Harvard University is seeking assistance from a vital resource as it pushes back against requests from the Trump administration: its largest contributors.
The school’s fundraising campaign has kicked into high gear, with multiple email blasts being sent out to alumni asking for contributions during what was described as “a crucial time.” Many donors mention that they are increasing their giving efforts accordingly.
Meanwhile, school leaders such as President Alan Garber are concentrating their efforts on discussions with the institution’s most significant contributors, aiming to counterbalance the Trump administration’s $2.26 billion freeze on federal funds, sources close to these initiatives reveal.
The country’s most ancient and affluent educational institution is attempting to win back backing from prominent contributors. Many of these potential donors have been upset with Harvard’s handling of anti-Semitic allegations after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel and throughout Israel’s ensuing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Contributions began declining as a result.
nearly 15%
In the previous fiscal year at Harvard.
Recently, Harvard has been in touch with prominent donors such as Michael Bloomberg, John Paulson, and David Rubenstein, say individuals acquainted with Harvard’s initiatives for securing large donations.
On Monday, Harvard irritated the Trump administration by refusing to comply with their requests for significant changes to the university’s culture and functioning. In response, the administration announced plans to halt over $2 billion in multiyear grants and contracts, and President Trump has taken this step.
threatened the school’s tax-exempt status
.
Gathering backing from the centimillionaires and billionaires who boast Harvard as their alma mater to combat issues isn’t a simple feat.
Several key contributors have urged Harvard to seek alignment with the Trump administration, which claims it aims to cut funds from institutions like Harvard due to how they address anti-Semitism. These supporters are additionally pushing Harvard to prioritize safeguarding the civil liberties of Jewish students, a matter they believe the institution hasn’t addressed swiftly enough. Meanwhile, some others have advised the university to remain steadfast against the government’s stance.
Meanwhile, other alumni are boosting gifts or donating for the first time. They say they are proud Harvard took a stand against the government’s insistence on sweeping cultural changes after others, like Columbia University and multiple elite law firms, made deals with the administration.
“I almost whooped in my seat,” said Eric Havian, 69, a San Francisco lawyer and Harvard Law School alum, after learning the school was standing firm. He hadn’t donated to his alma mater in more than 20 years, but promptly made a five-figure gift.
A colleague of Havian’s, Poppy Alexander, donated to Harvard this week. She couldn’t recall any prior donations. “I believe in the old-fashioned model of the university as a place of learning and thinking,” said Alexander, 42. “And I hope universities as they did exist still exist when my kids are there.”
Charlie Cheever, 43, a Bay Area startup founder and 2003 Harvard College graduate, said he was proud the school stood up during what he termed “an existential moment.” He said he’s considering making a larger gift this year than he has in years.
“The subtext of most of those demands was, ‘We will tell you what the truth you should aspire to is,’ and that’s not how real universities approach the search for truth,” Cheever said.
According to The Harvard Crimson, following the announcement late Monday that Harvard would not comply with the administration’s requirements until Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., the university garnered nearly 4,000 online donations amounting to approximately $1.14 million. When asked about potentially raising the portion of funds withdrawn from its over-$50-billion endowment—a move made during the fiscal crisis of 2008-2009—to offset potential budget gaps, a spokesperson for Harvard opted against providing comments.
Harvard and numerous leading institutions faced criticism for not addressing instances of antisemitism on their campuses during the previous school year.
.
Several major contributors, such as investor Len Blavatnik and hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, stated they would temporarily halt their donations to Harvard following October 7, 2023, partly due to the university’s response to issues regarding anti-Semitism on campus.
Representatives from both sides chose not to comment.
Since the beginning of 2024, the school has implemented numerous changes, such as appointing new leaders and adopting a stance of institutional neutrality, avoiding stances on contentious social topics. They established an antisemitism task force and increased training on antisemitism for both teachers and staff members. In their latest evaluation report assessing “the atmosphere surrounding antisemitism” at educational institutions, the Anti-Defamation League upgraded Harvard’s score from the previous year; however, they noted that further improvements were necessary.
Several major contributors who previously expressed private reservations about Harvard following the campus unrest have now aligned themselves with the institution, albeit partially. Those interviewed by The Wall Street Journal haven’t yet made additional financial contributions. Many acknowledged that certain requests from the leadership held validity and recognized the necessity for Harvard to promote ideological variety as it has shifted further towards liberalism over time.
However, they also mentioned that Harvard should be responsible for directing the institution’s activities and setting its priorities, rather than the federal government.
Peter Malkin, a lawyer and real estate investor who lends his name to Harvard’s primary sports facility, mentioned that the gap left by insufficient federal funds led him to boost his contributions. “What is truly disheartening about this situation is that it is scientific and medical research which is suffering, an area entirely unrelated to antisemitism,” he stated.
Malkin, who is 91 years old, stated that Harvard should have taken action sooner to address what he referred to as “excessive DEI” measures and to guarantee that speakers with less popular ideologies would still be able to share their views on campus. However, he believed that the university’s newly appointed leaders had indeed achieved significant advancements in several domains prioritized during the Trump administration.
A different contributor, who is meeting a commitment of one million dollars or more, expressed his desire for reduced emphasis on social advocacy activities and greater inclusion of varied ideologies. If he decides to make an additional contribution down the line, he mentioned that it would likely be a lesser amount with specific conditions attached, instead of providing unrestricted funds that the institution could allocate at its discretion.
Lawyer Jim Ehrman, 76, of Napa, Calif., said via email that he calculated how much he had donated to Harvard in the last decade, then doubled the amount in a single four-figure gift this week.
” Far from being significant enough to make even a small impact, I am trying to convince myself that I am expressing my support for Harvard’s opposition to Trump,” Ehrman stated.
Send your correspondence to Juliet Chung.
Juliet.Chung@wsj.com
