Donor Spotlight
Mike Williams
I have such an appreciation for these young athletes who are working hard every day but may not get the same recognition as other high-profile sports. My experience has been so positive with the university, and I truly appreciate all the ways the coaches and players have reached out to say thank you. It makes you realize that, as a donor, you're truly making a difference.
Michigan State Athletics has received two seven-figure gift commitments from Mike Williams in under two years, making him the sixth Victory Circle member of The Athlos Society — MSU Athletics' leadership giving society. Williams is not the typical MSU philanthropic donor. He is only 33 years old and did not attend Michigan State, yet Mike has a passion for the MSU community and the sports that are not always in the spotlight.
Often, donors are inspired to make gift commitments to high-profile sports such as football and men's basketball. Mike however, has chosen to focus his support on non-revenue sports. He made a $1M commitment last year, dividing the gift between ten sports that provided funds for priorities such as recruiting, technology, food and nutrition, and team travel. Women's cross country was one of the sports impacted by Mike's gift, and they won the 2022 Big Ten Championship, claiming their third team title in four years.
Every spring when the seasons are over, Mike plans to look at the teams that have shown immense improvement or actually won championships, and direct his philanthropy to those programs. So far this year, he has rewarded gymnastics and women's soccer in celebration of their Big Ten championships and the wrestling program to acknowledge the improvements they have made.
“This gift is focused on teams that have recently succeeded in becoming Big Ten champions or are on the upward trajectory,” Mike said. “My hope is that they can keep momentum and continue to pursue excellence by providing these teams funds for travel, equipment, or other needs.
“Last year, I wanted to make an impact and benefit the student-athletes and that was my general focus,” Mike said. “Now that I've been around the student-athletes and coaches more and gotten to know them on a personal level, my gift this year is more of a thank you to them for including me and inviting me on trips and staying in touch throughout the season. They may not realize it, but it gives me energy and motivates me as well.”
Mike Rowe, head coach for MSU gymnastics said “Mike Williams' extremely generous contributions to our program have not only afforded us the ability to make necessary equipment upgrades, but give our student-athletes a practice environment that elevates our training to the next level! His enthusiasm and commitment to our program manifests his selflessness as a true Spartan!”
Mike has made such an incredible impact on our women's soccer program. His gifts have allowed us to expand the ways our student-athletes receive the best possible experience while directly influencing competitive advantages.
Roger Chandler, head coach for MSU wrestling added, “Mike's impact on Spartan Wrestling and Michigan State Athletics has been a game changer in so many ways! His contributions have allowed each and every program to take a step forward to building team and individual champions.”
“It's been very eye opening for me to have the opportunity to travel with some of the teams,” Mike said, “to see what they go through just to get to an away game. They're at a D1 school with a high profile. They have to come ready to play and the expectation and standard here is a lot higher. It's a full-time job. That's why I'm all in with these student-athletes to make their lives a little bit easier if I can.
“If you're in a position to give something,” Mike said, “Michigan State Athletics and Spartan Fund are a very good place to start. They have really focused on the donor experience and shown the impact donors have. Every gift counts, and I've seen that firsthand. It's the giving part that is important and gets people in the right mindset to keep giving back.”