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UNPRECEDENTED: MacKenzie Scott Transforms HBCU Endowments With A Flurry Of Million Dollar Gifts In 2020

Posted on December 29, 2022 by hbcumoney | Leave a comment

Guilt: the gift that keeps on giving. – Erma Bombeck

The year of George Floyd’s death and the European American guilt that accompanied it can be argued was the catalyst that led to the largest flurry of million dollar plus donations to HBCUs ever seen and it was led almost solely by one woman – MacKenzie Scott, the quietly known co-founder of Amazon who has emerged as a powerhouse in the world of philanthropy. Of the reported 37 donations of $1 million or more as reported by the Chronicle of Philanthropy to HBCUs, Ms. Scott is responsible for 22 of them. Her donation to Prairie View A&M University was the largest in the school’s history and the largest ever to a public HBCU. Questions of where the money actually ends up and who is managing it given Prairie View’s relationship to Texas A&M are worth investigation by PVAMU alumni. All the same, HBCU endowments began 2020 standing at approximately $2.1 billion combined. 2020’s million dollar plus donations to HBCUs are equivalent to roughly 33 percent of that – in one year. To put in perspective, these donations to HBCUs in 2020 were greater than Howard University’s 150 plus year old endowment and would be the equivalent of someone donating approximately $15 billion to Harvard’s endowment, which Ms. Scott actually could do. Again, unprecedented.

We have expanded our review of the data collected to include more information regarding those major donations to HBCUs as well as their presence in the overall landscape of major donations to all colleges and universities. Are HBCUs getting their share? Although HBCUs make up three percent of the United States higher education ecosystem, they do not tend to receive three percent of the philanthropic donations or value. This year breaks the mold with HBCUs receiving over 11 percent of the major donations and over 15 percent of the major donation value. Unprecedented is putting it mildly. While this infusion is beyond needed and could not come at a better time as many higher education institutions across the country are having real questions of future and long-term fiscal viability, those with well position endowments have far less to worry about in their ability to have the resources necessary to pivot in an ever changing education landscape. Despite this landslide of donations, there are still no HBCUs with a $1 billion endowment or more. Howard University is still leading the way and looking like the inevitable first, but after Howard and Spelman, there are a myriad of questions and concerns as to the endowment health of every other HBCU.

Despite no African American having the wealth to give at the scale of MacKenzie Scott, it still begs the question of where are the African American wealthy in making major donations to HBCUs on a more consistent and sustainable basis. Only 4 of the 37 donations on 2020’s list come from African American families. George Floyd’s death was clearly a catalyst for much of this giving to African American institutions in 2020, but relying on Black death as a means to spur major giving is morally problematic and acutely unsustainable. There is no reason that this list every year is not made up of predominantly African Diaspora and African American households. For reasons that are complex though, that has still yet to happen. It is also worth noting which schools received donations. While the usual suspects of Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Howard University are there, one-third of the donations went to public HBCUs whom rarely find themselves in the philanthropic spotlight. Lesser known, but just as important HBCUs like Claflin University, Lincoln University (PA), and Xavier University (LA) also showed up. A vital need is for the smaller HBCUs to receive major gifts, HBCUs like Texas College, Florida Memorial University, Virginia University at Lynchburg also badly need to receive major gifts to shore up their fiscal futures. African American households must be the one to lead that charge if major giving to HBCUs is to be burning bright tomorrow and not just a firecracker today.

$1 Million Plus Donations To All Colleges: 329

$100 Million Plus Donations To All Colleges: 7

$1 Million Plus Donations Value To All Colleges: $4.7 Billion

$1 Million Plus Median Donation To All Colleges: $6.0 Million

$1 Million Plus Average Donation To All Colleges: $14.4 Million

$1 Million Plus Donations To HBCUs: 37*

$100 Million Plus Donations To HBCUs: 0

$1 Million Plus Donations Value To HBCUs: $716.7 Million

$1 Million Plus Median Donation To HBCUs: $20.0 Million

$1 Million Plus Average Donation To HBCUs: $19.4 Million

HBCU Percentage of Donations To All Colleges: 11.2%

HBCU Percentage of Donation Value To All Colleges: 15.2%

1. MacKenzie Scott (pictured) – $50 million
Recipient: Prairie View A&M University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

2. MacKenzie Scott – $45 million
Recipient: North Carolina A&T State University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

3. Reed Hastings & Patty Quillin – $40 million
Recipient: Morehouse College
Source of Wealth: Technology

4. Reed Hastings & Patty Quillin – $40 million
Recipient: Spelman College
Source of Wealth: Technology

5. Reed Hastings & Patty Quillin – $40 million
Recipient: United Negro College Fund
Source of Wealth: Technology

6. MacKenzie Scott – $40 million
Recipient: Morgan State University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

7. MacKenzie Scott – $40 million
Recipient: Norfolk State University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

