Multiplying our impact
Larry Gies (ACCY '88), founder and CEO of Madison Industries, has pledged $100 million to Gies College of Business – but it's up to you to unlock that gift.
Connect with our team today at BusinessAlumni@illinois.edu.
Every dollar you give will go twice as far.
Larry Gies has promised to match the next $100 million in qualifying donations to Gies College of Business. When you make a gift – of any size, at any level – he'll double it.
The last time Larry made a gift of this size, it ignited a spark of community action and set our College up with the momentum to make an even greater impact. We tripled the scholarship dollars we awarded to each incoming class, assembled a faculty that delivered society-shaping research and thought leadership, and scaled project-based learning to serve every undergraduate learner at Gies Business.
With your help, this next spark can take us even further.
Where the money will go
Qualifying donations made to this campaign will be directed toward three priorities for the College.
Scholarships
Expanding access so that more students, regardless of financial background, can attend Gies Business and obtain a top-tier business education.
Faculty excellence
Supporting faculty with the resources to pursue ambitious research and stay at the forefront of business education.
Learner experiences
Enhancing experiential learning programming and hands-on opportunities that define a Gies Business education.
What moves me most about this gift is the ripple effect it can create. One act of generosity can inspire another, and suddenly a scholarship reaches a student who never imagined Gies Business was within reach, a faculty member has the resources to pursue an ambitious idea, or a learner has an experience that changes the course of their life.
W. Brooke Elliott
Dean, Gies College of Business
Make a difference.
Make it last.
A track record of giving
This isn't Larry Gies' first gift to Gies Business or to the University of Illinois. In 2017, he gave $150 million to the College, which to this day is still the second-largest single gift to any business school in the country.
In 2025, he pledged $100 million to University of Illinois Athletics, the largest gift in the department's history.
With this new $100 million matching gift, his lifetime giving to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reaches $350 million, making him the single largest benefactor in the university's history.
