Media Mogul Zuckerman Launches $100 Million STEM Effort
Publisher Mortimer Zuckerman’s foundation made a 20-year commitment to a new scholarship and research program to foster scientific and technological collaboration between Israel and the United States, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency writes.
Naming Rights a Growing Topic of Talk at Harvard Medical School
The possibility that Harvard University could rename its prestigious medical school for a sufficiently large gift — up to $1 billion, by some estimates — is the subject of widespread discussion among faculty and officials, according to Stat, a news website covering the health industry.
Gifts Roundup: $100 Million for Genome Center and $75 Million for Hospital
Other notable recent gifts include $25 million to the Villanova University law school and $15 million to establish a new cybersecurity program at Harvard.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Billionaire Rubenstein Gives $10 Million to New African-American Museum
Mr. Rubenstein is also lending the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture two documents signed by Abraham Lincoln: the 13th Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation, the Associated Press reports.
$25 Million Alumnus Gift Renames Villanova U. Law School
The donation from investment manager and 1973 Villanova law graduate Charles Widger marks the first time the Philadelphia-area institution has named a school for a contributor, The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
Tapping Donors’ Desire to Be Part of a Group Can Pay Off Big, Study Says
Charity supporters’ needs evolve over time, and strong personal relationships may not be enough to maximize returns, researchers say.
By HEATHER JOSLYN
Contributor
Rockefeller Fund Commits $130 Million to Cutting Food Waste
The program unveiled by the Rockefeller Foundation on Thursday in Davos aims to tackle hunger by slashing waste all along the global food-production chain, The New York Times reports.
Genomics Center Gets $100 Million From 2 Board Members
The New York Genome Center announced a combined $100 million challenge grant Wednesday from family funds led by two of its directors, James Simons and Russell Carson.
$75 Million Donation Boosts Newborn Care at N.Y. Hospital
The gift from the foundation of hedge-fund mogul Steven Cohen and his wife, Alexandra Cohen, will establish a unit of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital dedicated to maternal and neonatal care, Crain’s New York Business writes.
Charities in Court Battle Over Radio Pioneer’s Fortune
A nonprofit headed by the heirs of Himan Brown, the creator of “Dick Tracy” and other popular vintage radio dramas, is contesting a will in which Mr. Brown left the bulk of his $100 million estate to a charitable trust under the control of his longtime lawyer, according to The New York Times.
Yale Gets $50 Million Gift to Enhance Humanities Building
The anonymous donation announced Tuesday will be used to upgrade Yale’s Hall of Graduate Studies and make it a campus hub for the humanities, reports the New Haven Register.
Following Bloomberg’s Lead, L.A. Builds Its Own Mayor’s Fund
The Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles was conceived as a linchpin between city-run programs and donors who want to support them.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Microsoft Pledges $1 Billion in Cloud Services to Nonprofits
Company officials said the program will open up the “public cloud” — the fast-growing field of web-based computing power and data storage — to organizations that might otherwise have difficulty accessing it, The Seattle Times reports.
Is Your Donor Reluctant — or Finished With You?
Fundraisers struggle with deciding when to break it off with a supporter who’s gone silent. The decisions are never easy, as the memory of a million-dollar-plus gift lingers.
By Michael Anft
Contributor
Facebook’s Sandberg Donates $31 Million; Netflix Founder Creates Education Fund
Other notable gifts include $1.7 million to the Detroit Institute of Arts from a former volunteer and public-school teacher.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
$1.5 Billion Powerball Could Be Good For Charity
Past lottery winners have established foundations and given lavishly to causes including education, cancer research, and the arts.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor