Harvard's gift started it all

In sixteen thirty-eight, John Harvard bequeathed four hundred books and half his seven hundred seventy-nine pound estate to the college that would bear his name, launching America's oldest university and a tradition of college philanthropy.

Philanthropy now covers 10 percent of budgets

Today, donations remain an important source of higher education funding, covering an average of ten percent of college and university budgets across the United States.

Trump administration targets colleges

Since January twenty twenty-five, the Trump administration has cut research funding, capped student financial aid and restricted how long international students can stay in the United States.

Endowments face new tax threats

University endowments have been targeted since the first Trump administration's twenty seventeen tax reform. A rule proposed in September twenty twenty-six would threaten private schools' tax-exempt status if any programs use race-based criteria.

Fewer students choosing college

Fewer high school graduates are choosing to attend college, and the number of potential students is falling due to a declining birthrate, adding demographic pressure to the sector.

Sixteen colleges closed in twenty twenty-five

Sixteen colleges shut down in twenty twenty-five alone, including Indiana's only predominantly Black college, Martin University, and Sterling College in Vermont, an ecologically focused school.

Eighty-nine percent from just two percent

Donors contributed seventy-nine billion dollars to colleges and universities in twenty twenty-five, but eighty-nine percent of those funds came from only two percent of donors, creating extreme concentration.

“89% of the funds raised came from only 2% of donors in 2025.”

Megagifts break records in twenty twenty-six

On September thirtieth, twenty twenty-six, investor Ken Griffin gave Carnegie Mellon University more than three billion dollars to build a new campus in Miami, breaking the previous record set by Phil and Penny Knight's two…

Most big gifts come with strings attached

The vast majority of huge gifts are reserved for specific purposes.The share of totally unrestricted gifts to colleges and universities slipped below seven percent in twenty twenty-four, though it picked up somewhat in twenty twenty-five.

Pooling small gifts can save schools

In twenty fifteen, the grassroots Saving Sweet Briar campaign kept the small women's college operating after trustees voted to close it, with gifts ranging from one dollar fifty from a graduate's grandchild to two million…

Giving Days raise millions from many donors

Oregon State University's Dam Proud Day twenty twenty-six drew twelve thousand four hundred gifts and raised over four point one million dollars.

Unrestricted gifts help meet urgent needs

Donations with few or no restrictions help colleges meet their greatest needs. Brandeis University, Indiana University, Princeton University and others encourage unrestricted annual gifts to cover research shortfalls and general operations.

Direct student support makes the difference

About seven billion dollars in gifts were designated for student financial aid in twenty twenty-five. Donors can also fund transportation, textbooks, academic advising and mentoring to help students graduate, not just pay tuition.

Small donors can pool resources locally

Dollars for Scholars has more than four hundred chapters enabling local donors to pool gifts to help students in their communities.