An anonymous donor gave a $20 million gift to Tuskegee University earlier this year, the second anonymous donation the university has received in the past four years.
“This gift will allow us to invest in our students, faculty, programs and infrastructure, enabling us to enhance our academic reputation, enrich the student experience and continue our work to reach milestones within our strategic plan,” said Dr. Charlotte P. Morris, Tuskegee University president at the time of the gift. “It will provide additional resources for us to implement vital initiatives, further securing the campus and fostering a more dynamic community.”
The donation will support its students and faculty in various ways, including:
- Developing STEM programs and applied research
- Creating endowed faculty leadership positions
- Fulfilling a United Negro College Fund (UNCF) pooled endowment fund match
- Creating endowed scholarships
- Enhancing on-campus student affairs and campus security
The university is using $2.4 million of the funds for on-campus enhancements. The funds will help recruit residence hall directors and buy more safety equipment. It will also support enhancing mental health support services for students.
“By bolstering counseling and mental health and wellness resources, we are steadfast in our dedication to providing a nurturing environment where every student can thrive,” said Morris.
The donation will be crucial for the university as a whole, and the strategic plan places particular emphasis on further developing the university’s STEM programs. The programs can expand career opportunities in technology for its graduates.
Supporting students and promoting STEM education both help increase racial equity. Ahead, we share how other philanthropic donations help promote diversity in STEM and the tech workforce. We also discuss Robert F. Smith’s support for this issue, including his involvement with Student Freedom Initiative (SFI).
How Philanthropic Donations Create Opportunities for Students
These types of donations create many new opportunities for HBCU students. They support students while they attend the university and create on-ramps to success after graduation. And, having the financial backing of community leaders is a great asset to students, especially true for students who may need more access to opportunities and resources.
Education reform is one of the many pillars of Smith’s philanthropy. One of his most well-known donations is his $34 million gift to pay off the student loan debt of the entire 2019 Morehouse College graduating class and loans held by the students’ guardians on their behalf. It put “a little fuel in their bus,” as he noted in his commencement speech. And, it helped students avoid the financial pitfalls of student loan debt.
Since then, instead of shedding money to pay off student loans, these Morehouse Men have invested in themselves and their communities. They are paying it forward, as Smith asked them to do on graduation day.
In addition to Morehouse College, Smith has donated to support STEM students at Cornell University, his alma mater. In 2016, Smith and Fund II Foundation, of which he is the founding director and President, gave $50 million to advance teaching and research in chemical and biomolecular engineering. It also provided scholarships, graduate fellowships and program funding to help recruit and support underrepresented students. In return, the university named the engineering school the Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in his honor.
In 2022, Smith gave $15 million to Cornell University for engineering student aid. The funds have helped undergraduate students from urban high schools and graduate students who previously attended HBCUs.
Smith also supports SFI, a nonprofit organization that aids students attending HBCUs, other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). SFI helps students by supporting their financial and academic needs.
Smith and Fund II Foundation funded SFI in 2020, with each party donating $50 million. Since its founding, SFI has used its $100 million endowment and additional corporate giving to support participating schools, including Tuskegee University. And, the inaugural President and CEO of SFI, Dr. Mark Brown, has since become the first alumni president of Tuskegee University.
SFI programming includes:
- Student Freedom Loan Agreement
- Student Investment Program (SIP)
- Handling Everyday Life Problems For Students (HELPS) Microgrant Program
- Internships through Fund II Foundation’s internXL
- MSI-Community Living Space Initiative (LiSI)
- Cybersecurity, broadband and solar Initiatives
Learn more about SFI and Smith’s philanthropic giving by following him on LinkedIn.
