Even as critics charge that the STEM skills gap is exaggerated, big gifts keep flowing to schools to bolster their STEM programs. Who are the funders behind this endless gusher of cash? And what’s motivating them to make such large donations?
Read MoreDespite funders' interest in equity across higher ed, we've seen few major grants earmarked for boosting faculty diversity in the liberal arts. Why is this? And how are some fundraisers integrating this goal within larger diversity and inclusion efforts?
Read MoreA gift out of Oregon provides another example of a donor motivated by a bold fundraising campaign, and digging deep for the liberal arts. But even as the cash rolls in, demographic shifts among alumni are pushing schools to recalibrate their pitch for liberal arts initiatives.
Read MoreWhile there’s no shortage of tech, corporate and institutional funders providing support to boost gender equity in STEM across higher ed, we see few gifts flowing from female alumnae engineers. A gift to UCLA is an exception worth looking at more closely.
Read MoreWhile the higher ed fundraising boom has lifted many boats, university employees often find themselves squeezed by flat wages and escalating housing costs. Some donors are paying attention to these larger equity issues. Will others follow?
Read MoreEven as the effects of climate change have become more visible and devastating, few higher ed donors prioritize this issue. Which is why a $50 million gift to Penn earmarked for research on energy is both anomalous and encouraging.
Read MoreAs rank-and-file alumni give at lower levels, and big gifts become more integral to university fundraising plans, we’re seeing an uptick in disputes between aggrieved donors and recipient schools. But these fights can play out in a very different ways.
Read MoreIt seems like every week brings news of a regional school meeting an ambitious fundraising goal months, if not years, ahead of schedule. This isn’t a coincidence. We dig into a textbook case from Houston, a city with a famously robust philanthropic culture.
Read MoreHampshire College was founded in the 1960s in an effort to reinvent higher education. Now, like other similar institutions, the school is facing a financial crisis that threatens its existence. So far, foundations have shown little interest in coming to its rescue.
Read MoreDespite some recent progress, Hollywood has a long way to go on diversity. An expanded partnership between an L.A.-based art gallery and film school shows that funders aren’t waiting for the industry to take the lead in this area.
Read MoreThe tech sector is growing, but the diversity of its workforce has lagged behind. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has joined the growing ranks of funders taking on this challenge, with a big gift to change who’s in the talent pipeline for Silicon Valley jobs.
Read MoreWarnings about the risks posed by technology have been growing louder and more urgent. But an initiative launched last month imagines a more hopeful future in which technologists advance the public interest. Who’s behind it, and what’s the plan?
Read MoreThe latest installment in the higher ed artificial intelligence gold rush finds a corporate funder backing new research on health and AI. Other campus donors will likely follow, even as some experts warn that this new technology could exacerbate health inequities.
Read MoreThanks in part to donor dollars, Los Angeles, according to the New York Times, now has America’s most exciting arts scene. One overlooked driver of the city’s arts boom is alumni support for the arts at universities across the region, including Pomona College.
Read MoreDriven by a potent mix of nostalgia, market demand and the real value of an immersive education, some donors remain enamored with the residential college experience. We dig into the latest big gift to ensure that students can enjoy life on the quad
Read MoreIt may sound counter-intuitive at first, but some of the biggest patrons for university arts initiatives hail from the world of high finance. A closer look at a $100 million gift to Harvard reveals some conceptual and practical reasons for this.
Read MoreWhile the impulse of funders to bankroll that next medical breakthrough is as strong as ever, growing health disparities help to explain a surge in giving for campus public health initiatives. We dig into the latest big gift in this burgeoning field.
Read MoreThe healthcare sector plays a huge role in local economies and American life broadly. Equipped with donor dollars, more universities are looking to get in on the action by creating or expanding health schools. A case in point is a recent big gift to Loyola in Chicago.
Read MoreA trustee and major donor to Gettysburg College resigned after a 38-year-old photo emerged of him dressed as a television character sporting a Nazi armband. With donors facing new scrutiny on highly charged college campuses, should alumni think twice before cutting that next big check?
Read MoreWhile donors are giving big to provide disadvantaged students access to elite colleges, the real work often begins once the student arrives on campus. A big gift to an Ivy League school will scale a successful initiative to help first-gen students adjust to college life.
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