Champions
Fund
1
Athletic Medicine
- Safeguards our student-athletes' physical health with cutting-edge care and prevention.
- Provide top-flight medical care throughout the student-athlete's career.
- Supported by 36 athletic training staff members, 17 physicians and additional specialists from Michigan Medicine.
2
Academic Success
- Prioritize academic excellence to ensure our student-athletes succeed in the classroom and graduate, prepared to take on the world.
- Provide access to top-tier academic resources, personalized tutoring, and dedicated study spaces.
- Facilitate a holistic academic experience catered to each student-athletes' interests and needs.
3
Career Preparation
Michigan Athletics Career Center
- Proactively support career readiness and planning through MACC programming.
- Offer transformative experiences and global networking opportunities.
- Key offerings include:
- Interview Labs
- Resume Reviews
- Name, Image, and Likeness Entrepreneurship
- Career Venture Networking Trips
- Professional Etiquette Seminars
- Micro-Internships
- Contract and Other Legal Considerations
4
Counseling
- Ensure access to comprehensive mental health services that nurture the mind, enabling our student-athletes to face challenges in competition and in life.
- Support resilient individuals ready to thrive amidst the pressures of elite sports and academia.
- Key sessions include:
- Personal 1:1 counseling
- Team sessions
- Mental health workshops
- Restorative yoga and other wellbeing classes
5
Leadership Development
- Empower Wolverines through transformative experiences to be the best version of themselves, now and in the future.
- Provide invaluable life skills through innovative programs and hands-on learning.
- Facilitate community service and engagement opportunities.
- Key activities include:
- Discover Your Leadership Style Workshop
- Living Your Values Seminar
- Personal Branding for Name, Image, and Likeness
- Financial Literacy Workshops
- Leadership W.I.N.S. Series, focusing on Wellness, Integrity, Navigation, Self-Awareness
6
Performance Nutrition
- Provide tailored, individualized nutritional strategies, critical for the high demands of a student-athlete.
- Deliver an evidence-based, sport-specific nutrition approach.
- Function within three areas, providing: team education, fueling and data collection.
- Dietitians collaborate with coaches and medical staff to optimize health and performance.
- Part of a comprehensive team ensuring the well-being of all Wolverine student-athletes.
7
Recruiting
- The lifeblood of Michigan Athletics, recruiting brings fresh, determined talent to Ann Arbor.
- Coaches recruit top student-athletes locally, nationally and internationally.
- Over 75% of student-athletes come from outside Michigan.
- Donor support empowers coaches to discover talent and showcase the Michigan Difference.
8
Strength and Conditioning
- Sculpt resilient and powerful student-athletes equipped to face the rigors of competition.
- Offer individualized, year-round training programs for 29 sport programs.
- Supported by 16 full-time trainers, 2 fellows, 1 graduate assistant and 8 interns across 6 facilities.
- Employ scientifically supported methodologies tailored for each sport.
- Generous donor support helps maintain training environments that allow our student-athletes to excel.
9
Team Travel
- Essential to the collegiate athletic experience, covering transportation to accommodations.
- Logistical backbone for away games and tournaments.
- Ensure safe, comfortable, and efficient travel for our student-athletes and coaches.
- Your support enables teams to focus on excellence, arriving prepared and ready to represent Michigan with distinction.
Scholarships
Support of Michigan Athletics scholarships allows our programs to strive for excellence in competition, while providing our Wolverines a world-class academic experience. Scholarship funds are critical to the long-term success and sustainability of our student-athletes and athletic programs, and donors create a lasting legacy of support to Michigan Athletics through their generosity.
Athletics Scholarship Fund
Your gift to the scholarship fund provides incredible opportunities to student-athletes and allows us to provide the maximum number of scholarships allowed by the NCAA. Help us fund the over $24 million that is spent on tuition each year.
Give Now to the Athletics Scholarship FundNamed Expendable Scholarships
Empower Michigan's student-athletes immediately by creating a named expendable scholarship. Contribute $100,000 for Olympic Sports or elevate your impact with $200,000 for Ice Hockey, Football, Men's and Women's Basketball. Your contribution fuels their dreams today, nurturing their potential and shaping champions in sport and life.
By investing in endowed scholarships, donors help enhance our legacy and ensure that Michigan Athletics continues to be the Leaders and Best in every way. Visit our interactive endowment gallery to see endowed scholarship support by team. We sincerely thank all of the generous supporters who have established endowed scholarships. Their gifts, which are listed here, provide academic support for our student-athletes in perpetuity and contribute to the long-term sustainability of our programs.
Postgraduate
Scholarships
Donald R. Shepherd Senior Scholar Award
This scholarship is designed to provide annual awards to student-athletes who have exhausted their athletic eligibility and are pursuing a graduate education at accredited institutions. Each candidate must have a baccalaureate degree and declared graduate degree path. In addition to current graduates, students graduating within the prior five years are eligible for consideration. Award decisions will be based primarily on financial need, career aspirations, academic achievement and letter of recommendation (Professor or previous employer preferred).
1
Resume
2
Letter of recommendation
3
Personal statement as outlined in the application form
A candidate may qualify for all or a portion of the $10,000 award. Depending on the financial need, it may be applied to other education expenses or necessary living expenses incurred while pursuing the graduate degree. More than one award may be provided each year for candidates attending the University of Michigan with the award amount at the discretion of the University of Michigan Athletic Department. Due to NCAA compliance rules, only two (2) postgraduate awards are able to be awarded for those attending an institution other than the University of Michigan. Up to 12 scholarships may be awarded in a given year. Previous recipients are eligible to reapply for the scholarship. Funds will be distributed directly to the institution.
For consideration, student-athletes must submit their applications by 11:59pm ET on April 18th, 2025.
PLEASE NOTE: This scholarship is only available to student-athletes that will or have exhausted their eligibility at the conclusion of the Winter 2025 term.
For any questions, contact Justin Hinton at jihinton@umich.edu.
Letterwinners M Club Postgraduate Scholarship
The Letterwinners M Club established its Postgraduate Scholarship in April 2012 (with the cooperation of the University of Michigan Athletic Department), to show continued support to student-athletes and to promote the goals of the University - the career and personal development of our students and alumni.
Through this annual program, Michigan varsity letterwinners may qualify for all or a portion of a Letterwinners M Club $12,500 scholarship. Scholarships are one-time, non-renewable grants to cover the cost of tuition, and will be paid by the Letterwinners M Club to the institution in which the recipient is enrolled for graduate study.
Applicants must have applied to or been accepted to an accredited institution for the purpose of pursuing an advanced degree. The Letterwinners M Club scholarship may not be deferred. The selection committee will consider all applicants and choose winners based on academic merit, history of service to the University of Michigan and community, and career potential.
For consideration, student-athletes must submit their applications by 11:59pm ET on March 15th, 2025.
If you have questions, please contact the Letterwinners M Club at letterwinnersmclub@umich.edu.
PLEASE NOTE: This scholarship is only available to student-athletes that will or have exhausted their eligibility at the conclusion of the Winter 2025 term.
Apply Today To the Letterwinners M Club Postgraduate ScholarshipRaeder's Raider Spirit Award
The Raeder's Raiders Spirit Award was inspired by Michigan football player J. Paul Raeder, a member of the Michigan football team from 1957 to 1961, and a number of his teammates, collectively known as “Raeder's Raiders.” They quickly became favorites of fans, teammates and coaches because of their hard-nosed, inspired play. Time and time again, the Raiders provided a valuable spark to the entire Michigan football team while coming off the bench. The award, established in 2005, is sponsored by the Raeder family to commemorate J. Paul Raeder, who passed away in 2004.
The Raeder's Raiders Spirit Award is presented annually to the U-M student-athlete who demonstrates character, teamwork, dedication, perseverance and intensity in athletic performance, while coming off the bench. Michigan student-athletes from all sports who have earned an M letter are eligible to be nominated for the award by a Michigan head coach. The nominees are then voted on by the board of directors of the Letterwinners M Club.
For consideration, COACHES AND STAFF must submit your nominations by 11:59pm ET on March 15, 2025.
If you have questions, please contact the Letterwinners M Club at letterwinnersmclub@umich.edu.
Apply Today For the Raeder's Raider Spirit Award
Study Abroad
Scholarships
Through generous contributions from donors, Michigan student-athletes have the unique opportunity to travel abroad with their teams to compete, experience new cultures, and build lifelong bonds as a program. Many U-M student-athletes are not able to study abroad, due to the rigorous balance of athletics and academics. International travel supported by donors makes it possible for our student-athletes to make unforgettable memories while seeing the world.
