University philanthropy and giving blog — UniversityPhilanthropy.com

Philanthropic funding can be a risky game for universities

The University of Oxford’s relationship to the tainted Sackler family’s charitable trusts speaks to the challenge of donor risk management across a complex institution which is both a world-class research university and a treasured United Kingdom institution.

The most recent outcry follows a Financial Times investigation into solicitations made to the Sackler family, former owners of Purdue Pharma, which in 2020 agreed a settlement of more than US$8 billion over its role in fuelling the United States opioid epidemic. Purdue Pharma was owned by members of the Sackler family until it was dissolved in 2021 in the wake of the scandal.

Why Latin America's universities deserve better

Latin America is a big beneficiary of remittances, one form of philanthropy, but giving by foundations and trusts remains low. In our view, extraordinarily so. OECD statistics suggest some of the biggest foundations have been not present or are retreating from Latin America. Philanthropic funding can be uneven so it remains to be seen if the drops in funding are permanent. But the point remains no less relevant. Why are the great philanthropic institutions so ambivalent in supporting philanthropy in Latin America, and especially in funding Latin American higher education?

Andrew WigleyJanuary 16, 2022Latin America, universities, higher education, United States, Brazil, World Bank, Hispanic

Oxford, Vietnam and the business of philanthropic risk

The £155m donation to the University of Oxford by Vietnamese business woman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao which will lead to the renaming of the University’s Linacre College in her honour places a spotlight on how many of the leading universities fundraise. This one was bound to cause a stir. Oxford is the jewel in the crown and the renaming of one its colleges – a rare event but not without precedence – would beg questions about the role of overseas money in influencing British higher education and fundamentally changing the character of one of the nation’s great institutions.

A Call to Action for Investing in Higher Ed in Africa — and the Researchers, Innovation, and Youth It Supports

We are entering a golden age of philanthropic giving. As public budgets face ever greater strain, philanthropy appears to be stepping into the breach. Harvard Kennedy School’s Global Philanthropy Report published in 2018 describes the number of philanthropic institutions as having “sky-rocketed” since 2000, with the lion’s share of these institutions marking their establishment in the last 25 years. You might think an African university should be well placed to leverage this philanthropic bonanza. However, there are a number of issues that make accessing that international philanthropy challenging.

Is the Silicon Valley Community Foundation the world's most influential foundation?

Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) is the United States’ biggest community foundation – by far. Established in 2007, it is also one of the youngest community foundations and that, perhaps, is equally as important in the context of our latest research as its financial firepower. SVCF disburses huge sums of money and its importance is down to the fact it represents a wide group of philanthropists – often internationally by background or instinct – who have chosen to channel their philanthropy through the Foundation.

Are we on the cusp of a golden era in British philanthropy?

Who are the new philanthropists to emerge in 2020? What are the new grant-making charitable trusts and foundations established in 2020? Over 1,700 foundations and trusts were established during the pandemic with the primary purpose of serving as a grant-making institution according to our UK Grant Makers 2020 study. The conclusions of this research provide an important indication of philanthropic intention during last year’s Covid pandemic.

Riding high: The role of university charitable trusts in UK fundraising

According to our latest research, there are now 85 university charitable foundations in the UK, established by non-UK universities in over 20 countries. Between 2014-19 these charitable trusts received over £342.5m ($460m) from UK based philanthropic giving, and 2019 was the most successful year yet, collectively reporting 37% growth over 2018 income. And we know this doesn’t reflect the full picture of university charitable fundraising.

University funding by the UK's top 100 foundations: English imperialism but science rules

Which are the leading UK foundations in university philanthropy? And who is giving where? The patterns and behaviours of the leading foundations is an important indicator. We researched the giving of the Association of Charitable Foundations top 100 foundations, looking primarily at which organisations were funding universities and higher education institutions outside the UK. This is the second year we have undertaken this study, so we now have a pattern building of international university philanthropy by the UK’s leading charitable foundations.

On the rise: The UK’s top philanthropists and higher education

Who are Britain’s leading philanthropists to universities? And which of those philanthropists are giving to universities outside the UK. These are some of the questions we have attempted to answer in our second annual review of philanthropic funding to universities and higher education institutions by Britain’s top 200 philanthropists as identified by the Sunday Times / Charities Aid Foundation Giving List. We echo the remarks of Mark Greer, one of the authors of the Giving List, who points out that there is a clear increase in philanthropists giving to higher education.

The Packard Foundation: A family enterprise

The David & Lucile Packard Foundation is a significant funder of universities. According to our analysis of its giving over the past five reported years, 2014-18, the Packard Foundation has consistently awarded around 15% of all funding annually to universities and higher education institutions. That amounts to over $220m over in the years 2014-18. And reflecting the founders’ association with the Golden State, Californian universities top the Packard Foundation giving table.

History and Hungary: George Soros and his university philanthropy

At UniversityPhilanthropy.com we wanted to understand which institutions George Soros’ network of foundations was funding, and where are they. What we hadn’t appreciated is just how complex an undertaking that would be. The challenge is the highly devolved and disparate character of Soros’s philanthropic efforts. Said to be operating in over 120 countries, there are different foundations in different geographies.