Columbia University Sees Significant Drop in Donations Following Anti-Israel Protests
Columbia University, which was the center of much of the attention regarding anti-Israel protests earlier this year, has experienced a sharp decline in donations due to campus protests.
The university hosted its annual “Giving Day” fundraiser event for 2024 where it brought in $21.4 million, a significant drop from the $30 million raised in 2022, according to the campus newspaper Columbia Spectator. The nearly 29 percent decrease in donations follows the decision not to hold the event in 2023, which coincided with the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the subsequent protests on campus.
In addition to the fundraising decline, Columbia saw a nearly 28 percent drop in the number of gifts, with only 13,870 donations in 2024 compared to 19,229 in 2022—the lowest since 2015. The number is also the first time there has been a year-to-year decline in gifts since the event was first held in 2012.
Columbia Spectator claimed that the university is currently suffering from a “donor crisis — born out of concerns regarding campus protests.” This comes after events from earlier this year, when the campus witnessed Gaza encampments and the occupation of Hamilton Hall by pro-Palestinian activists, some of which turned violent.
The university was forced to temporarily move classes online due to safety concerns, particularly for Jewish students. Government officials from both sides of the aisle also publicly spoke out to condemn what was unfolding on the campus.
Columbia is not the only institution facing donation challenges due to campus protests. Late last year, Harvard University saw wealthy Israeli donors resign from its board and after accusing the university’s president of mishandling pro-Hamas groups on campus. The wealthy couple, with a net worth of over $14 billion, withdrew a multi-million dollar donation originally intended to be given to the university.
