January 29, 2024 The Dollar Amounts Are Historic, But Here’s Why We’re Really Bullish About Two Recent HBCU Gifts January 29, 2024/ Mike Scutari Spelman College and the UNCF received $100 million apiece in recent weeks. We dig into the common ingredients in each donation, and why they’re an encouraging sign for the HBCU field as a whole. Read More
January 18, 2024 Culture Wars On Campus Are Raging, and Megadonors Are Key Figures on the Battlefield January 18, 2024/ Mike Scutari On the heels of Harvard President Claudine Gay’s resignation, activists are pivoting to hot-button issues like dismantling DEI programs. Major donors have played a key role, and will likely continue to do so. Read More
January 04, 2024 Ed Donors Take Note: Scholarships Have to Amount to More Than Just Feel-Good Stories January 04, 2024/ Mike Nylund, Guest Contributor According to guest author Mike Nylund, scholarships as they’re currently awarded tend to exacerbate inequities in higher ed. His argument: Donors should adopt a sharp focus on students with clear financial need.Read More
January 03, 2024 After a Trailblazing Career in Tech, a Donor Couple Boosts Black History, Higher Ed and More January 03, 2024/ Ade Adeniji Drawing wealth from a successful run as an IBM engineer, Rodney C. Adkins and wife Michelle Adkins are big backers of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, along with universities and STEM education.Read More
November 30, 2023 A Look Back at the Giving of Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's Right-Hand Man November 30, 2023/ Philip Rojc The legacy of the late Charlie Munger, second-in-command at Berkshire Hathaway, will be closely connected to that of his business partner. But his philanthropic record was quite different from Warren Buffett’s.Read More
November 20, 2023 A Closer Look at the Philanthropy of First Wave Tech Billionaire John Morgridge and His Family November 20, 2023/ Mike Scutari The former Cisco CEO hails from the generation of givers who made their fortunes in tech’s first wave. We dig into his family’s grantmaking and meet the heirs who’ll carry that philanthropy forward.Read More
November 08, 2023 What Does the Billionaire Donor Revolt at Ivy League Schools Mean for Higher Ed Philanthropy? November 08, 2023/ Mike Scutari Affluent donors have threatened to withhold support to protest school administrators’ responses to the Israel-Hamas war, among other related issues. We dig into its potential implications for the field.Read More
October 23, 2023 Big Giving, Low Profile: Digging into the Philanthropy of the Billionaire Chan Family October 23, 2023/ Mike Scutari While they have a penchant for higher ed mega-gifts, billionaire businessmen Ronnie and Gerald Chan keep things fairly low key with their Morningside Foundation. Here’s a look at the family’s backstory and the brothers’ priorities.Read More
September 13, 2023 Why This Major Antipoverty Funder Is Ramping Up Its Investment in HBCUs September 13, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Against the backdrop of rising funder interest and a controversial Supreme Court decision, the big-donor funding collaborative Blue Meridian Partners is tripling its investment in the HBCU Transformation Project.Read More
August 10, 2023 “A More Even Playing Field.” How Would the End of Legacy Admissions Impact Alumni Giving? August 10, 2023/ Mike Scutari Across the country, it’s looking as if the days of legacy preferences may be numbered. Will ending the policy hurt revenues, or bring about a welcome change in the higher ed fundraising landscape? Read More
August 10, 2023 The Wealthy Donors Behind the Assault on Affirmative Action August 10, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The campaign against affirmative action isn’t a lonely crusade by a committed activist and a band of disgruntled students; it’s an organized effort bankrolled by a powerful network of conservative funders.Read More
July 31, 2023 HBCU Moves: Seven Questions for Mildred Whittier, Spelman College Alumna and Fundraiser July 31, 2023/ Ade Adeniji Mildred Whittier helped launch Women for Golden Futures, a fundraising effort to support her alma mater Spelman College. We heard from her about the initiative, her history with Spelman, and how HBCUs can pull in more funding.Read More
July 28, 2023 Don't Leave Home Without It: A Quick Look at Ken Chenault's Philanthropy July 28, 2023/ Ade Adeniji The longtime American Express chief was one of the first Black CEOs of a Fortune 500 firm. Chenault backs a range of causes alongside his wife Kathryn, with HBCUs and arts and culture looming large.Read More
July 25, 2023 Nine Ways Funders Can Increase Diversity in Higher Ed in a World Without Affirmative Action July 25, 2023/ Mike Scutari The Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action sent a shockwave throughout higher ed philanthropy. Leaders in the field offer a to-do list to help fellow funders carry out their missions in this new legal landscape.Read More
July 24, 2023 Who Are the Top Black Donors to HBCUs? July 24, 2023/ Ade Adeniji HBCUs are poised to become a larger philanthropic cause following the Supreme Court ruling rejecting affirmative action. But for years, Black donors have been among their largest backers. Here are some of the biggest donors.Read More
July 18, 2023 Charles Barkley Made a Big Commitment to Diversity in Higher Ed. What Drives His Giving? July 18, 2023/ Ade Adeniji This basketball and broadcasting star has been supporting higher ed and other causes for years. The Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action ruling influenced one of his biggest commitments to date. Read More
July 14, 2023 This Billionaire Heiress and Her Husband Have a Huge Philanthropic Footprint in Their Hometown July 14, 2023/ Mike Scutari Ronda Stryker and William Johnston are frequent mega-donors with a foundation that’s laser-focused on Kalamazoo, Michigan. Big as the numbers are on paper, there’s reason to think their local support extends far further.Read More
June 29, 2023 A Philanthropic Push to Diversify the Ranks of Researchers in Economics and Other Social Sciences June 29, 2023/ Paul Karon The Russell Sage Foundation's Pipeline Grants Competition, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, promotes the careers of diverse academics who study economic opportunity, equality and social mobility.Read More
June 26, 2023 This Megadonor Couple’s Latest Gift to a Favored University Follows Past Criticism June 26, 2023/ Paul Karon Henry and Susan Samueli are continuing their tradition of big giving to UC Irvine. But their support for the school hasn’t always been free of controversy, highlighting concerns over megadonor influence in higher ed.Read More
June 14, 2023 Eight Questions for Jacob Fraire, President of ECMC Foundation June 14, 2023/ Michelle Dominguez In February, Jacob Fraire took the helm at this L.A.-based, national higher ed funder. We spoke with Fraire about growing up in a family of migrant farmworkers, his path to college, and the meaning of strategic philanthropy. Read More