Thomassons Donated $100 Million to Indiana University

The record-setting gift will support programs at the Kelley School of Business and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Philanthropy

Bold flat-color editorial illustration showing a stack of academic journals and a limestone block, representing a major university endowment. — Jeff and Benita Thomasson have pledged $100 million to Indiana University, the largest gift in the school's history, supporting business and philanthropy programs. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Jeff and Benita Thomasson have pledged $100 million to Indiana University, pushing their total lifetime contributions to the institution over $111 million. The university board of trustees approved plans to rename the graduate division of the Kelley School of Business in honor of Jeff Thomasson.

Why it matters

Jeff Thomasson, who founded the Oxford Financial Group in 1981, described the contribution as an effort to pay back the investment the university made in his early career. The gift provides significant new resources for both business education and the study of philanthropy at the state school.

Oxford Financial Group currently manages more than $38 billion in assets across seven offices for over 700 clients. This donation comes as national charitable giving to education reached approximately $92 billion in 2025.

The players

Jeff Thomasson

He is the founder of the Oxford Financial Group and an alumnus of Indiana University.

Benita Thomasson

She is a co-donor who joined her husband in providing the $100 million gift to the university.

Indiana University

This is a public research university system that serves as the recipient of the philanthropic gift.

Oxford Financial Group

Headquartered in Indianapolis, this firm provides financial advisory services to family and institutional clients.

Kelley School of Business

This is the business school at Indiana University that will see its graduate division renamed following the donation.

The details

Founded by Thomasson at age 23 with a master's essay as his original business plan, Oxford Financial Group grew through his practice of conducting roughly 1,000 client meetings annually. The donation serves to solidify a legacy for the firm's founder, who launched his venture with $20,000 in debt.

Jeff Thomasson founded the Oxford Financial Group in 1981.
Charitable donations to education totaled $92 billion in 2025.
Indiana University announced the $100 million gift in September 2026.

Market Landscape

The Thomassons' gift reflects the ongoing trend of large-scale private philanthropy to higher education, which saw $92 billion in charitable donations to education in 2025. This move cements Oxford Financial Group's status as a major regional player while aligning corporate success with academic institutional growth.

Students and faculty at the Kelley School of Business will see expanded resources and new naming conventions following the donation. For the public, this gift highlights the role of major private wealth in sustaining higher education funding models in Indiana.

The takeaway

This donation illustrates how successful private sector leaders often channel their business growth back into the institutions that provided their initial training. Readers may note that even with shifting public confidence in higher education, institutional naming rights remain a primary vehicle for legacy-focused philanthropy.