June 06, 2023 Philanthropy Contributes to “Wealth Stratification” in Higher Ed. Can it Help Close the Gap? June 06, 2023/ Mike Scutari The wealth gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” in higher ed continues to grow at an alarming rate. A new book looks at how how trustees at wealthy schools — and their alumni — can reverse the trend.Read More
June 05, 2023 New Funder Survey Explores the State of Ed Philanthropy and Where It’s Headed June 05, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Last week, Grantmakers for Education released the results of its first national survey of ed funders since the pandemic. We caught up with co-Interim Executive Director Ulcca Joshi Hansen to discuss the results.Read More
June 02, 2023 Jim and Marilyn Simons Just Doubled a Public University's Endowment. More Mega Gifts to Come? June 02, 2023/ Paul Karon The megadonor couple just committed $500 million to Stony Brook University in New York. Is this a sign of more huge gifts down the road? And can other states learn from New York’s higher ed endowment matching program?Read More
May 30, 2023 Universities Get Big Bucks, Climate Does Not. But Recent Gifts Show Growing Crossover May 30, 2023/ Michael Kavate Does a series of recent awards for climate-related university projects suggest a promising fundraising trend amid a planetary crisis, or is this just a case of more of the same?Read More
May 24, 2023 “Rockstar Successful.” Why Early Ed Funders Are Backing This Unique Approach to Training Educators May 24, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen One thing holding back the American early childhood education system is a serious teacher shortage. EDvance is making the required education more accessible, drawing support from the Heising-Simons Foundation and others.Read More
May 24, 2023 Carlyle Crew: A Closer Look at Daniel A. D'Aniello's Giving for Higher Ed, Mental Health and More May 24, 2023/ Ade Adeniji One of the founders of the investment giant Carlyle Group, D'Aniello and his wife Gayle have made some big gifts for higher ed, spirituality and Catholic causes, and a leading conservative think tank. Here’s a rundown.Read More
May 24, 2023 Hillel Celebrates 100 Years — and Rallies Some Major Jewish Donors May 24, 2023/ Simone Ellin The popular Jewish student organization Hillel is marking a century in operation with an ambitious fundraising campaign. The effort has raised more than $100 million to bolster its work at a critical time.Read More
May 22, 2023 On the Ground with the Ballmer Group, One of LA's Leading Antipoverty Funders May 22, 2023/ Wendy Paris Over the past few years, Steve and Connie Ballmer have continued ramping up their commitments in Los Angeles. We took a deep dive into how a vast tech fortune is being put to use to scale up local economic mobility.Read More
May 19, 2023 With Its First Major Grant, a New Foundation Tackles Rural Healthcare Access May 19, 2023/ Martha Ramirez After selling her company and starting the Barr-Campbell Family Foundation, a UC Berkeley alum awarded the university $10 million to launch an ambitious master’s degree program focused on rural healthcare.Read More
May 18, 2023 “You Can’t Pick and Choose.” A Revealing Look at Why Leaders Accept Toxic Donations May 18, 2023/ Mike Scutari Unlike most nonprofit leaders who’ve received toxic gifts, Bard President Leon Botstein has clearly laid out his reasons for soliciting donations from Jeffrey Epstein. We suspect he isn’t the only decision-maker who thinks this way.Read More
May 11, 2023 An Audacious Effort to Transform the Foster Care System Gets a Big Funding Boost May 11, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Think of Us has a bold mission: to transform the foster care system from the ground up. The organization’s approach, which elevates those with lived experience, landed a major haul from The Audacious Project and others. Read More
May 10, 2023 The Huge Philanthropic Gift at the Heart of a Major University Initiative to Advance Computing May 10, 2023/ Paul Karon A $260 million gift from the Lord Foundation of California to USC seeded a billion-dollar, campus-wide effort to reshape technology research and teaching. It’s part of a unique windfall of funds that boosted four universities.Read More
May 04, 2023 “Hope, But Not Success.” Foundations Dug Deep for HBCUs in 2020, but Funding Gap Far From Closed May 04, 2023/ Mike Scutari A new report shows that after years of underinvestment, HBCUs saw a bump in support during 2020. Such schools have a long way to go toward funding parity, however, and the report’s authors are calling for lasting commitments. Read More
May 03, 2023 A South Florida Real Estate Couple Come Out of the Gates Strong With an Active New Foundation May 03, 2023/ Ade Adeniji Matt and Lisa Allen derive their wealth from real estate behemoth Related Group. Their family has been donating to hospitals and universities for a while, but recently formalized their giving. Here’s an early look.Read More
May 02, 2023 The Education Culture Wars Are Only Growing Fiercer. These Funders Are Fighting Back May 02, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen A handful of philanthropies are supporting grassroots efforts to push back against well-funded attacks on public education. They’re hoping more funders will take a stand.Read More
April 25, 2023 What Has Hedge Fund Billionaire David Tepper Been Up to Lately? Here’s a Rundown of His Giving April 25, 2023/ Ade Adeniji David Tepper, founder of Appaloosa Management, is worth $18.5 billion, and has a growing philanthropic footprint that spans New York and New Jersey, South Florida, and the Carolinas. Here are some key causes and grants.Read More
April 13, 2023 What's Really in a Name? Ken Griffin's Latest $300 Million Joins a Crowded Landscape of Branded Gifts April 13, 2023/ Philip Rojc The billionaire’s mega-gift to Harvard isn’t his first such commitment, and it’s one of an endless array of higher ed naming gifts. The practice may be ubiquitous, but that’s all the more reason it should be questioned.Read More
April 06, 2023 Seven Questions for Henry Luce Foundation President and CEO Mariko Silver April 06, 2023/ Mike Scutari This funder supports universities, policy institutes, media organizations and museums. We check in with the foundation’s leader to discuss her career trajectory, advice for fundraisers and more.Read More
April 06, 2023 How the Ballmers Aim to Build and Diversify the Early Ed Workforce in Washington State April 06, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The foundation of this billionaire donor couple has made early childhood education a priority, most recently in an effort to strengthen the struggling early educator workforce through a mix of strategies. Read More
April 04, 2023 A Conversation With Sushma Raman, the New President and CEO of Heising-Simons Foundation April 04, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen This Bay Area funder moved $155 million last year for a mix of science, education, climate and more. We talked to the head of the foundation about her plans, the state of philanthropy, and what she likes to do in her free time.Read More