2025 Fundraiser – A Celebration of Dawn Staley
This August 13 is the exciting fundraising event, “A Celebration of Dawn Staley!” This special occasion will honor Coach Staley’s remarkable achievements both on and off the court, and most importantly, supporting the Dawn Staley Champions Fund. Attendees will also have the unique opportunity to get an up-close look at Coach Dawn Staley’s new book, Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three.
Dawn Staley’s life and career tell a story of grit and determination, overcoming the odds to achieve extraordinary success as a basketball player and coach. Since taking over the South Carolina women’s basketball team in 2008, she has brought home three national championships (2017, 2022, 2024). In 2024, she led South Carolina to its first perfect season (38-0), becoming the fifth program in women’s college basketball history to have achieved undefeated status. Staley’s teams have won 93.4 percent of their games over the last five seasons. The four-time Naismith National Coach of the Year is the only four-time winner in the history of that award and the only person to win the organization’s Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards. In 2021, she led the U.S. women’s basketball team to an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.
Supported Education Initiatives
The event will highlight three key education initiatives supported through the Dawn Staley Champions Fund — Gamecock Guarantee, the Richard T. Greener Scholarship and the Women’s Basketball Leadership Fund.
Gamecock Guarantee
The Gamecock Guarantee is a need-based financial and academic support program for academically talented first-generation students from South Carolina. The program offers students $5,000 of support per year, additional assistance such as scholarships, as well as access to programs and services that bolster their academic achievement and further enrich their undergraduate experiences.
Richard T. Greener Scholarship
Named in honor of the first Black faculty member at the university, the Richard T. Greener Scholarship is a $2,000, four-year scholarship awarded to incoming underrepresented freshmen based on academic achievement, leadership ability, community service and financial need.
Women’s Basketball Leadership Fund
The Women’s Basketball Leadership Fund improves the overall student-athlete experience by providing resources to foster success on campus and throughout life. Focus areas include leadership training, career resourcing and life skills development.
2024 Event Sponsors
Thank you to our 2024 event sponsors* for your support of the Dawn Staley Champions Fund.
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
- First Horizon Bank
- Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
Bronze Sponsors
- atkinslaw
- Founders Federal Credit Union
*as of June 12, 2025
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
- Grace Outdoor Advertising
- First Horizon Bank
- Michelin
- Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
- Prisma Health
- SouthState Bank
Bronze Sponsors
- atkinslaw
- Chernoff Newman
- First Citizens Bank
- Founders Federal Credit Union
- Truist
Thank you to our 2023 event sponsors for your support of the Dawn Staley Champions Fund.
Platinum Sponsor
- Silver Sponsors
- Garnet Trust Foundation
- Grace Outdoor Advertising
- Michelin
- Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
- NMDP/Be The Match
- Truist
- Bronze Sponsors
- atkins law
- Canal Insurance
- Chernoff Newman
- First Citizens Bank
- Founders Federal Credit Union
- SouthState Bank
- USC Board of Trustees
- USC Development Foundation
- USC Educational Foundation