- Connects student-athletes at the University of Michigan with Ann Arbor-area nonprofit organizations to provide mission-critical service
- Hail! NIL Program provides both charitable and educational opportunities for participants to earn meaningful stipend
ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hail! Impact, a nonprofit corporation focused on accelerating name, image and likeness for student-athletes at the University of Michigan through transformational community impact, announced today the launch of the Hail! NIL Program. The program provides charitable service and educational opportunities for participants through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, and Hail! Impact’s proprietary “Leaders and Best” seminar series. Participating players will gain valuable exposure to the critical missions of nonprofits like the Humane Society of Huron Valley and Ele’s Place through providing services and engagements utilizing their name, image and likeness. Beyond charitable service, the Hail! NIL Program will feature financial literacy, business planning, legal and comprehensive NIL tools among its educational focus. Participating student-athletes will earn an equal stipend payment from Hail! Impact funded by donations in support of the program, with 90% of all donations benefiting participants and nonprofit partners. Hail! Impact previously filed a 501(c)(3) application with the Internal Revenue Service seeking a determination letter to support tax-exempt status. The Hail! NIL Program is seed funded through a Co-Founder donation commitment of $100,000.
In addition to the launch of the Hail! NIL Program, Hail! Impact announced the establishment of a nonprofit endowment inspired by key supporters of NIL efforts at Michigan. Donations to Hail! Impact will fund the Hail! NIL Program with additional amounts allocated to Hail!’s endowment per donor preference in support of funding the program and related NIL efforts for Michigan student-athletes in future periods.
Concurrently with its launch, Hail! Impact also announced a strategic partnership with Valiant Management Group (VMG), the leading NIL marketing agency servicing the University of Michigan, and its affiliated collective, the Champions Circle™. Hail! Impact and VMG will work together to harness the power of complementary offerings for donors interested in supporting NIL at the University of Michigan and student-athletes seeking to maximize NIL opportunities.
Chin Weerappuli, President and Co-Founder of Hail! Impact, Michigan alumnus and former Assistant to the Head Football Coach commented, “We are extremely proud to launch Hail! Impact in an effort to revolutionize NIL for student-athletes at Michigan. Together with our nonprofit partners and esteemed advisors, Hail! Impact seeks to provide our participants an unparalleled platform to utilize their NIL rights for incredible charitable causes and augmented educational opportunities, all while providing complete transparency for donors interested in supporting NIL at Michigan in a manner that creates a significantly positive community impact.”
Jim Harbaugh, J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach at the University of Michigan added, “Hail! Impact embodies our transformational philosophy on NIL by providing valuable service opportunities to our student-athletes while simultaneously benefiting the community we call home. Having worked closely with Chin during the 2022 championship season, I have full confidence in his team delivering a winning platform for players, nonprofit partners and donors alike.”
About Hail! Impact
Hail! Impact, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Michigan. Hail! Impact’s mission is to accelerate Name, Image and Likeness at the University of Michigan through transformational community impact. Hail! Impact’s application for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status is pending. The Hail! NIL Program is currently focused on student-athletes on the University of Michigan football team. However, Hail! Impact plans to provide donors the opportunity to support NIL for any of the varsity sports at the University of Michigan by May 1, 2023.
For more information or to donate, visit www.hailimpact.org.
Chin Weerappuli, President
Chin@hailimpact.org
