Spelman College Receives Record $100 Million Donation Amidst Trend of Mega-Gifts to Higher Education

Despite controversies over wealthy donors pulling support from elite universities, many colleges and universities, including HBCUs, are seeing record-high private donations.

Spelman College, a private HBCU in Atlanta, has received the largest gift in its history - $100 million from businesswoman Ronda Stryker and her husband, William Johnston.
The donation will be used to fund student scholarships ($75 million) and a new academic focus on public policy and democracy, improved student housing and other strategic needs ($25 million).
Despite high-profile cases of wealthy donors pulling or threatening to pull their donations from elite universities, many colleges and universities have received record-high private gifts recently.
The United Negro College Fund was awarded a $100 million unrestricted grant by Lilly Endowment Inc., the largest gift received by the organization in its 80-year history.
In 2023, 14 American colleges and universities received mega gifts of $100 million or more, with only two of those going to an Ivy League institution.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution