---
title: "$1.5M Gift From Fishlinger Family Foundation to Fund Entrepreneurship Center, Career Advising"
date: 2021-09-02T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/1-5m-gift-from-fishlinger-family-foundation-to-fund-entrepreneurship-center-career-advising"
section: Articles
---
# $1.5M Gift From Fishlinger Family Foundation to Fund Entrepreneurship Center, Career Advising

*September 2, 2021* — by [Pablo Suarez](/author/pablo-suarez)


> Father-Son Alums Continue Support of UMD With New Funds to Maryland Smith, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

*Masked Students 25 Aug20 701 1920x1080 — $1 million of the gift from the Fishlinger Family Foundation, including Matt '07 and William '71 Fishlinger (below), will fund the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, housed in Van Munching Hall (left), in its efforts to help students launch startups.*

The University of Maryland will receive a $1.5 million gift from the Fishlinger Family Foundation to support the Robert H. Smith School of Business’ [Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship](https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/centers/dingman-center) and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ [Joel and Kim Feller Advising and Career Center](https://fellercenter.umd.edu/).

The first $1 million of the donation is designated to help fund the Dingman Center’s programs, operations and other initiatives that help students launch their own startups. The other $500,000 will go to the Feller Center, to endow a Fishlinger director of career planning.

"It gives our family tremendous joy to continue to give back to the University of Maryland, an institution that has had a profound impact in our lives and in the lives of so many people, year after year," Matthew Fishlinger ’07 said. "I am always energized by my work with the Dingman Center, offering insights to students as they embark upon the path toward entrepreneurship.”


*Fishlingerrs*



*Feller Center*




**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Alumni](https://today.umd.edu/topic/alumni), [Philanthropy](https://today.umd.edu/topic/philanthropy), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [College of Behavioral and Social Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-behavioral-and-social-sciences), [Robert H. Smith School of Business](https://today.umd.edu/topic/robert-h-smith-school-business)