Providing support for student-athlete scholarships is one of the most powerful gifts you can make to Michigan Athletics, allowing us to support our mission of providing our student-athletes with all of the resources they need to be successful at Michigan and beyond. We provide scholarship funding to pay the academic costs for the NCAA maximum number of scholarship-eligible athletes, providing them with one of the finest educations available anywhere in the world.
Hills Family
Scholarship
Marc and Lisa Jacobson
International Experience Scholarship
Rocchio Family Foundation
International Scholarship
The Athletic Department offers a limited number of scholarships for student-athletes to participate in university-run study abroad programs during the spring or summer terms. This opportunity is open to all student-athletes, regardless of athletic scholarship status
Apply Today For the Raeder's Raider Spirit Award 
I am thankful for my scholarship for countless reasons, but perhaps most importantly because my career at Michigan will not be ending as an athlete; the institution has given me too much passion for learning and igniting change to stop representing it after my body no longer can perform as an athlete.
Erin Finn, MD, MPH
Women's Track and Field Alumna
U-M School of Public Health Master's Degree, 2019
U-M Medical School, 2023
Michigan Athletics prides itself in providing unique, eye-opening experiences for its student-athletes that help them develop comprehensively as individuals. Through career and leadership development programming, community service, and international travel, our student-athletes are exposed to businesses, cultures and communities they may not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about.
Career Venture Trips
The Michigan Athletics Career Center organizes Career Venture trips every summer, connecting student-athletes with passionate U-M alumni and donors in a diverse array of professions and corporate settings. Student-athletes may apply to participate in five separate ventures to Minnesota, Chicago, New York City, Miami and Washington, DC, where they visit a myriad of businesses while experiencing the unique personality of each city. The goal is to help them learn what they do - and do not - want to pursue in life after college.
Once the student-athletes return, they are asked to submit reflections on the experience; critical takeaways, what they learned about themselves, and feedback on how to improve the trips. Some call it a game-changer, we call it the Michigan Difference.
Let's Go Do Vietnam Trip
Thanks to the generosity of a donor, Michigan student-athletes travel to Vietnam annually with the purpose to live social responsibility internationally, enhance global perspectives, strengthen leadership mindset and skills, and experience American culture and history through a different lens.
The week-long experience typically includes stops in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Hoi An, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong. The juxtaposition of some of the most beautiful places in the world next to places that the world seems to have forgotten, is a reminder of privilege and that we are all connected by our humanity. The student-athletes return home with a new perspective, deep connections with each other, and inspiration to create a positive impact in their own communities.
Facilities
The Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus provides student-athletes with state-of-the-art facilities that they need to excel athletically and academically. All of our teams, regardless of revenue generation, benefit from world-class facility projects, setting a new standard for the rest of the country. The following projects will unify our program and build a stronger community with our teams, department, campus, alumni, donors and fans.
We would like to sincerely thank all of the individuals who invested in strengthening the foundation of Michigan Athletics.
Michigan has the best academic and athletic facilities in the world to help my development as a student-athlete. I'm from Ghana and am a first-generation college student, and the area I grew up in doesn't have a lot of resources. I am so grateful to be at Michigan.
Farouk Osman
Men's Soccer Student-Athlete |
2017, '19-21
To learn more about making a capital gift, please contact our Major Gifts team at athleticdevelopment@umich.edu
Current Fundraising
Projects
1
Schembechler Hall
Football Locker Rooms
In partnership with leaders across Michigan Athletics and the football program, we set out to pursue a new vision for the Schembechler Hall locker room to truly support our football team like the champions they are. The space requires considerable innovation and ingenuity to accommodate the needs of over 100 student-athletes.
In addition to state-of-the-art strength and conditioning and athletic medicine and rehabilitation facilities, the locker room and adjacent spaces will serve as multi-purpose areas that allow our student-athletes to relax, re-energize and strengthen team culture and unity.
2
William Davidson
Player Development Center
Women's Basketball Locker Rooms
Thanks to funding from loyal Michigan Athletics supporters, approximately 11,500 gross square feet will be renovated to create expanded and improved inclusive locker room, shower, team and support areas in the William Davidson Player Development Center for the women's team. The project also includes necessary electrical and mechanical work at a total estimated cost of $5 million.
3
William Davidson
Player Development Center
Men's Basketball Locker Rooms
Thanks to funding from loyal Michigan Athletics supporters, approximately 11,500 gross square feet will be renovated to create expanded and improved inclusive locker room, shower, team and support areas in the William Davidson Player Development Center for the men's team. The project also includes necessary electrical and mechanical work at a total estimated cost of $5 million.