Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, and his wife Penny have pledged a $1.1 billion donation to the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and its Providence Heart Institute in Oregon. This contribution is aimed at establishing Oregon’s first hospital exclusively dedicated to women’s health and enhancing cardiovascular care across Providence's eight hospitals statewide. The donation represents one of the largest gifts ever made to a healthcare institution in the United States and follows a prior $2 billion donation from the Knights to the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University.

The substantial gift will fund the creation of a women’s hospital on the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center campus, featuring modern facilities such as an upgraded neonatal intensive care unit. The hospital is set to deliver integrated healthcare services encompassing gynecology, pregnancy, labor and delivery, menopause, and cardiology, thereby filling a critical niche in women's health in the region. Providence President and CEO Erik Wexler described the donation as a transformational milestone that will significantly enhance healthcare accessibility and quality in the Northwest.

The Knights have been longtime supporters of Providence, having already donated $200 million to the Providence Heart Institute over the past decade. Dr. Dan Oseran, executive medical director of the Institute, highlighted how previous philanthropy enabled the launch of a successful heart transplant program and supported physician recruitment and research efforts. This latest funding will continue fueling advancements in cardiac care by attracting top medical talent, promoting technological innovation, and backing clinical trials focused on personalized patient treatment.

Phil Knight is widely recognized for his philanthropic work and sports apparel success, having co-founded Nike with Bill Bowerman in 1964 and helped grow it into a global brand. Despite recent challenges faced by Nike, including declining sales and intensifying competition in China, Knight’s charitable contributions have remained significant. Before this new donation, Forbes estimated the couple had given approximately $4.5 billion to various charitable causes, underscoring their commitment to impactful giving beyond the business world.