Remembering Barbara Walters’ Philanthropy, and What to Expect Next

Remembering Barbara Walters’ Philanthropy, and What to Expect Next

An iconic journalist and TV personality, Barbara Walters was also an active philanthropist. Here’s an overview of what she supported and some details on her giving vehicle, the Dena Charitable Trust.

Read More

Why a California Health Foundation is Backing Graduate Education Loans for Dreamers

Why a California Health Foundation is Backing Graduate Education Loans for Dreamers

For young adults brought to the U.S. when they were children, paying for college can be prohibitively expensive. That’s especially true for graduate school, so Cal Wellness is backing a unique fund that provides financial aid.

Read More

With a Higher Ed Partnership, a New Foundation Is Spotlighting Indigenous History and Culture

With a Higher Ed Partnership, a New Foundation Is Spotlighting Indigenous History and Culture

The Gochman Family Foundation is a new grantmaker founded in 2021. Here’s a look at how it’s joining forces with the Open Society Foundations to launch new Indigenous arts and history programs at Bard College.

Read More

Six Funders Who Are Prioritizing Diversity in STEM Higher Ed

Six Funders Who Are Prioritizing Diversity in STEM Higher Ed

Much of the philanthropic funding for higher education in STEM still fails to address disparities in those fields. Here are a few of the grantmakers we’re tracking who have been funding DEI in STEM higher ed.

Read More

This Funder You’ve Never Heard of Is Giving Away Millions in SoCal

This Funder You’ve Never Heard of Is Giving Away Millions in SoCal

The Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Family Foundation maintains a low public profile, doesn’t have a website and quietly gives to local causes. Here are a few things Los Angeles grantseekers should know.

Read More

How Mellon Is Weaving Together Humanities and Social Justice With New Higher Ed Grants

How Mellon Is Weaving Together Humanities and Social Justice With New Higher Ed Grants

As the liberal arts stalwart leans into social justice, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Humanities for All Times initiative is supporting projects that link humanities skills to social justice pursuits at 12 colleges around the country.

Read More

What We Learned from a Deep Dive into Higher Ed Giving

What We Learned from a Deep Dive into Higher Ed Giving

We recently published an in-depth paper looking at giving to higher education institutions as part of IP’s State of American Philanthropy project. Author Mike Scutari walks through some key takeaways.

Read More

A Look at This Jewish University’s New $613 Million Fundraising Campaign

A Look at This Jewish University’s New $613 Million Fundraising Campaign

New York-based Yeshiva University is looking to expand via an ambitious new fundraising campaign with a goal inspired by the Torah. We look at what the university has planned, and some headwinds it faces.

Read More

An Award for Scholars Backing Movements Inside and Outside the Academy Walls

An Award for Scholars Backing Movements Inside and Outside the Academy Walls

Through its Freedom Scholars initiative, the Marguerite Casey Foundation recognizes academics whose work both supports and channels activist movements pushing for social justice.

Read More

Many Schools Still Use Legacy Admissions and Young Alums Want to Change That. Can They?

Many Schools Still Use Legacy Admissions and Young Alums Want to Change That. Can They?

A new initiative is calling on alumni to withhold donations until their alma maters eliminate legacy preferences. An array of demographic and financial factors will affect how institutions respond to that call in the years ahead.

Read More

Higher Ed Fundraisers Upbeat as Virtual Tactics Broaden Outreach

Higher Ed Fundraisers Upbeat as Virtual Tactics Broaden Outreach

While the pandemic has challenged higher education in many ways, it hasn't put much of a dent in the field’s long-term fundraising prospects. Fundraisers tell us how they’re staying connected with donors.

Read More

Eight Questions for Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO of the Lumina Foundation

Eight Questions for Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO of the Lumina Foundation

Jamie Merisotis leads one of the sector’s biggest education funders, the Lumina Foundation, and writes critically acclaimed books on the future of work. We chat with him about his influences, advice for nonprofits, and much more.

Read More

Funder Spotlight: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Want to Strengthen Civic Life

Funder Spotlight: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Want to Strengthen Civic Life

Dedicated to the “common assets of American life,” this national funder significantly ramped up its funding in 2020. It places colleges, religious organizations and public media outlets at the center of its grantmaking.

Read More

How a “Hidden Ivy” Eliminated Most Student Loans Thanks to Alumni Support

How a “Hidden Ivy” Eliminated Most Student Loans Thanks to Alumni Support

Colgate University has announced it will replace loans with grants for students with a family income up to $150,000. We check in with advancement officials to find out how record-breaking alumni support made it possible.

Read More