8. MacKenzie Scott – $40 million
Recipient: Howard University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

9. MacKenzie Scott – $30 million
Recipient: Virginia State University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

10. MacKenzie Scott– $30 million
Recipient: Winston-Salem State University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

11. MacKenzie Scott – $30 million
Recipient: Hampton University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

12. MacKenzie Scott – $25 million
Recipient: Alcorn State University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

13. MacKenzie Scott – $25 million
Recipient: Bowie State University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

14. MacKenzie Scott – $20 million
Recipient: Claflin University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

15. MacKenzie Scott – $20 million
Recipient: Delaware State University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

16. MacKenzie Scott – $20 million
Recipient: Lincoln University (PA)
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

17. MacKenzie Scott – $20 million
Recipient: Tuskegee University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

18. MacKenzie Scott – $20 million
Recipient: Xavier University (Louisiana)
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

19. MacKenzie Scott – $20 million
Recipient: Morehouse College
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

20. MacKenzie Scott – $20 million
Recipient: University of Maryland-Eastern Shore
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

21. MacKenzie Scott – $20 million
Recipient: Spelman College
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

22. MacKenzie Scott – $15 million
Recipient: Clark Atlanta University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

23. MacKenzie Scott – $15 million
Recipient: Elizabeth City State University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

24. Anonymous Donor – $10 million
Recipient: Prairie View A&M University
Source of Wealth: N/A

25. Bruce Karsh and Martha Karsh – $10 million
Recipient: Howard University
Source of Wealth: Finance

26. Seth Klarman and Beth Klarman – $10 million
Recipient: Spelman College
Source of Wealth: Finance

27. MacKenzie Scott – $6 million
Recipient: Tougaloo College
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

28. MacKenzie Scott – $5 million
Recipient: Dillard University
Source of Wealth: Technology, Retail

29. Oprah Winfrey – $2 million
Recipient: Tennessee State University
Source of Wealth: Media & Entertainment

30. Matthew Cullinan and Anna Reilly – $1.7 million
Recipient: Winston-Salem State University
Source of Wealth: Education

31. Jim Murren and Heather Murren – $1 million
Recipient: Howard University
Source of Wealth: Finance

32. Charles Butt – $1 million
Recipient: Prairie View A&M University
Source of Wealth: Retail

33. Charles Barkley – $1 million
Recipient: Miles College
Source of Wealth: Entertainment

34. Kenneth Chenault and Kathryn Chenault – $1 million
Recipient: Morehouse College
Source of Wealth: Finance

35. Joan Johnson – $1 million
Recipient: Spelman College
Source of Wealth: Retail

36. Frank Baker & Laura Day – $1 million
Recipient: Spelman College
Source of Wealth: Finance

37. Charles Barkley – $1 million
Recipient: Tuskegee University
Source of Wealth: Entertainment

Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

*Michael Bloomberg’s pledge of $100 million in 2020 to the 4 HBCU medical schools was not included in our list which was sourced strictly from the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The Million Dollar Gift Club: 2018’s Seven Figure Donations To HBCUs Led By Spelman College

Posted on September 5, 2019 by hbcumoney | 19 comments

An uptick overall, but more importantly a bounce back for HBCUs is how 2018 would be described in the land of the big philanthropy. The Center for Philanthropy reported 497 gifts of $1 million or more to all colleges and universities. After a sluggish few years, HBCUs have seen the most $1 million plus gifts since 2014. In terms of pure dollar amount, this year’s class has bested them all since HBCU Money began tracking the data six years ago with $43 million combined among the HBCUs obtaining gifts.

High-quality donors (who give consistently and over their lifetime will probably give six to seven figures of donations) continue to show up for HBCUs, but still not representative of HBCUs presence in America’s higher education landscape. While HBCUs represent three percent of the country’s colleges, this year only 1.4 percent of the 497 $1m plus donations found their way to an HBCU. Tranformative donors (who can change the paradigm of an entire institution with one donation) continue to elude HBCUs all together, while PWI/HWCUs landed 13 donations of $100 million plus in 2018.

The gap this year between top seven PWI/HWCU gifts totaled $2.94 billion while HBCUs as mentioned totaled $43 million or a $68 to $1 ratio.

