There have been a lot of reports recently on alumni giving back to their schools. Recently, a former University of New Hampshire librarian donated his $4 million estate to the college. He graduated from the school in 1963.
The University of New Hampshire that Morin quietly left his entire fortune to the school. He specifically allotted $100,000 to the library where he previously worked.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, gave $500 million to the University of Oregon. The school will be creating the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, which will focus on coming up with real-world applications for basic scientific discoveries.
Rowan University alumni, Ric and Jean Edelman, also donated $25 million in order to preserve and expand the Rowan University Fossil Park. It is the largest amount ever given by alumni to transform STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education through research and innovation at the Fossil Park.
Meanwhile, U.S. News collated a list of universities and colleges where the most alumni donate. Ivy League university Princeton nabbed the top spot. The school had a 63 percent two-year average of alumni who donated.
It is followed by Thomas Aquinas College, with 58.7 percent. In third place is Williams College, with 55.8 percent. Other schools on the list include Bowdoin College, Davidson College, Wellesley College, Middlebury College, Carleton College, Washington and Lee University and Amherst College.
The publication noted that, in 2015, donations from alumni increased by more than 10 percent. According to a survey by the nonprofit Council for Aid to Education, alumni contributions reached $10.85 billion among U.S. colleges and universities.
The survey also found that Harvard University alumni gave more than $650 million during the 2015 fiscal year. Princeton alumni gave 39 percent less than Harvard alumni, with $400 million that same year. Harvard may have received a greater amount in terms of alumni donations but Princeton had more alumni who donated.
