Harvard

2024 - 10 - 18

Harvard's Wealth and Woes: From Record Gains to Fundraising Fails!

Air Quality - Athletics - Controversy - Donations - Endowment - Financial Planning - Harvard University - Philanthropy - Research - Student-Athletes

Harvard University's endowment grows to a whopping $53.2 billion, but donations sink by $151 million. What's going on in the land of the Ivy League?

Harvard University has just reported a whopping 9.6% gain on its endowment, bringing it to a staggering $53.2 billion for the Fiscal Year 2024. This is quite a leap from the previous year's modest gain of 2.3%. Executive Vice President Meredith Weenick, CFO Ritu Kalra, and Treasurer Timothy Barakett attribute this financial success to strategic planning and stewardship which has paid off handsomely for one of the world's leading universities. However, amidst this financial cheer, the campus is facing a notable dilemma on another front.

In an ironic twist that seems almost Shakespearean, donations to Harvard's endowment have plummeted by over $151 million, marking a 14% decline from last year. This drop comes in the wake of public criticism relating to the university’s handling of various protests, particularly those focused around international issues. With many of its high-profile alumni and billionaire donors pulling back on their contributions, the university’s fundraising crisis has left even its storied endowment with bruises.

In the midst of these financial waves, the university is also making strides in research. A team led by Professor Joanna Aizenberg is developing an innovative air quality sensor inspired by none other than a dog’s nose—talk about paws-itively impressive! This research could pave the way for groundbreaking advancements in environmental monitoring even as the university grapples with its financial troubles. And while the sky looks blue for some of these projects, a long-running vital study, the Nurses' Health Study, faces the threat of shutting down without newfound funding, potentially impacting women's health research that has been ongoing for nearly half a century.

As Harvard's men’s soccer team gears up for a match against Brown this Saturday amidst all these developments, it seems the university's endowment may be large enough to weather financial storms, but it is the ongoing support from its community that is crucial for many other initiatives. Did you know that despite its fundraising hurdles, Harvard remains the wealthiest university in the world? Its endowment not only surpasses that of other institutions but also influences millions of students and researchers. Moreover, the university's commitment to providing top-notch education and groundbreaking research continues to attract attention and talent, ensuring that even in turbulent times, the beacon of learning shines brightly at this illustrious institution.

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Image courtesy of "Forbes"

Harvard University Endowment Posts 9.6% Gain, Reaches $53.2 ... (Forbes)

Harvard University's endowment realized a 9.6% gain for Fiscal Year 2024, a significant improvement over last year's 2.3% increase.

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Gazette"

University cites careful planning, stewardship for solid financial ... (Harvard Gazette)

Executive Vice President Meredith Weenick, chief financial officer Ritu Kalra, and treasurer Timothy Barakett discuss the University's 2024 financial report ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Crimson"

Donations to Harvard's Endowment Drop by More Than $150 Million (Harvard Crimson)

Harvard's fundraising crisis now has a price tag: $151 million. Total philanthropic contributions fell by 14 percent in fiscal year 2024 as several billionaire ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Crimson"

Harvard-Led Researchers Are Creating an Air Quality Sensor ... (Harvard Crimson)

Researchers led by Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences professor Joanna Aizenberg are developing a new air quality sensor inspired by a dog's ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Magazine"

Harvard's Finances in a Challenging Year | Harvard Magazine (Harvard Magazine)

Harvard's annual financial report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2024, published today—an academic year of campus tumult, an overturned presidency, ...

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Image courtesy of "HSPH News"

Long-running Nurses' Health Study at risk of shutting down (HSPH News)

The Nurses' Health Study has provided critical data on women's health for nearly 50 years. It could come to an untimely end if funding is not secured.

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Image courtesy of "HSPH News"

Improving radiation therapy for cancer (HSPH News)

“Treatment went well—the tumor regressed. Essentially, my soccer career was over, and I was looking ahead toward my first year at Harvard,” said Murphy, who ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Athletics"

Men's Soccer Continues Ivy Play at Brown on Saturday (Harvard Athletics)

Harvard University men's soccer continues Ivy League play when it competes at Brown University on Saturday, Oct. 19 at noon (ESPN+/NESN+) at ...

After Student Feedback, Harvard Gender Equity Office Cut Title IX ... (Harvard Crimson)

These changes to the OGE — which consists of the Sexual Harassment/Assault Resource Education, Prevention, and Title IX teams — came as the Biden administration ...

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Image courtesy of "Fortune"

Harvard hauls in over $1 billion after it was rocked by protests and a ... (Fortune)

Harvard, the world's wealthiest university, had an endowment valued at $53.2 billion as of June 2024.

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Image courtesy of "Financial Times"

Harvard donations drop sharply in wake of criticism over Israel protests (Financial Times)

Donors and alumni cut gifts to west's wealthiest university by 14% to below $1bn with endowment fund taking brunt of hit.

