A recent survey from Ruffalo Noel Levitz painted a dire picture for university fundraisers regarding millennial alumni giving. Less than a quarter of college fundraisers reported an increase in giving from this coveted demographic. About half of … [Read more...] about Lost Generation: How Can Fundraisers Effectively Engage Debt-Ridden Millennial Alumni?
ECMC Foundation
Another Huge Gift Finds Donors Responding to Surging Demand for Engineering Grads
Writing in The Conversation last year, Case Western Reserve University’s Peter E. Knox argued that “There’s simply no evidence that the U.S. lacks the scientists or engineers it needs, as many donors claim.”Donors, however, disagree. What’s more, … [Read more...] about Another Huge Gift Finds Donors Responding to Surging Demand for Engineering Grads
As Another Big University Gift Goes Wrong, What Are Some Key Takeaways?
In early June, the University of Alabama’s chancellor called on the school to return more than $21 million to non-alumnus donor and real estate executive Hugh Culverhouse Jr., whom it accused of persistent meddling in administrative affairs. On June … [Read more...] about As Another Big University Gift Goes Wrong, What Are Some Key Takeaways?
PayPal Gives: What a Silicon Valley Firm is Doing to Help Close the “Opportunity Divide”
For some, PayPal is a quick and easy way to send and receive money, but for a while now, the company has stressed the importance of trying to democratize financial services. There are nearly 2 billion unbanked people around the world. PayPal sees … [Read more...] about PayPal Gives: What a Silicon Valley Firm is Doing to Help Close the “Opportunity Divide”
Parting Ways: Why a University Wants to Return a Donor’s $21.5 Million Gift
The chancellor of the University of Alabama system is calling for the return of more than $21 million donated to its Tuscaloosa law school a few months ago. At the heart of the matter is a rift between the university and donor Hugh Culverhouse Jr., … [Read more...] about Parting Ways: Why a University Wants to Return a Donor’s $21.5 Million Gift
The Perils of “Easy Money.” Philanthropy’s Role in Amplifying—and Fixing—the Student Debt Crisis
Purdue University alumnus John Krenicki Jr. and his wife Donna recently gave the school a $5 million gift earmarked for a business analytics center in the Krannert School of Management. The gift, which will be used to generate an additional $5 … [Read more...] about The Perils of “Easy Money.” Philanthropy’s Role in Amplifying—and Fixing—the Student Debt Crisis
Name and Shame: A New Initiative Tracks Undue Donor Influence at Universities
One of the more problematic byproducts of the higher ed fundraising boom is the proliferation of “strings-attached” gifts in which a donor is given a say in university decision-making, potentially jeopardizing an institution’s academic independence … [Read more...] about Name and Shame: A New Initiative Tracks Undue Donor Influence at Universities
Dept. of Mega-Gifts: An Alumni Couple Cements Their Philanthropic Legacy
The ongoing higher ed fundraising boom is built on the proliferation of “mega-gifts”—those loosely defined as exceeding $10 million—flowing to ambitious fundraising campaigns from alumni seeking to secure their philanthropic legacy. News out of … [Read more...] about Dept. of Mega-Gifts: An Alumni Couple Cements Their Philanthropic Legacy
Chasing Financial Health: A Top Bank’s Latest Investment in Underserved Communities
Many people found the Federal Reserve’s 2018 study on the financial well-being of U.S. households surprising. It concluded that a full 40 percent of adults were unable to cover an unexpected expense of $400 dollars without borrowing or selling … [Read more...] about Chasing Financial Health: A Top Bank’s Latest Investment in Underserved Communities
All Too Rare: A Gift Underscores a Persistent Lack of Support for Community Colleges
I recently had the opportunity to speak with musician, record producer and artist Herb Alpert, who has supported over 90 organizations throughout his 30 years in philanthropy. Alpert told me that the gift that generated the most positive feedback was … [Read more...] about All Too Rare: A Gift Underscores a Persistent Lack of Support for Community Colleges
“Awestruck.” Behind a Regional Funder’s Historic Gift to a Public University’s Engineering School
One of the more compelling narratives in the higher ed fundraising boom sweeping the country finds universities raising piles of cash to support engineering programs. Donors have earmarked millions for some of the nation’s most elite engineering … [Read more...] about “Awestruck.” Behind a Regional Funder’s Historic Gift to a Public University’s Engineering School
“Changes are Incremental.” How are Liberal Arts Funders Working to Boost Faculty Diversity?
