The York College Foundation announced it has received a $7.5 million transformational gift from the New York City Football Club (NYCFC), making it the largest philanthropic gift to York College since its founding in 1966.
The gift will give the foundation and York College the discretion to use the funds where the needs of the college are greatest, as well as to selectively invest in the growth of programs and services that the college would not have the leeway to support if the gift was restricted.
York College President Berenecea Johnson Eanes said the college community is grateful for the generosity of the NYCFC and their understanding of the importance of investing in the promise of York students.
“York College finds itself in a unique position as recipient of this gift, and we do not take the opportunities created by this gift for granted,” Eanes said. “We will be thoughtful and careful about how and where it is used for the betterment of our campus community.”
“For example, we know that our students are resilient and highly capable, but many of them face increasing challenges with childcare, transportation, housing, access to technology, food insecurity and mental health,” Eanes added. “These are all circumstances that must be addressed in conjunction with a full complement of academic support services if our students are to be successful.”
Eanes further noted the costs associated with providing top-tier student success initiatives to students over the course of their academic journey that is high, and how the funding will provide much needed seed money to truly be able to bring to life the broader vision for holistic student services at York College.
We hope that other philanthropists, be they individuals, foundations or corporations, will look at this as an opportunity to join in the vision of this generous donor to truly create the support needed so students can reach their academic goals,” Eanes said.
York College Foundation Board Chair Ana Rua said the “gift is transformational in nature and will give us the ability to address many pressing needs on campus while also helping to ensure that our faculty and students benefit from this gift for many years.”
“I am confident that the York College Foundation board and its finance and investment committee will create a plan for wise spending allocation and investments so that we see the returns from this gift create opportunities for the York College community well into the future,” Rua said.
The York College Foundation was established in 1989 to support and advance the activities and mission of York College in its pursuit of excellence in its academic, cultural, research and public service programs. The foundation receives gifts that support students, academic programs, and/or provides emergency aid (grants) to students experiencing severe hardship and at high risk of dropping out.