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Image courtesy of "Yahoo Finance"

Harvard endowment grows to $53.2 billion on strong returns during ... (Yahoo Finance)

Harvard's endowment fund, the world's largest university endowment, grew to $53.2 billion in fiscal 2024 amid strong investment returns even though ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Athletics"

Yakoff, Karra, and Rozolis-Hill Earn Harvard Student-Athletes of the ... (Harvard Athletics)

Women's tennis student-athletes Stephanie Yakoff and Kavya Karra, along with men's water polo junior James Rozolis-Hill are the Harvard Student-Athletes of ...

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Image courtesy of "Reuters.com"

Harvard endowment grows to $53.2 billion on strong returns during ... (Reuters.com)

Harvard's endowment fund, the world's largest university endowment, grew to $53.2 billion in fiscal 2024 amid strong investment returns even though ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Crimson"

Men's Basketball Tips Off Season with Crimson Madness (Harvard Crimson)

It's that time of the year again. Soon, the lights will shine bright in Lavietes Pavilion and Harvard men's basketball will take the court for the first ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Crimson"

Harvard Endowment Jumps to $53.2 Billion, Delivers 9.6% Returns ... (Harvard Crimson)

HMC CEO N.P. “Narv” Narvekar wrote in the financial report that Harvard's endowed funds has a target return of 8 percent, and the annualized return of 9.3 ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Crimson"

LEAK: Inside the School-Sponsored H-Y Tailgate (Harvard Crimson)

Dean of Students Thomas Dunne said a few days ago that we would have a Harvard-Yale tailgate “that is attractive to students and fun and feels like what ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Crimson"

Harvard's Too Easy. I Looked Into Literally Every Possible Way to Fix ... (Harvard Crimson)

Last year, a report presented to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences revealed the extent of Harvard's staggering grade inflation. Nearly 80 percent of grades ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Athletics"

Women's Soccer Set for Ivy League Showdown Against Princeton (Harvard Athletics)

The Crimson (5-2-5, 1-2-1 Ivy) will look to stay in the mix for an Ivy League Tournament spot against the Tigers (8-4-0, 3-1-0 Ivy) when the sides battle at ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Crimson"

How an India-Based Education Firm Became Blacklisted by Harvard ... (Harvard Crimson)

Velarde-Berrios and his fellow Harvard students who signed up to work the conference — a job that came with a $500 stipend — said they were “passionate” about ...

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Image courtesy of "Ynetnews"

Harvard sees biggest downtrend in donations in a decade (Ynetnews)

Donations to the prestigious Ivy League institute nosedive 15% in the last year against the backdrop of pro-Palestinian protests and president's ...

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Image courtesy of "PR Daily"

The Scoop: Harvard sends message of change to donors after ... (PR Daily)

Harvard's coffers took a hit as mega-donors followed through on promises to pull back gifts over the school's response to acts of antisemitism on campus related ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Gazette"

Zelenska visit (Harvard Gazette)

Olena Zelenska presents Harvard Library with books, shows appreciation for its contribution to Ukrainian studies. When Olha Aleksic came to Harvard as a ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Crimson"

“It Feels Like a Family:” A Day in the Life as a Radcliffe Rower With ... (Harvard Crimson)

For Radcliffe heavyweight crew standout Isabel Llabres Diaz, a sophomore hailing from Oxford, U.K., this fall will be a moment where she and her teammates can ...

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Image courtesy of "Fox Business"

Harvard fundraising slumps after antisemitism controversy (Fox Business)

Harvard and its endowment saw donations decline by about $150 million over the past year after a controversy over the administration's handling of ...

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Crimson"

“The Power of a Female Coxswain Should Not Be Underestimated” (Harvard Crimson)

Senior Anya Cheng is perhaps the most acclaimed coxswain on the varsity roster. Named the IRCA Coxswain of the Year and a member of the IRCA Crew of the Year ...

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Image courtesy of "Brown University Athletics"

Men's Soccer Welcomes Harvard on Saturday - Brown University ... (Brown University Athletics)

PROVIDENCE, R.I.- The Brown men's soccer team is set to take on the Harvard Crimson on Saturday at Stevenson-Pincince Field at 12 p.m..

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Image courtesy of "Institutional Investor"

What Drove Harvard's Returns? (Institutional Investor)

The university's endowment returned 9.6 percent in fiscal '24, thanks in part to top manager picks for its equity and hedge fund portfolios.

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Image courtesy of "Harvard Athletics"

Women's Volleyball Returns Home to Conclude First Half of Ivy ... (Harvard Athletics)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's volleyball (8-6, 3-2 Ivy) will look to get back in the win column this weekend at it returns home to wrap up the opening ...

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