The Charlotte-based Duke Endowment recently awarded $4 million to Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences to hire up to six junior- to senior-level faculty scholars with expertise in African, Asian-American and Latinx studies.University … [Read more...] about “Changes are Incremental.” How are Liberal Arts Funders Working to Boost Faculty Diversity?
“What Makes Human Beings Human.” A Higher Ed Fundraising Boom is Boosting the Liberal Arts
In a post about a big liberal arts gift to San Francisco State University, I wrote that the field has benefited mightily from the higher ed fundraising boom in which American colleges and universities raised a record $46.7 billion in 2018. The … [Read more...] about “What Makes Human Beings Human.” A Higher Ed Fundraising Boom is Boosting the Liberal Arts
As Wealthy Donors Fuel Campus Growth, What About Low-Wage Workers and Local Residents?
Do donors have a responsibility to see that low-wage workers reap some of the rewards of a higher ed fundraising boom in which American colleges and universities raised a record $46.7 billion in 2018? Should they be worried about the negative impact … [Read more...] about As Wealthy Donors Fuel Campus Growth, What About Low-Wage Workers and Local Residents?
A Tale of Two Donors: Disputed Gifts Underscore the Growing Complexity of Higher Ed Fundraising
As 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.Donors have withheld funds to protest administrators’ … [Read more...] about A Tale of Two Donors: Disputed Gifts Underscore the Growing Complexity of Higher Ed Fundraising
“We Always Dream Big.” Another Public University Blows Past a Bold Fundraising Goal
A recent survey from the Council for Advancement and Support Education found that American colleges and universities raised a record $46.7 billion in fiscal 2018—a 7.2 percent increase over 2017. A litany of familiar drivers explains this historic … [Read more...] about “We Always Dream Big.” Another Public University Blows Past a Bold Fundraising Goal
Tough Love From Funders as Radical Colleges Flunk Traditional Financing Model
Next year was supposed to be a happy one for Hampshire College, with the small but high-profile liberal arts college in Western Massachusetts set to mark the half-century since it welcomed its first class in 1970. But over this past winter, a … [Read more...] about Tough Love From Funders as Radical Colleges Flunk Traditional Financing Model
On the Edge: A Big Campus Gift Helps Explain Why the L.A. Arts Scene is So Exciting
Recently writing in the New York Times, Jason Farago proclaimed that thanks to its expanding museums and scrappy galleries, Los Angeles now has “America’s most exciting” arts scene.Farago confirmed what leading arts patrons like Eli Broad, David … [Read more...] about On the Edge: A Big Campus Gift Helps Explain Why the L.A. Arts Scene is So Exciting
Timeless Appeal: Another Alumnus Donor Makes the Case for the Residential College Experience
Our most recent installment of big-time higher ed regional philanthropy comes to us from South Bend, Indiana, where John Baumer and his wife, Mollie, gave $20 million to the University of Notre Dame for the construction of a new residence hall to be … [Read more...] about Timeless Appeal: Another Alumnus Donor Makes the Case for the Residential College Experience
Tried and True: Why Financier Mega-Donors Remain Reliable Supporters of the Liberal Arts
Despite surging interest in areas like STEM education, artificial intelligence and expensive new medical and research facilities, a reliable segment of higher ed donors will always support the liberal arts.That’s one big takeaway from Cambridge, … [Read more...] about Tried and True: Why Financier Mega-Donors Remain Reliable Supporters of the Liberal Arts
In Good Health: Another Campus Gift Finds an Alumni Couple Attuned to Market Demand
Reporting on a $20 million gift to fund a new health school at Loyola University by former Baxter International CEO Robert Parkinson and his wife Elizabeth, Crain’s Chicago Business described the commitment as a means to “underwrite new offerings in … [Read more...] about In Good Health: Another Campus Gift Finds an Alumni Couple Attuned to Market Demand
