Join WIN! for our inaugural Women Impact Now! (WIN!) Athletics Leadership Forum, an evening of networking and professional development at Tufts with women student-athletes. To learn more, contact win@tufts.edu.
Make a Difference with WIN!
Welcome to Women Impact Now! or WIN!, a bold and visionary initiative that is championing the future of women’s athletics at Tufts University. The WIN! Athletics Initiative aims to raise significant support for women’s athletics, including varsity programs, club sports, and intramural teams. Designed as a multi-million-dollar initiative, WIN! is building a lasting foundation that will maintain women’s athletics as a center of excellence at Tufts. By strengthening the Department of Athletics and expanding opportunities for our women student-athletes, WIN! is advancing competitive success and empowering leadership, achievement, and wellness.
Closing the Gap
Tufts is committed to delivering a transformative student experience and athletics plays a central role in that mission. While women’s athletics programs began later than men’s, they have rapidly become a driving force within Tufts Athletics. Today, women make up 56% of the undergraduate population and lead in participation across varsity, club, and intramural sports. Despite a shorter legacy of alumni support, these programs continue to shine, contributing 65% of the points that secured Tufts’ historic win of the 2022 NCAA Division III Learfield Directors’ Cup. Below are just a few statistics that showcase the remarkable success of women’s programs since 2012.
6
Team National Championships
13
Individual National Championships
8
National Championship Finalists
20
NESCAC Championships
Benefits for Women Student-Athletes
WIN! will directly benefit the day-to-day experiences of our student-athletes in tangible ways, including:
- Complement travel budgets to attend elite invitational tournaments to play top national competition.
- Add training equipment and performance technology.
- Enhance social media and marketing to raise the profile of teams and strengthen recruitment.
- Provide nutritional and wellness experiences specific to women student-athletes.
- Expand mental health and mindfulness programming.
- Fund compensation for part-time assistant coaches.
- Increase leadership development and women’s career networking opportunities.
Be a WIN! Champion
To sustain the momentum and ensure long-term success, WIN! is building a vibrant network of alumni, parents, and supporters who are dedicated to advancing the future of women’s athletics at Tufts. WIN! is calling on champions of change to be early supporters ready to make bold commitments to the following endowed funds. The Women Impact Now (WIN!) Athletics Endowment is the overarching fund that will broadly support all women’s teams. Distributed at the discretion of the Director of Athletics, this fund will meet emerging needs and enable critical investments that impact student-athletes, programs, and infrastructure. Alumnae from three teams are also leading group efforts for the team-specific funds listed below.
Every gift—of any size—moves us closer to a more vibrant future. Contributions will directly fuel the success of women’s varsity, club, and intramural programs by providing flexible support where it’s needed most. Donors also become part of Women Impact Tufts (WIT), a dynamic community of alumnae, parents, and friends who are making a significant impact on Tufts’ highest priorities through their philanthropy and engagement. For more information about creating endowed funds for women’s teams or to make a gift, contact Mark Adzigian, Director of Development for Athletics, mark.adzigian@tufts.edu, 617-627-0376.
The Women Impact Now (WIN!) Athletics Endowment
Team Funds
"Give Right, Give Left" Tufts Women's Lacrosse Endowment
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Nancy Bigelow Swimming and Diving Endowment
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Bill Gehling |
- Introduce WIN! to potential donors who may be interested in making a significant contribution.
- Share your feedback and ideas to help us better engage alumni, parents, and friends with our women’s programs.
- Host or sponsor a WIN! gathering to build community and momentum.
- Be an advocate for WIN! by spreading the word and championing support within your networks.
Learn More
For more information about getting involved with WIN! efforts, contact Meaghan Judge, Director of Advancement Initiatives and Women Impact Tufts, meaghan.judge@tufts.edu, 617-627-3968.
Meet the Co-Chairs
Rory Murray Little, J93
Rory is a member of the Board of Advisors for Athletics at Tufts University and an alumna of the swimming and diving program. Professionally, she has specialized in sales and business development for several technology start-ups and emerging technologies teams, most notably at the online advertising company DoubleClick (now Google), the AI company Narrative Science (now part of Salesforce) and MasterCard International. Rory resides in Westport, CT, and also serves as a regional board member at Experience Camps, a national, no-cost program for grieving children. She received a bachelor’s degree in biopsychology from Tufts in 1993 and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Columbia University.
Lisa Gorman, J81
Lisa is a member of the Board of Advisors for Athletics at Tufts University and a former captain of the women’s basketball team. Prior to relocating to Australia with her husband and family, she spent much of her legal career as a partner specializing in commercial real estate at a Detroit-based law firm. Since returning to the Northeast in 2015, she has served on several nonprofit boards and previously was a member of the Tufts President’s Council. Lisa earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Tufts in 1981 and received her Juris Doctor from Boston College.
Featured News
Tufts is again in the top five out of 323 participating NCAA Division III colleges and universities.
The Jumbo first and second varsity eights led their races from start to finish.
Two-time NCAA champion Katelin Isakoff receives one of two NCAA Walter Byers scholarships in the country for graduate study.
