The International Boxing Hall of Fame is asking the boxing community for money again. The Canastota, New York museum posted a fall letter of appeal on Wednesday, citing the same pressures that have been squeezing the building since the pandemic: costs going up, foot traffic going down once induction weekend is over.

“The IBHOF is issuing a fall appeal for donations to help offset rising utility expenses, cost of goods and services along with lower admission and gift shop income during the off season,” the Hall said in its announcement. “Together we can keep the magic alive in Canastota.”

This is not the first such letter. The Hall issued appeals in the fall of 2023 and again in 2024, when executive director Edward Brophy said that “worldwide inflation over the past several years has resulted in financial challenges” and that “the ongoing support from the boxing community is vital as we navigate these challenging times.” Before that, the 2020 appeal described the pandemic as the most challenging period in the Hall’s history after two straight induction weekends were cancelled and the museum was running a six-figure deficit.

The economics are simple. The Hall opened in 1989 and runs on admissions, the gift shop, and the June induction weekend, which brings thousands of fans to a village of a few thousand people off Exit 34 of the Thruway. The rest of the year, the lights stay on and the visitors mostly do not come. Heat, insurance and payroll do not take the off season off.

It lands at an odd moment for the sport. Boxing has never had more money flowing through it at the top. Saudi Arabia is bankrolling the biggest fights in the world, TKO has put the UFC machine behind a new boxing league, Netflix is paying stadium money for heavyweight fights, and the streaming rights for a single card can run into eight figures. The one building where all of that history ends up is asking fans for tax-deductible checks to cover the electric bill.

Nobody at the Hall has said that out loud, and the letter is addressed to fans, not to promoters or networks. But the fans are not the ones who got rich this year, and the Class of 2026 inductees were honored in June by an institution that is now, four months later, passing the hat. If any of the people who made real money in boxing in 2026 are looking for a cause with their name already on a plaque inside, the address is easy to find.

Donations can be made by check or money order payable to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, by phone with a credit card, or through PayPal at ibhof.com. All donations are tax deductible, and contributions can be made in the name of a boxing personality, family member or friend.