Michigan State University has secured the largest donation in its history, receiving a major $401 million donation from Greg Williams and his wife, Dawn Williams, with a significant portion of the amount going to MSU athletics.
The couple donated $290 million to support the university’s FOR SPARTA: A Major Initiative for MSU Athletics, announced Tuesday.
Another $100 million will be invested in Spartan Ventures, a tax-exempt nonprofit organization created by the university that will be the revenue and development arm of MSU Athletics in the Name, Image and Likeness era of college athletics.
The remaining $11 million will go toward academic and extracurricular activities, including the MSU Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Risk Management and Financial Insurance Program in the Eli Broad College of Business, the Spartan Marching Band and Pep Bands and the Sparta Mascot Program, according to university officials.
According to MSU spokeswoman Amber McCann, the gift from the Williamses is more than ten times the university’s previous largest one-time gift, made four years ago.
Still wondering who these donors are? Here’s what we know about the philanthropist couple.
Who are Greg and Dawn Williams?
Greg Williams, an East Lansing native and longtime donor to MSU, currently serves as chairman and CEO of Acrisure, a global fintech company he co-founded in 2005.
Prior to founding Acrisure, Williams held the position of vice president for Michigan National Corporation, a $19 billion bank holding company, and served as an investor and board advisor to numerous other organizations, according to his Acrisure biography.
There is no official information about the married life of Greg and Dawn Williams.
Past donations from Greg and his company
Greg Williams was instrumental in Acrisure’s $30 million pledge to name and anchor Acrisure Amphitheater, a 12,000-seat venue on the Grand Rapids waterfront.
Acrisure’s donations also include $15 million to the Acrisure Center for Child Health Innovation at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and $7.5 million to the Heart Institute at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, according to his Acrisure bio.
Prior to Friday’s announcement, Greg and Dawn have donated $25 million to Michigan State University over the past 30 years, according to local Michigan news outlet Fox 17. The couple serves as co-chairs of the “Uncommon Will, Far Better World” campaign, which aims to raise $4 billion for the university.
