How do public and private universities and colleges get huge endowments?
Alumni are the biggest source of donations for university endowments. Alumni who have businesses play a huge part in these to. Most universities have foundations linked to them which gives the university a non-profit entity that does A LOT of fundraising. Many foundations have a staff that works specifically on solicitating donations to local businesses as a means of building community partnerships. For example, foundation staff members might find someway to link the college’s business department to a local advertising firm. This is why sometimes you see departments on campus having a few more resources thatn other departments (i.e. deapatment computer labs, resource centers, etc.). But again, the more prestigious and bigger the university the more money it will probably get. Also, grants may be a part of the picture. Some schools will apply to grants that assist research and many college endowments support on-campus research. Even community colleges have endowments depending on the ty
