If there is any inkling of positive to come from the federal government’s attacks on universities and research funding, it can only be that it highlighted the importance of philanthropy to sustain the mission of higher education.
Philanthropic giving to colleges and universities nationwide reached $78 billion in 2025¸ a modest 4 percent increase over the prior year. As many of us shake our heads at the damaging policy decisions coming out of Washington D.C. which continue to harm students and the commonwealth’s economy, many fight back by choosing to fund what they value.
John and Elizabeth Armstrong, for example, are Amherst residents who committed $4 million to fund research at UMass Amherst because they know federal cuts to scientific discovery is bad for the country. They publicized their gift hoping to “stimulate other donors to come forward in this difficult time.” Others continue to support longstanding priorities, like Jim and Cathy Stone, who donated $10 million to support the Stone Living Lab at UMass Boston which conducts research addressing the climate crisis affecting coastal communities. These are just two examples of countless donations, both large and small, that mitigate harmful federal policies.
Unfortunately, it is going to take much more to deal with federal cutbacks, detrimental policy shifts, and the subsequent squeeze on the state budget that stems from shifting priorities in Washington, D.C.
UMass receives roughly $1 billion a year in federal dollars, with more than half of that funding research. Given that scale, private philanthropy cannot replace federal funding, but it can provide a shield against its most harmful effects.
Private giving is a lifeline for a public university. It funds scholarships for students who need them most, makes learning opportunities more equitable, attracts and retains faculty, and supports research breakthroughs.
Investment firm executives report growing interest from donors who want to give in ways that address societal problems, and many big-name universities reap the benefits. But it cannot be only the well-heeled schools that attract donations. Even though donations nationally reached a record high for funds received, this is the fourth consecutive year the number of alumni donors declined, according to a new report from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Higher education institutions increasingly must rely on a smaller, wealthier donor base to support philanthropic revenues while the number of alumni donors who give smaller gifts continues to shrink.
Gerald Chan, whose family charitable foundation donated a historic gift to UMass Chan Medical School, said it makes more sense to support a public university than a private one due to the outsized impact. Gifts, both large and small, have an enormous impact on public universities like UMass, and bring more benefit to the state. UMass educates more students than the top eight private universities in Massachusetts combined, and the majority of UMass grads stay in Massachusetts after they graduate. Throughout my tenure as president, I have worked to help the philanthropic community understand this, and it is one reason the UMass endowment has doubled over the last decade, reaching $1.8 billion.
Every gift makes me proud that people recognize UMass is an institution worth investing in and an important institution in Massachusetts for social mobility. I also believe so deeply in this mission that I feel compelled to participate in this culture of giving as well, with the hopes of inspiring others. Through my private charitable foundation, which I launched while still in Congress, I’ve committed more than $3.7 million to the university over the years. Recently, I made a $1.5 million commitment to UMass Lowell to support student internships. I firmly believe that giving, now more than ever, is critical to the mission of a public research university. Anyone with a cause that concerns them or a calling to give more students a chance to succeed should consider donating during this precarious time to help prevent the damage being done.
Marty Meehan is president of the University of Massachusetts system and a former Congressman from Massachusetts.