Ore. Groups Fear Challenge Gift From Nike Co-Founder Will Hurt Fundraising

Nonprofit fundraisers in Oregon worry that Nike co-founder Phil Knight’s $500-million challenge gift to Oregon Health & Science University will drain donations from other charities, particularly small social-service groups, according to the Portland Tribune.

The “Knight challenge” and its possible ripple effect were central topics of a meeting last Friday of the Oregon and Southwest Washington chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. A prior survey of members found widespread concern that the region’s philanthropic resources are focused on the medical school’s campaign to raise $500-million for cancer research by October 2015 to match and thus secure the Knight money.

While some fundraisers contend the high-profile gift will boost philanthropy as a whole, attracting new donors to a variety of causes, nearly half of those polled by the association disagreed with that notion, with groups that raised less than $500,000 last year most likely to voice worries. One nonprofit said in a survey comment that major donors were suspending their support to contribute to the Knight challenge.