EAST LANSING, Mich. – A $10 million gift arrived at Michigan State University recently in a FedEx envelope with little explanation and no one wishing to take credit, the Livingston Daily Press & Argus reported.
A business letter from a banker accompanied and verified the donation, according to Bob Groves, vice president for university advancement, who called it “the most extraordinary outright gift I’ve ever dealt with.”
Large donors often prefer to remain anonymous, he told the Gannett News Service, but rarely use a third-party intermediary. It’s unclear what link, if any, exists between the donor and MSU, Groves said, though the bank has verified that the donor is living.
The donor has specified that the money be used for student financial aid, but also allowed the university the flexibility to spend it immediately or endow it for future scholarships, according to the Gannett report.
Millions of dollars in anonymous gifts have arrived on colleges around the country in recent weeks, Gannett reported. Kalamazoo College also received a $1 million donation.
SOURCE:
Livingston Daily Press & Argus, “Anonymous donor gives $10M check to MSU,” April 23, 2009
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, “Recommendations to Strengthen Civil Society and Balance Michigan’s State Budget: Higher Education,” May 4, 2004
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for a free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
Please consider contributing to our work to advance a freer and more prosperous state.