Philanthropy in Higher Education: Priorities and Approaches of Private Foundations
As a growing number of private foundations adopt a social justice agenda, their higher education grants reflect broad societal concerns.
In 2017, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the TIAA Institute conducted a study on trends in private foundation giving to higher education. This report expands on that effort by examining a greater variety of foundations in terms of asset size, geographical focus and type. The authors identify private foundations’ educational priorities; the types of institutions they support through grants; and how they approach giving directly to colleges and universities, compared to other types of academic organizations.
The authors distributed an online survey to members of Grantmakers for Education, a national philanthropic association, and 76 foundations responded. They also interviewed 10 foundations from across the U.S. that give directly to colleges and universities.