1. Ronda E. Stryker & William D. Johnsont (pictured) – $30 million
Recipient: Spelman College
Source of Wealth: Health products

2. Seth & Beth Klarman – $5 million Recipient: Spelman College
Source of Wealth: Finance

3. Roland Parrish – $3 million
Recipient: Fisk University
Source of Wealth: Food & beverage

4. Gene & Patsy Ponder – $2 million
Recipient: Wiley College
Source of Wealth: Manufacturing

5. Kenya & Rainbow Barris (tie) – $1 million Recipient: Clark Atlanta University
Source of Wealth: Entertainment

5. Irvin & Pamela Reid (tie) – $1 million
Recipient: Howard University
Source of Wealth: Education

5. Denzel Washington (tie) – $1 million
Recipient: Wiley College
Source of Wealth: Media & entertainment

Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

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Posted in Philanthropy

Tagged beth klarman, center for philanthropy, chronicle of philanthropy, clark atlanta university, fisk university, HBCU, hbcu giving, Howard University, philanthropy, ronda e. stryker, seth klarman, spelman college, wiley college

Locked Out: HBCUs Only Receive 3 Of The 460 Donations Of $1 Million Plus To Colleges In 2017

Posted on August 6, 2018 by hbcumoney | Leave a comment

If charity is any economic indicator, then wealthy donors have retrenched their nervousness about the economy as a whole. Two years ago, $1 million dollar plus donations to colleges and universities were under 500 such charitable gifts for the first time since 2012. Last year, that was reversed to almost 600, but the reversal was not to be sustained in 2017 where once again less than 500 donations – only 460 to be exact were of the $1 million dollar plus variety to colleges and universities. The largest donation made its way to UC-San Francisco to the tune of $500 million by the Hellen Miller Foundation whose source of wealth stems from real estate. For perspective, this donation is an amount equal to twenty-five percent of all HBCU endowments combined.

For HBCUs, the trend has been a constant struggle to get back to 2014 when nine such donations were made to our institutions. Since that time, not more than five have occurred in a given year in the past three years and this year marks the lowest number with only three donations of $1 million plus. That HBCUs can not even garner three percent (the number that HBCUs represent as a total of all American colleges and universities) marks a continued challenge in the financial arms race that is happening among higher education institutions as the shifting landscape of the 21st century unfolds. Without the transformative donations, HBCUs remain reliant on tuition revenue and at risk in competing for talent both among faculty, students, research, and infrastructure. What is the solution to this philanthropic Rubik Cube? As with most problems, there is more than one solution, but there is no doubt those solutions need to come fast and soon.

If you need perspective on just how large the gap is between the largest donations to HWCU/PWIs and HBCUs is – the top three PWI donations totaled $969 million. In contrast, HBCUs top three donations totaled $3.7 million, an amount that is 262 times less.

1. Orlando L. Clark (pictured above) – $1.59 Million
Recipient: Tuskegee University
Source of Wealth: Health care

2. Antonio Clayton – $1.1 Million
Recipient: Southern U. System Foundation
Source of Wealth: Law

3. George & Jill Hamilton – $1 Million Recipient: North Carolina Central University
Source of Wealth: Chemicals

Source: The Center for Philanthropy

HBCU Medical Schools Lead Gifts Of $1 Million Or More To HBCUs in 2015

Posted on August 15, 2016 by hbcumoney | Leave a comment

If you have something to give, give it now. – Mark Bezos

After only one donation of $1 million or more to HBCU in s 2013, in 2014 HBCUs landed an astounding nine, but the upward trend was not to continue. In 2015, HBCUs landed just four of the 530 donations that were of $1 million or more that found there way to American colleges and universities. That equates to 0.75 percent, while HBCUs constitute approximately three percent of the country’s higher education institutions. The nine donations in 2014 were a combined $20.5 million, while 2015’s foursome combined for $7 million.

Leading this year’s donors was Hammerin’ Hank Aaron with a donation of $3 million to the Morehouse School of Medicine. The baseball legend’s donation according to the press release by the school, “will be used to expand the Hugh Gloster Medical Education building and create the Billye Suber Aaron Student Pavilion.” However, the wealthiest donor among the group was billionaire Bill Gross, co-founder of the PIMCO investment firm with $1.5 trillion in assets under management, and his wife. Their donation was second among the group with a $2 million gift to Charles Drew University of Medicine & Science. HBCU medical schools are leaders within the HBCU research community constituting three of the top ten HBCU research institutions. These donations should only strengthen that resolve.

With African American owned banks seeing a huge engagement in 2016, it is possible that this may translate to institutional investments for HBCUs if the seeds of current sentiment are nurtured by leadership. This is an opportunity that HBCUs simply can not afford to miss, both financially and socially. Especially considering the higher education arms race for donors and the top four HWCU/PWI donations totaling $950 million in 2015. Building relationships with African American athletes and entertainers as donors as well as looking abroad in the African Diaspora would greatly increase the possibility of landing more of the eight and nine figure donations that are desperately needed.

