Fundraising
Trump Wants To Dismantle the Education Department. What Would That Mean for Harvard?
Since his first term in the White House, President Donald Trump has set his sights on shuttering the Department of Education. Now, as the administration has cut hundreds of millions of dollars in its funding and fired more than half of its workforce, he is getting closer to his goal.
OpenAI Donates $50 Million for AI Use in Research at Harvard, 14 Other Institutions
OpenAI donated $50 million to 15 research institutions including Harvard to fund artificial intelligence in research as part of its NextGenAI consortium project, the company announced last week.
At Summit With Donors, Top Administrators Said Harvard Would Pick Its Public Battles in Washington
Harvard Provost John F. Manning ’82 and Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra told alumni donors at a Feb. 28 talk that Harvard would sometimes be willing to take the lead in challenging orders from Washington — but was also content to strategically take the back seat.
Hoekstra Tells FAS To ‘Prepare for Significant Financial Challenges’ Amid Uncertainty From Washington
Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra told faculty on Tuesday that she has instructed FAS officials “to prepare for significant financial challenges” and “build financial capacity” as President Donald Trump ramps up threats to Harvard’s funding.
Harvard Re-Enters Debt Market With $450 Million Bond Sale
Harvard University will re-enter the debt market this week, issuing $450 million in tax-exempt bonds to “finance and refinance certain capital projects,” according to a preliminary official statement released on Thursday.
Lobbyist Dollars, Italian Lunches: How Harvard’s State Representative Raises and Spends Campaign Funds
According to decades worth of public filings reviewed by The Crimson, State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker is a prolific fundraiser — she’s raised over $750,000 since 2013 — and has spent even more.
At First Spring Meeting, HUA Allocates Funds for Datamatch, Valentine’s Day
At its first meeting of the semester, the Harvard Undergraduate Association assembled virtually on Super Bowl Sunday to pass funding requests for Datamatch and a Valentine’s Day fundraiser.
Harvard Art Museums Receive Bequest of 64 Edvard Munch Artworks
The Harvard Art Museums received a bequest of 62 prints and two paintings by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, an addition that makes the museum’s collection of Munch’s work one of the largest in the United States.
Harvard Hires Penn Fundraising Chief James Husson to Lead Development, Alumni Relations
James J. Husson will lead Harvard’s fundraising efforts as the next Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development beginning April 1. Husson, who currently leads development at the University of Pennsylvania, will succeed Brian K. Lee.
Biden Awards Medals of Freedom to Former Defense Sec. Ash Carter, Harvard Donor David Rubenstein
President Joe Biden awarded the Medal of Freedom on Saturday to two Harvard affiliates — former U.S. Defense Secretary and longtime Harvard Kennedy School professor Ashton B. Carter and former Harvard Corporation fellow David M. Rubenstein.
Pro-Palestine Protesters Heckle Harvard Donors Attending Annual Dinner With Garber
Roughly 30 pro-Palestine protesters called the University to divest from war crimes and heckled Harvard donors as they made their way into Widener Library for a dinner to celebrate the school’s top donors.
Harvard Undergraduate Association to Fund Halloween Movie Night, Harvard-Yale Merch
The Harvard Undergraduate Association passed five proposals at its general meeting Tuesday evening, including funding for a Halloween movie night and for Harvard-Yale merchandise ahead of the 140th playing of The Game.
Donations to Harvard’s Endowment Drop by More Than $150 Million
Total philanthropic contributions fell by 14 percent in fiscal year 2024 as several billionaire donors publicly severed ties with Harvard over its response to campus antisemitism.
Harvard Ghungroo, Bengali Association of Students Raise Funds After Flooding in Bangladesh
Harvard students gathered at the Signet Society to celebrate South Asian melodies and traditional dances to raise funds for people affected by flooding in Bangladesh last Friday evening.
Harvard President Garber Says He is Disappointed by 2024 Fundraising Numbers
Harvard President Alan Garber said he was disappointed by some of the University’s fundraising numbers during an interview on Tuesday, a sign that officials are bracing for donations to dip after a year of campus turmoil.
Uzma Issa ’25 Elected First Marshal for Harvard College Class of 2025
Uzma A. Issa ’25 and Srija Vem ’25 — two Neuroscience concentrators hailing from Hoover, Alabama — will serve as the first and second class marshals for the Class of 2025.
Len Blavatnik, Harvard Donors Express Support for Alan Garber’s Permanent Appointment as President
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 will serve as the University’s fundraiser-in-chief for the next three years after the Harvard Corporation stripped his interim tag on Friday.
Brian Lee, Harvard’s Chief Fundraising Officer, to Retire in December
Brian K. Lee, Harvard’s chief fundraising officer, will retire at the end of the year, the University announced on Wednesday.
‘No One is Doing More’: Harvard President Alan Garber Looks To Reverse Donor Revolt
As the University prepares for a long-term downturn in giving, interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 is leading the charge to woo back disillusioned donors.
Pro-Palestinian Alumni Group To Withhold Donations In Support of Harvard Yard Encampment
Pro-Palestine Harvard alumni will withhold donations from the University in solidarity with the pro-Palestine Yard encampment, alumni organizers announced in a Crimson op-ed on Thursday.
‘Deal with the Devil’: Harvard Medical School Faculty Grapple with Increased Industry Research Funding
As Harvard Medical School research increasingly leans on funding from biopharmaceutical companies to supplement government funding, many HMS researchers have embraced their financial support. Others are more wary.
The Cost of Having Fun at Harvard? $200, College Administrators Say
While undergraduates can opt out of paying the Student Activities Fee, several College administrators emphasized its importance when discussing efforts to enhance student social life.
Johns Hopkins Administrator Kofi Ofori Named Harvard FAS Chief Financial Officer
Kofi N. Ofori will serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, FAS Dean for Administration and Finance Scott Jordan announced Thursday.
In Private, Garber Acknowledges Harvard Has a Fundraising Problem
Interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 has publicly pushed back against suggestions that the University is facing a fundraising crisis. But in private, Garber has struck a different tone with alumni and donors.
2 Harvard Kennedy School Insiders Emerge as Finalists in Dean Search
Harvard Kennedy School professor David J. Deming has stepped down from the HKS dean search advisory committee to become a candidate, according to two people familiar with the process.