New York City FC Makes Multi-Million Philanthropic Gift to York College

This $7.5 million pledge, beginning with $2 million available immediately to York College, will fund health and wellness, athletics, and other programs

New York City FC announced a $7.5 million philanthropic gift to York College on July 16 to build on the Club’s ongoing relationship and support its mission of providing high-quality education to Queens and beyond. This represents York College’s largest philanthropic gift since its founding. These unrestricted funds will be used to aid in the growth of the college’s programs and services for students, faculty and staff around health and wellness.

“New York City FC is a proven leader, both on and off the field, and their support underscores the importance of strengthening the academic programs and services we offer at York College,” said York College’s Interim President Claudia Schrader. “We are excited and grateful for this gift, not only to York, but to the southeast Queens community. It will give us an opportunity to accelerate the mission of this 58-year institution into the next generation. Thank you, New York City FC.”

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “CUNY is grateful to partners such as New York City FC for seeing the value in investing in our colleges. This gift to York College, the largest donation in its history, will benefit students, faculty, and the campus community. Together we are lifting New York.”

“York College has been an important member of the Queens and larger New York City community since its founding nearly 60 years ago. Today’s gift will help bring more high-quality education to its students, whether they’re from Queens or from around the world,” said Marty Edelman, New York City FC Vice Chairman. “New York City FC is proud to grow our support for York College through this historic philanthropic gift that will bring much-needed funds to the college and look forward to continuing our partnership with this important educational institution.”

The first $2 million of the pledged $7.5 million donation is already available to York College. It will be used to invest in health and wellness programs across the College. York College is determined to put this investment towards renovations to the fitness center, a student health, wellness and resource hub, program funds for health and professional programs, and athletics transportation. They also plan to give an opportunity for members of the campus to request funds.

“The York College Foundation is thankful for this transitional gift, which will enhance the community for years to come,” said Eric Deutsch, Foundation Board Chairman. “We are proud to partner with New York City FC and City in the Community to create a path to grow youth leaders and soccer in the community.”

Today’s announcement builds on New York City FC’s existing programming investment and partnership with York College. Through the Club’s nonprofit foundation, City in the Community, New York City FC has worked with York College students as part of its Youth Leadership Training Program to mentor the next generation of community soccer leaders. As part of today’s announcement, New York City FC and York College will expand their partnership to bring more youth leadership and soccer programming to students.

“When our students have the tools and support they need, their possibilities are limitless,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “An investment in our scholars is an investment in our city’s future, and New York City Football Club’s philanthropic gift will be critical to strengthening York College’s programs, services, and supports for the entire campus community. I thank NYCFC for their generosity and support.”

“I have worked hand in hand with New York City FC to bring essential resources to Queens, and today is a demonstration that when you find the right partners, good things happen. This $7.5 million gift to York College is a prime example of how this club is investing in our borough's future beyond the pitch," said Council Member Francisco Moya. "I'm excited to see how this partnership with York College will create even more opportunities and strengthen our community."

“York College has been a cornerstone of education in our community for decades, and this partnership with New York City FC will further enhance its impact,” said New York City Council Member Nantasha Williams. “The ongoing commitment New York City FC has shown to Queens, especially in supporting youth development and education, is truly commendable. This collaboration will create valuable opportunities for our students and strengthen our neighborhood for years to come.”

“I want to thank the NYCFC for this historic investment in York College and its students. It’s important to uplift our educational institutions and our student athletes, and we’re grateful for our partnership with NYCFC for making that a reality,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “I commend NYCFC for their investments in Queens and look forward to continuing our partnership as we eagerly await the opening of its new, all-electric stadium at Willets Point.”

About New York City FC

New York City FC is an American professional soccer team that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Eastern Conference of the League. It was announced as the League's 20th franchise on May 21, 2013 and is the first and only MLS Club located within the five boroughs of New York City. New York City FC kicked off its inaugural MLS season in March 2015 and is majority owned by City Football Group (CFG). In 2021, New York City FC won MLS Cup in the Club's first ever appearance, becoming the first professional sports franchise based in New York to win a championship in a decade. In 2022, New York City FC added to its trophy cabinet by winning Campeones Cup, the annual clash between the champions of MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.

New York City FC’s affiliate team, New York City FC II, plays in MLS NEXT Pro, a professional soccer league that completes the pro player pathway from MLS NEXT, the youth academies associated with MLS, through to MLS, the top U.S. domestic league. New York City FC II plays their home matches in Belson Stadium at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. New York City FC’s Academy currently features teams from the U-12 to U-18 age groups and became the first Academy in the country to win back-to-back national titles at the U-19 level.

New York City FC proudly supports the City in the Community (CITC) foundation to use the power of soccer to uplift communities. One of the programs, New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI), is a first-of-its-kind public-private community partnership to open 50 mini-soccer pitches in NYC neighborhoods in five years. In 2021, NYCSI opened its 50th pitch and committed to install 26 more mini-pitches across NYC in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup 26™ which will be hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

About York College

Founded in 1966, York College is a senior college in the City University of New York System (CUNY) located in Jamaica, Queens. The college is organized into three schools: the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business & Information Systems, and the School of Health Sciences and Professional Programs. Through those schools, York College offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Dr. Claudia Schrader is the interim president of York College.

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving more than 225,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 50,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “genius grants.” The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. To learn more about CUNY, visit https://www.cuny.edu.