ACTA in the News | Free Speech

The Donor Revolt Comes to Annual Giving: Israel, Gaza, and Campus Unrest

As colleges prep for commencement and reunion season, rank-and-file supporters issue ultimatums, pledge to withhold donations, and boycott events.
THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY   |  May 1, 2024 by Drew Lindsay

For one loyal Barnard College alumni, things soured almost overnight. Rebecca Gray, class of 2013, had been active as a student — admissions ambassador, resident adviser, a cappella group member, LGBTQ+ advocate — and friendly enough with then-president Debora Spar that the two met for drinks after both had left campus. Gray, who prefers the pronoun “they,” donated regularly, attended reunion, and even created crossword puzzles for the college magazine.

Yet warm feelings for Barnard, a women’s college affiliated with Columbia University, failed to dilute Gray’s outrage watching video of New York City police round up pro-Palestinian protesters, including Barnard students, on Columbia’s campus last month shortly after the protests began.

To read the full article, visit the Chronicle of Philanthropy here. (Registration may be required.)

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