“The Past is Never Dead.” In a Campus Controversy, a Cautionary Tale for Alumni Donors
Back in 2016, I looked at how some alumni held back gifts to protest college administrators’ inability or unwillingness to stand up to what donors saw as political correctness run amok. We’ve also seen universities grapple with how to handle toxic … [Read more...] about “The Past is Never Dead.” In a Campus Controversy, a Cautionary Tale for Alumni Donors
Making the Transition: A Gift to Acclimate First-Time Students to an Elite University
One of the hottest trends in higher ed funding right now finds donors looking to expand accessibility to elite colleges.Michael Bloomberg famously gave Johns Hopkins University $1.8 billion for financial aid. A few months later, the Perelman Family … [Read more...] about Making the Transition: A Gift to Acclimate First-Time Students to an Elite University
Too Much Power? A Closer Look at a Controversy Around Donor Influence on Campus
As universities increasingly turn to private dollars to secure transformative and headline-grabbing mega-gifts, we’ve seen rising concerns about “strings attached” philanthropy whereby a donor demands a say in an institution’s hiring, administrative … [Read more...] about Too Much Power? A Closer Look at a Controversy Around Donor Influence on Campus
“One Step Closer.” What We Can Learn From a Big Campus Gift for a Burgeoning Niche Field
A recent survey from the Council for Advancement and Support Education found that American colleges and universities raised a record $46.7 billion in fiscal 2018—a 7.2 percent increase over 2017. The rise is driven in part by donors who, having made … [Read more...] about “One Step Closer.” What We Can Learn From a Big Campus Gift for a Burgeoning Niche Field
A Public University Mega-Gift Raises Questions Concerning Donor Influence and Equity
The University of Virginia (UVA) recently netted a $120 million gift—the largest in its 200-year history—from the foundation of alumnus Jaffray Woodriff to establish a School of Data Science. The school, according to UVA, will position the university … [Read more...] about A Public University Mega-Gift Raises Questions Concerning Donor Influence and Equity
Community Colleges Offer an Upward Path to Needy Students. Will More Donors Pay Attention?
Recent gifts by Michael Bloomberg and Ron Perelman have raised a critical question across higher ed philanthropy: What’s the best way for donors to send economically disadvantaged students to elite institutions?Bloomberg opted to allocate $1.8 … [Read more...] about Community Colleges Offer an Upward Path to Needy Students. Will More Donors Pay Attention?
A Rising Tide: How the Higher Ed Fundraising Boom Lifts the Liberal Arts
Proponents of a liberal arts education have a right to be skittish in today’s higher ed fundraising landscape.Schools continue to raise mountains of cash for STEM-related causes. Mega-donors are turning their attention to financial aid and the … [Read more...] about A Rising Tide: How the Higher Ed Fundraising Boom Lifts the Liberal Arts
“Paying the Way Forward.” Another Big Campus Gift for Financial Aid
While Michael Bloomberg’s $1.8 billion gift to Johns Hopkins University last year grabbed headlines due to its size, commentators also called attention to the gift’s unusual focus. In a higher ed space in which donors remain infatuated with … [Read more...] about “Paying the Way Forward.” Another Big Campus Gift for Financial Aid
The Best Return on Investment: How a Campus Donor from Finance Sees His Philanthropy
Phil and Mary Beth Canfield’s $20 million gift to the University of Texas Austin’s (UT) Business Honors Program at the McCombs School of Business is yet another example of a deep-pocketed donor giving back to his alma mater. It also provides an … [Read more...] about The Best Return on Investment: How a Campus Donor from Finance Sees His Philanthropy
