Endowments & Foundations

Donations to higher education have soared in recent times, along with concerns about how the money is being used.

Donations to higher education have soared in recent times, along with concerns about how the money is being used.

As a growing number of private foundations adopt a social justice agenda, their higher education grants reflect broad societal concerns.

U.S. colleges and universities hold more than $500 billion in endowment assets, but many people have a poor grasp of these assets’ purpose and value.

In an era of declining public funding, private philanthropy has played an increasingly vital role for both public and private institutions.

The story of a generation drowning in debt is misleading for a number of reasons. This report looks at the landscape of student debt in the U.S. as well as trends and innovative approaches in private funding of higher education.

Over the past decade, foundations and other entities awarding higher education grants have shifted their focus toward programs that encourage student retention and graduation, particularly for low-income and first-generation college students.

Can a university’s characteristics be a better indicator of an endowment’s effectiveness than endowment size? 

In the aftermath of the 2008-09 recession, many individuals are worried about their short-term and long-run  financial security. In the nonprofit and philanthropic sector (hereafter referred to as “the sector”), there is speculation that such concerns among its workers are undermining the sector’s ability to attract and retain the new talent required to be successful, while simultaneously preventing senior leaders and older employees from retiring.