Vanderbilt Athletics seeks $50M for women's sports – Nashville Post

Mikayla Blakes and head coach Shea Ralph of the Vanderbilt Commodores are seen during the first half of a basketball game with the Furman Paladins at Memorial Gymnasium on Nov. 10, 2025.
Mikayla Blakes and head coach Shea Ralph of the Vanderbilt Commodores are seen during the first half of a basketball game with the Furman Paladins at Memorial Gymnasium on Nov. 10, 2025.
Fundraising efforts have begun for a new $50 endowment at Vanderbilt University to support women’s sports. 
Via the fund, dubbed Anchored for Her, the school is looking to raise money to help support coaches, staff and facility upgrades for various programs, while also bolstering athletic scholarships.
The release notes that Vanderbilt University Board of Trust members Nina Kohler and Kathleen Justice-Moore helped launch the fund with gifts. 
Donors to Anchored for Her can specify which women’s sport they want their financial contributions to support. 
The fundraising campaign launches ahead of next year’s 50th anniversary of Vanderbilt sponsoring varsity women’s sports programs. 
In addition to funding athletic scholarships, Anchored for Her is seeking $5 million to endow the university’s athletics director position and $3 million to endow its women’s basketball coach position.
Similarly, the fund is looking to raise $2 million to endow the head coach positions of these sports: 
Various Commodore women’s programs have seen recent success, particularly  soccer and basketball. The soccer program won the SEC championship last fall, finishing with an 18-4-2 record and advancing to the Elite Eight. 
The women’s basketball program started the season 20-0 and is now 22-2 after after beating Kentucky Thursday night in Lexington. Coach Shea Ralph’s team is ranked in the top 8 in the country in both the Associated Press and Coaches’ polls. 
“Anchored for Her launches with an initial $50 million [goal that] is an ambitious starting point that reflects our progress and our confidence in what is possible,” the university said in a press release.
“This campaign will undoubtedly continue to grow as we expand support for women’s athletics in the years ahead.”
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