Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Paralympic Committee, speaks at an event announcing a historic fundraising initiative for the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
Spencer Fox Eccles, left, and Hope Eccles, major donors to the 2034 Winter Olympics, attend a fundraising event in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
Fraser Bullock, President and Executive Chair of Utah’s organizing committee for the 2034 Winter Olympics, speaks at a fundraising event in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at an event announcing a historic fundraising initiative for the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
Fraser Bullock, president of Utah’s organizing committee for the 2034 Winter Olympics, speaks at a fundraising event in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
Utah Olympic organizers announce 9-figure fundraising effort for 2034 Winter Games
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) 鈥 Organizers of the Salt Lake City 2034 Winter Games announced a fundraising effort on Monday that they say is the largest philanthropic campaign supporting a host city in Olympic and Paralympic history.
Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Paralympic Committee, speaks at an event announcing a historic fundraising initiative for the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) 鈥 Organizers of the Salt Lake City 2034 Winter Games announced a fundraising effort on Monday that they say is the largest philanthropic campaign supporting a host city in Olympic and Paralympic history.
The initiative, branded as Podium34, has raised more than $200 million and will fund community engagement programs surrounding the Games. It covers roughly a tenth of the $2.84 billion operating budget projected by organizers.
鈥淲e now launch what is the most impressive start to a Games this country, this world has even seen,鈥 Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said at an event celebrating the initiative.
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The announcement helps ease the worries of Olympic officials who had questioned whether the state could meet its fundraising goals just a few years after the U.S. hosts other major global sporting events.
The awarded Salt Lake City the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in July 2024, giving Utah its second Games after hosting in 2002. Utah鈥檚 capital city was the only candidate for 2034 after the Olympic committee . and high operational costs have reduced the number of cities willing and able to welcome the Winter Games.
Nine of Utah鈥檚 wealthiest families and foundations have each pledged at least $20 million over the next nine years and were named founding captains of the project. Organizers said the donations will support efforts focused on education, youth sports, mental health, arts and culture, and other programs that capture the spirit of the Games. They hope to raise $300 million from the project.
Utah’s organizing committee is required by contract to wait until after the to bring in other sources of revenue, said Fraser Bullock, president and executive chair of the Salt Lake City 2034 committee.
鈥淥ur only source of revenue is donors,” he explained. “Without you, we would not be in business. We couldn鈥檛 start.鈥
Utah organizers are planning one of the most compact layouts in Olympic history, with all venues within a one-hour drive of the athletes’ village on the University of Utah campus. The plan requires no new permanent construction, with all already in place from when the city first hosted. They have pledged not to use state tax money to host the Games, except for some funds used for maintaining Olympic venues also used by the public.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said in a video message to donors that they are 鈥渢aking the helm of something unprecedented鈥 and sending a powerful message to the world that 鈥渢ogether, we can build something greater than ourselves.鈥
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