IPTAY Launches Women’s Fundraising Initiative: Hear Her Roar

IPTAY Launches Women’s Fundraising Initiative: Hear Her Roar

Since 1975, women student-athletes have proudly represented Clemson, where they have been leaders in the classroom and athletic competition. Since then, an impressive 39 ACC regular-season or tournament team championships have been won, 49 women are enshrined in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame, and former Clemson alumna have earned 10 Olympic medals. Additionally, the Tigers have posted record-setting GPAs and become leaders both professionally and in their families and communities.

The momentum behind the growth of athletic opportunities for women at Clemson has never been more tremendous. Within the last decade, Clemson athletics has added women’s golf (2012-13), softball (2019-20), and announced the sponsorship of women’s lacrosse (2022-23) and women’s gymnastics (2023-24). In the spring of 2022, a comprehensive women’s athletic facility plan was formalized, and POWER: Women’s Leadership Academy was launched. Today is a pinnacle moment in Clemson women’s athletics; we are climbing to new heights, and it is time to Hear Her Roar!

The newly launched Her Hear Roar initiative raises awareness and financial support specifically for Clemson’s women student-athletes, providing them a premier collegiate experience both athletically and academically. IPTAY is committed to the growth of opportunities and access for the 12 NCAA Division I women’s programs sponsored by Clemson University. Groundbreaking Title IX legislation which paved the way for women in college athletics turns 50 this June. The Hear Her Roar initiative celebrates this milestone, while setting up future generations for success at Clemson.

With an aggressive goal of $50 million, the Hear Her Roar initiative will take Clemson Women’s Athletics to new heights.

“The Hear Her Roar initiative is crucial to our organization as we enhance IPTAY’s fundraising scope to properly support women student-athletes,” said IPTAY CEO Davis Babb. “Providing world-class resources to fund women’s academic, athletic, and personal development is critical as we meet this moment within the dynamic world of intercollegiate athletics. IPTAY has been a philanthropic leader within intercollegiate athletics for more than 85 years, and Hear Her Roar is vital to the future successes of the program.”

“Clemson is a special place, and I am excited about the continued growth of our athletic program, and in particular, the future of women’s athletics on campus. The plans for the new women’s specific lakefront facilities, Power: Women’s Leadership Academy, and Hear Her Roar are outward examples of our commitment to women student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics Graham Neff. “Hear Her Roar will allow us to propel our strategic initiatives forward for women through the incredible generosity of our IPTAY donors.”

Hear Her Roar is grounded in three main impact areas: scholarships, state-of-the-art facilities, and student-athlete experience. Today, the need in each impact area continues to grow as intercollegiate athletics aggressively progresses. This new initiative will allow donors to give to areas that are not only of greatest need but to specific objectives throughout Clemson’s 12 women’s sports programs. Clemson is positioned for success in the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally due to the incredible philanthropic support and generosity of those who give to IPTAY.

“We have incredible women student-athletes at Clemson. They are proud, passionate, and devoted to their crafts while collectively posting team cumulative GPAs above 3.0. Hear Her Roar, fueled by IPTAY, will further elevate women’s opportunities to be successful while attending Clemson. Team travel, new and improved facilities, sport-specific fundraising, and more are just the beginning of what Hear Her Roar will be able to provide in terms of resources that will make a direct impact on the daily lives of these student-athletes. This investment by IPTAY is significant, and I am excited to see it develop,” says Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women’s Administrator Stephanie Ellison-Johnson.

Support Hear Her Roar!

Will you help our female student-athletes ROAR?

Through Hear Her Roar, you can directly impact Clemson’s women student-athletes by making a gift to a plethora of focus areas. To learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of women student-athletes at Clemson, contact Lauren Gaulin at lgaulin@clemson.edu or 864-656-2608.