Fight Fiercely Harvard

Philanthropy News Digest: Alumni Group Presses Harvard to Do More With Its Endowment

NY Times: Alumni Group Tries to Elicit Social Action From Harvard

Much has been made in the press lately about a group of Harvard alumni who are pressuring the university to use some of the estimated $35 billion Harvard endowment to fund programs beyond Harvard. In particular, the articles tell the story of one alumna who asked her classmates to redirect their reunion contributions to struggling colleges in Africa and requested Harvard’s support in this process.

I salute the efforts of alumna Paula Tavrow to help African colleges and commend her for encouraging friends and contacts to support this cause. I also understand the frustration many alumni may feel (full disclosure: I am a Harvard alumna) when being solicited for donations to help grow an endowment that is already larger than the GNP of many countries. However, I understand Harvard’s position and the university’s reluctance to officially disperse funding to outside organizations.

First of all, while not intimately familiar with the mission of the Harvard endowment, I must assume that it grew out of donations from alumni who expected the money would be used to directly benefit Harvard. While giving to colleges elsewhere in the world is commendable and needed, such an act could alienate many longtime Harvard supporters. Plus, it just isn’t nice. No matter how noble the cause, you can’t take money that was given for one purpose and use it for another.

Second, there is no good argument in favor of Harvard sharing alumni information that was given with the expectation of privacy. Tavrow’s group expresses frustration that Harvard refuses to share its alumni contact list. Good for Harvard—fight on! When I provide Harvard with my personal information, it is under the assumption that it will not be shared with outside organizations who might want to solicit me for funding. I’m sorry, but “the ends justify the means” argument is not working for me here. With all the social networking sites and online resources available, there are plenty of other ways to reach fellow Harvard alumni who want to be found.

Despite these defenses, I am not letting Harvard off the hook so easily. Harvard has what I term CTWM—“Change The World Money.” CTWM is money that when deployed correctly can have a real impact. I will reserve my general thoughts on CTWM and how it is being used by the institutions and individuals who have it for another blog.

There are endless ways Harvard could harness its vast resources to change the world. Harvard could create programs that teach alumni about effective philanthropy. It could educate its students about world problems and require service obligations for students to get hands on experience. Harvard could create more scholarships for students from underdeveloped countries, or initiate programs that will help these students pave a path toward higher education. It could implement professional development and training programs for university administrators, as well as professors from other universities. Harvard could use its endowment to subsidize the salaries of graduates who choose public service or not-for-profit careers. Many these ideas may already be in motion (disclaimer #2: I don’t always read the alumni magazine), and if so—my apologies.

Harvard has a worldwide reputation as being a leading academic and research institution. The superlatives and “ests” (biggest, largest, best) that are used to describe the university’s achievements, qualifications, awards, etc. are endless. Harvard now has the opportunity—and I would argue the obligation—to leverage its capabilities to find new ways for the university and its community to change the world. I look forward to watching the progress.