March 31, 2023

Forgive, Forget, Receive: Why (Most) Toxic Donors Get a Second Chance

March 31, 2023/ Mike Scutari

A year after South Dakota declined to press charges against T. Denny Sanford, organizations have welcomed the billionaire back into the fold. We look at the complex calculus that goes into accepting support from “toxic” donors.

August 12, 2019

There's an Institute for That? Behind a $100 Million Gift to Explore the Neurobiology of Compassion

August 12, 2019/ Paul Karon

The latest in Denny Sanford’s string of big gifts finds the credit card billionaire underwriting a new institute at University of California San Diego to research empathy and reshape medical training to benefit doctors and patients.

February 01, 2018

A Billionaire, Intent on "Dying Broke," Keeps the Big Gifts Flowing

February 01, 2018/ Mike Scutari

South Dakota businessman and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, 82, has long said he aims to dispose of his fortune in his lifetime. His most recent flurry of giving suggests he is very much a man of his word.

September 07, 2017

Are Gifts for Cybersecurity the Next Gold Rush for Campus Fundraisers?

September 07, 2017/ Mike Scutari

With many cybersecurity jobs going unfilled, higher ed has a key role to play in closing a growing skills gap, and some donors are stepping forward to lend a hand. We look at a major gift off the beaten track.

March 11, 2014

Interested in Denny Sanford’s Money? Be Direct

March 11, 2014/ IP Staff

There are no strings attached to Sanford's money, no bean counters, no application process fraught with red tape. Sanford’s inbox is always open for proposals, especially from children’s organizations and hospitals, which he reads himself. If he likes you, he’ll write you a check—likely, a very big check—from his personal checking account. But how do you catch his eye?