FanDuel Makes Third $1 Million Donation to UNCF to Support Students from Ohio HBCUs
NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FanDuel, North America's premier online gaming company, today announced a $1 million donation supporting the UNCF (United Negro College Fund) whose mission is to build a robust and nationally recognized pipeline of under-represented students who, because of UNCF support, become highly qualified college graduates. The donation will financially support students at 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across Ohio. FanDuel's latest donation is the third in three years, as the company has also helped to support UNCF's efforts in Virginia and Maryland. This latest support is timed to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the launch of mobile sports betting in Ohio.
Through the donation, UNCF will provide direct aid to help students in a variety of areas, including technology, housing, food security, tuition and other education-related expenses. As part of the partnership, FanDuel will also work with UNCF to recruit students from the schools to join its internship program at one of the company's U.S. offices.
"We're always looking for ways to make a positive impact in the communities in which we operate our sportsbook," said Christian Genetski, President, FanDuel. "As we reflect on our first year of operation in Ohio, we're proud to continue our partnership with UNCF to support the HBCU community in the state and look forward to supporting hard-working students at institutions across Ohio."
The 10 institutions in Ohio impacted by the donation include Case Western University, Central State University, Chamberlain University, Franklin University, Herzing University-Akron, Ohio State University-Newark Campus, Union Institute & University, Ursuline College, Wilberforce University and University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College.
"We truly appreciate the ongoing support from FanDuel, as financial and academic supports like this help make a real difference for HBCUs and their students," said Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., executive vice president and chief fundraising officer, UNCF. "We look forward to continuing our partnership; students benefit so much from internship opportunities."
This marks the third donation from FanDuel to the UNCF. The first donation came in February 2021 when FanDuel Group and the Washington Commanders made a $1 million donation to UNCF to support students at Virginia's five HBCUs, and the second came in December 2022 when FanDuel Group donated an additional $1 million to support Maryland's four HBCUs.
About FanDuel Group
FanDuel Group is an innovative sports-tech entertainment company that is changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams, and leagues. The premier mobile gaming destination in the United States, FanDuel Group consists of a portfolio of leading brands across sports betting, iGaming, horse racing, advance-deposit wagering, daily fantasy sports. In addition, FanDuel Group operates FanDuel TV, its broadly distributed linear cable television network and FanDuel TV+, its leading direct-to-consumer OTT platform. FanDuel Group has a presence across all 50 states with approximately 17 million customers and 25 retail locations. The company is based in New York with offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Jersey City, as well as in Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Australia. FanDuel Group is a subsidiary of Flutter Entertainment plc, (LSE: FLTR) the world's largest sports betting and gaming operator with a portfolio of globally recognized brands.
About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. During its 80-year existence, UNCF has raised more than $6 billion and helped more than 500,000 students not just attend college, but thrive, graduate and become leaders. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 15% of bachelor's degrees, 5% of master's degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees and 19% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste."® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
Media Contacts
FanDuel Group / press@fanduel.com
UNCF / Roy Betts / roy.betts@uncf.org