NEW YORK, October 13, 2026 — The Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY) and the Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education today announced a $1,050,000 donation from DLFNY to the Nuckolls Fund, to be paid over the next three years. The gift — unanimously approved by the DLFNY board — is the largest in the Fund’s history and is believed to be the largest single donation ever made to lighting education.
“We are deeply grateful for this extraordinary commitment from the DLFNY,” said Dan Blitzer, President of the Nuckolls Fund. “The donation will boost the Fund’s endowment and support its three core initiatives: grants to university lighting programs, support for lighting faculty, and scholarships, including the new Paul M. Marantz Lighting Design Scholarship. We expect to expand our activities by more than 50% as we deploy these new funds.”
The commitment builds on years of partnership between the two organizations. “The DLFNY has long been the single largest donor to the Nuckolls Fund and a significant supporter of lighting education in our own right,” said Jennifer Mason, President of the DLFNY. “Our missions and priorities are well aligned, and we value the Fund’s strong financial discipline.”
Charles Stone, a member of the Nuckolls Fund board and champion of the Marantz Scholarship, described how discussions began with his successful fundraising and the pressing need to increase support for lighting education. He urged continuing support, “Our industry seriously needs young professionals to support design, manufacturing, sales, and research. Education helps form them, but it takes resources.”
Shaun Fillion, Chair of the DLFNY Community Investment Committee and Director of the MPS Lighting Design program at the New York School of Design, noted that Nuckolls Fund support does more than sustain university lighting programs — it helps draw students to them in the first place.
Blitzer closed with a challenge to the wider industry: “We are building on the success of the Marantz fundraising campaign to show how we can radically raise expectations and — most importantly — stimulate action. This major donation certainly does that.”
About the Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education
The Nuckolls Fund, founded in 1988, supports university-level lighting education and student scholarships. Supported by donations from the lighting community, the Fund has distributed over two million dollars since its inception. www.nuckollsfund.org
About the Designers Lighting Forum of New York
The Designers Lighting Forum of New York is an organization dedicated to exploring the power of light in design and the latest in lighting innovation and education. In addition to monthly activities, The DLFNY operates LEDucation and The Beacon Awards. www.dlfny.org.
