Nike co-founder Phil Knight and wife Penny, worth $25 billion, have donated over $9 billion in two decades. Now they’re giving $1.1 billion for Oregon’s first women’s hospital

Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny Knight, have committed $1.1 billion to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and the Providence Heart Institute to help build Oregon’s first hospital dedicated specifically to women’s health.

The donation, announced by the medical center on Tuesday, will not be limited to the construction of the new hospital. Part of the money will also support cardiovascular care, clinical research and training programs at the Providence Heart Institute. The broader goal is to bring different areas of care together so women can receive treatment across specialties within a more integrated system.

A hospital focused on women’s health


The need for specialized care is particularly important because women's healthcare needs can change substantially throughout their lives. Patients may have to move between different specialists and care settings, sometimes making the healthcare system difficult to navigate.

“Women’s health needs change throughout life, and too often patients are asked to navigate multiple specialties and care settings on their own,” Providence St. Vincent Medical Center CEO Ray Moreno said in a statement.

He said the Knights' gift would allow Providence to bring resources together, expand access to care across Oregon and address gaps in women's healthcare.

The Knights have already maintained a long relationship with Providence. Before the latest commitment, they had given the institution more than $200 million, including a $75 million donation earlier in 2026.

Why the $1.1 billion gift matters

The donation arrives as hospitals face growing pressure from rising healthcare needs and financial constraints. More pregnant patients are also dealing with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, while healthcare providers are confronting behavioral health, addiction and other complex needs.

At the same time, healthcare organizations have faced reductions in government funding, increasing the importance of private philanthropy for some major projects.

“Resources are scarce, and healthcare is increasingly looking to philanthropy to fill in the gaps,” Dan Oseran, executive medical director of the Providence Heart Institute, told the Chronicle.

He said the donation could give the institution the ability to pursue projects that might otherwise be difficult to undertake.

Large medical institutions have historically been among the major recipients of very large philanthropic gifts. Benjamin Soskis, a historian who studies philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, said medical research and healthcare organizations are among the institutions capable of absorbing donations on this scale.

The Knights have already given away billions

The $1.1 billion commitment is only the latest addition to the Knights' extraordinary record of philanthropy. Including pledges and direct donations, the couple's charitable giving has surpassed $9 billion over the past two decades. About $2.5 billion of that amount has gone to their family foundation and donor-advised funds.

Their donations have been particularly significant in Oregon, where they have supported healthcare, education, scientific research and community development.

One of their largest healthcare commitments has gone to Oregon Health & Science University. The Knights have donated more than $2.7 billion to the institution, including a $2 billion gift announced in 2025 for the Knight Cancer Institute. They originally helped establish the institute with a $100 million donation in 2008.

Their giving has also transformed parts of the University of Oregon, Phil Knight's alma mater. The couple has contributed more than $2 billion to the university for scientific and related programs, including $500 million in 2016 to establish the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact.

In 2021, they committed another $500 million to expand research programs, construct facilities and support students and faculty.

Their philanthropy has extended beyond universities and medicine. In 2023, the couple gave $400 million to the 1803 Fund for its Rebuild Albina project in Portland, an initiative focused on restoring the economic and cultural vitality of a historically Black neighborhood.

Stanford University, where Phil Knight earned his MBA, has also received at least $580 million from the couple. Their donations there include $400 million in 2016 for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program and $105 million for the university's business school.

In 2022, they provided another $75 million to establish the Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience, which supports research into cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.


With AP Inputs