The growth in the number of $1 million or more donations is a positive if it continues, but the amounts as well need to see dramatic increases as well for us to make sure our institutions are viable for generations to come.

1. Hank Aaron – $3 Million
Recipient: Morehouse School of Medicine
Source of Wealth: Transportation

2. William H. & Sue Gross – $2 Million
Recipient: Charles Drew University of Medicine & Science
Source of Wealth: Finance, Investments

3. Charles Barkley – $1 Million Recipient: Morehouse College
Source of Wealth: Entertainment

4. Jimmie Edwards – $1 Million Recipient: Dillard University
Source of Wealth: Chemicals

Source: The Center for Philanthropy

Nine Donations Of $1 Million Or More Find Their Way To HBCUs in 2014

Posted on August 17, 2015 by hbcumoney | 1 comment

Never respect men merely for their riches, but rather for their philanthropy; we do not value the sun for its height, but for its use. – Gamaliel Bailey

There was thankfully almost no where to go but up after The Center for Philanthropy’s 2013 database reported HBCUs garnered only one $1 million or more donation out of the 559 to colleges and universities. However, with overall $1 million or more donations in 2014 to colleges and universities down 7.5 percent there was not much expectation that HBCUs would see a substantial increase from the previous year. Yet, a substantial increase there was as nine donations of $1 million or more found their way into HBCU hands out of the 517 to colleges and universities in 2014. This represents an increase from 0.2 percent to 1.7 percent of the overall donations year over year.

It is not all glitter and gold though. The gap between the top donations to HBCUs vs. HWCUs highlights both the institutional and household wealth gap that persist in this country. Combined, the nine donations totaled an impressive $20.5 million for HBCUs. Unfortunately if you take the top nine to HWCUs that number is $1.2 billion or 56 times greater. The gap between the largest donations is even bigger. Harvard University received a $350 million gift, while Paul Quinn College received a $4.4 million gift or an amount almost 80 times less. Transformative donors who can change the paradigm of an entire institution with one donation are much harder to come by for HBCUs. Transformative donations can be different amounts for different size institutions, but the definition lends itself to a minimum of $50 million and above for HBCUs. A figure that would double the bottom half of the top ten HBCU endowments and move the needle double digits on the upper half of the top ten HBCU endowments.

So what is holding back these transformative donations to HBCUs? A myriad of factors. Most transformative donors are titans of industry throughout America and the world. Their ownership in corporations and investments lends them the wealth to do such. African America’s disproportionate labor presence in the public sector where incomes are limited, lack of entrepreneurship, and lack of overall investment in our own institutions often aborts the ability for capital to circulate in African America. However, as more HBCUs are creating entrepreneurship centers on their campuses this could prove in the long-term a positive shift. In the short term, there has to be more emphasis on securing donations from the likes of African American celebrities willing to both give seven figure donations and lend their public capital to the institutions in the way of attracting more donors. That is if HBCUs can throw off their issues of being donor image conscious.

1. Trammell S. Crow – $4.4 Million
Recipient: Paul Quinn College
Source of Wealth: Family wealth, Real estate

2. Alfred C. Liggins – $4 Million
Recipient: Howard University
Source of Wealth: Media and entertainment

3. Ada Cecilia Collins Anderson – $3 Million Recipient: Huston-Tillotson University
Source of Wealth: Insurance, Real estate

4. Anonymous – $2.1 Million Recipient: Virginia Union University
Source of Wealth: N/A

5. Anonymous – $2 Million Recipient: Stillman College
Source of Wealth: N/A

6. Steve and Anne Pajcic – $2 Million Recipient: Edward Waters College University
Source of Wealth: Law

7. Nicholas Perkins – $1 Million Recipient: Fayetteville State University
Source of Wealth: Food and beverage

8. Josh Smith – $1 Million Recipient: Central State University
Source of Wealth: Consulting

9. William R. & Norma B. Harvey – $1 Million Recipient: Talladega College
Source of Wealth: Education, Manufacturing

Source: The Center for Philanthropy

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Posted in Philanthropy

Tagged alfred c. liggins, center for philanthropy, hbcu philanthropy, Howard University, paul quinn college, radio one, trammell s. crow

Tag Archives: center for philanthropy

UNPRECEDENTED: MacKenzie Scott Transforms HBCU Endowments With A Flurry Of Million Dollar Gifts In 2020

The Million Dollar Gift Club: 2018’s Seven Figure Donations To HBCUs Led By Spelman College

Locked Out: HBCUs Only Receive 3 Of The 460 Donations Of $1 Million Plus To Colleges In 2017

HBCU Medical Schools Lead Gifts Of $1 Million Or More To HBCUs in 2015

Nine Donations Of $1 Million Or More Find Their Way To HBCUs in 2014

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