At an emotional ceremony in Arizona on the eve of Turning Point USA’s 2025 America Fest, supporters erupted in applause as Erika Kirk announced that the organization’s headquarters would officially be renamed the “Buckman Campus,” honoring the largest donors in TPUSA’s history and cementing the legacy of its late founder, Charlie Kirk.
The renaming recognizes Nelda and Karl Buckman, who donated $10 million to Turning Point USA earlier this summer. The gift, the largest the organization has ever received, was made just months before Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September. Before his death, Kirk personally told the Buckmans that he intended to rename the campus he built in gratitude for their generosity.
“You know what I loved about Charlie was he wasn’t afraid to ask,” Nelda Buckman told The Daily Wire. She said she and her husband had deep confidence in how the organization would steward the donation. “I know that it’s well invested, and I know that it’s gonna be well used. I just am so excited to have that opportunity.”
Nelda explained that the timing of the donation carried special meaning. The Buckmans had been waiting for the sale of their company to close before committing such a significant gift. When that finally happened this summer, it allowed them to give while Charlie was still alive.
“We were able to give it in June, so he knew,” she said. “It’s a joy to be able to do it, really and truly.”
The relationship between Charlie Kirk and the Buckmans stretched back years and was marked by personal connection rather than formality. Nelda recalled receiving text messages that she initially assumed came from an assistant or intern.
“I would get text messages, and I would think, ‘Oh, how neat, he’s got a great intern sending me a Bible verse,’” she said. “Then I found out, no, that was Charlie.” She said they often exchanged verses or lighthearted messages, and she was always struck by how intentional Kirk was about maintaining those relationships.
“Charlie was not too busy to reach out to the people he cared about,” she said.
In the months since his death, Nelda has grown closer to Erika Kirk, who now leads the organization while raising her children and carrying forward her husband’s mission. The two women have spent time discussing the future of TPUSA, including expansion of its high school initiative, Club America. But Nelda said their most meaningful conversations center on motherhood and culture.
“Erika and I talked about womanhood and what our culture has been teaching our young women and what we want to teach our young women,” she said.
Ahead of America Fest and the dedication ceremony, the two met privately in Florida. Nelda said the meeting allowed her to offer personal encouragement and support as Erika navigates life as a single mother, organizational leader, and steward of Charlie Kirk’s legacy.
“We’ve met several times before, but this was just, just different,” Nelda said. “She shared where she’s putting her boundaries.”
For supporters gathered at the ceremony, the renaming of the Buckman Campus was more than a tribute to generosity. It was a statement that the movement Charlie Kirk built is not retreating, but pressing forward — grounded in faith, strengthened by sacrifice, and determined to carry his vision into the next generation.
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