In an increasingly competitive higher ed landscape, donors are ramping up support for universities' efforts to recruit "superstar" professors. We dig into a recent gift to Wharton from a Wall Street billionaire.
Read MoreMarc J. Leder went to Penn on student loans, and hasn’t forgotten the school that gave him his start. We talk with Leder about his recent seven-figure gifts to his alma mater and his philanthropic mission overall.
Read MoreIt’s not just foundations that are channelling new funds to democracy work. Rising anxiety about the future of American civic life is also sparking university giving in this space—including recent donations to UVA.
Read MoreThe University of Alabama eclipses its previous annual fundraising tally by over $100 million thanks to a growing donor base, two mega-gifts in short succession, and an ambitious athletic capital campaign. We unpack the story.
Read MoreMIT is making its largest structural change since the 1950s, fueled in part by a historic gift from Stephen Schwarzman of $350 million. The campaign underscores a number of trends in academia and philanthropy amid a surge of interest in AI.
Read MoreWinthrop Rockefeller moved to Arkansas in 1953, and his philanthropic legacy continues to this day, most recently with a $100 million commitment to a University of Arkansas-based think tank from a trust he established at his death that’s now set to wind down.
Read MorePurdue University in Indiana is yet another heartland school on a fundraising roll, with some of its new resources underwriting a building boom on campus—including a recent $30 million gift for a top-notch hotel.
Read MoreAs arts funders remain laser-focused on equity—both in terms of representation and access—the Walton Family Foundation makes another big gift towards diversifying the ranks of museum leaders.
Read MoreThe startling ramp-up of the Kansas City-based Sunderland Foundation is further testament to the explosion of regional philanthropy. Many of these funders embrace big capital projects as they work to boost their home cities or alma maters.
Read MoreThe largest gift in Western State Colorado University’s history looks to boost access to STEM education in a fast-growing part of the country where demand for the skill set is inordinately high.
Read MoreA couple of years ago, Detroit's Marygrove College was running out of cash. Now, it's the fulcrum of a big push by the Kresge Foundation to use a higher ed institution to drive place-based development.
Read MoreThere are more super-wealthy Americans than ever who didn’t go to schools like Harvard or Stanford. They went to places like Michigan State University. And they haven’t forgotten where they got their start.
Read MoreAs regional giving continues to reshape the higher ed landscape, we’re seeing greater support for the highbrow performing arts at universities far from the familiar urban enclaves. Here’s an instructive case study.
Read MoreThe effort of a wealthy tech entrepreneur to transform San Antonio is another example of “destination philanthropy,” as big donors step up place-based giving, often in partnership with local universities.
Read MoreA while back, the University of Arizona reached a $1.5 billion campaign goal two years early. But the gifts kept coming in, highlighting the advantages of "always on" higher ed fundraising.
Read MoreConfronting the perception that its $60,000 price tag puts it out of reach for most families, St. John’s College’s $300 million fundraising campaign focuses on slashing tuition and eschews costly capital projects.
Read MoreFor decades, Philip Anschutz's extensive giving has unfolded below the radar. Now, tapping a $12.5 billion fortune, he’s stepping things up—and stepping out publicly, including with a $120 million gift to the University of Colorado.
Read MoreWhile combating disinformation has become a big focus of journalism funders, others are keen to revitalize local media, which they view as a key to strong democracy. We drill into a major new gift in Indiana.
Read MoreThe Oregon Community Foundation is the top grantmaker in its state and one of the biggest community foundations in the U.S. It also funds one of the largest private scholarship programs of its kind in the nation.
Read MoreDespite growing research pointing to the dubious financial benefits of a big-time college football program, donors remain bullish on the sport. We dig into a historic gift to the University of Illinois to see why.
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