Education

Twenty years after his arrival in the U.S., after his liberation in Austria, Holocaust survivor Zev Weiss started the Holocaust Educational Foundation with the intention of fighting evil with education and scholarly pursuits.

On Monday, Weiss, 79, announced he would pass the torch of the private nonprofit organization to Northwestern University so academic research surrounding the Holocaust continues long after he and other survivors are gone.

As state legislatures cut back support for higher education, public colleges and universities across the country are turning to their alumni, hat in hand, as never before -- hiring consultants, hunting down graduates and mobilizing student phone banks to raise private money in amounts they once thought impossible.

But many find themselves arriving late to the game, particularly in the Northeast, where state governments have traditionally been generous and a host of private colleges have dominated the quest for donations.

One of the most lucrative methods of fundraising is through printed materials such as calendars, posters, catalogs and greeting cards. With a minimal investment these items can generate thousands in fundraising revenue, but they have to be done right.

THE Lee Foundation has given $150 million to Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) new medical school.

Two endowment funds will be established at the school.

Half of the gift - $75 million - is designated for an endowment fund offering student financial aid in the form of scholarships, bursaries and other forms of student financial support. The remaining half will form another endowment fund for the advancement of medical education and clinical research at the medical school.

Catholic Charities of Terre Haute has a new Facebook page and Terre Haute Children’s Museum has a new video aimed at recruiting volunteers. Both nonprofits have benefited from the work of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College students, who've helped them better use social media.

The “Social Marketing Experiment” project is funded through a $15,000 Ball Brothers Foundation Venture grant and the Lilly Endowment. Teams of on-campus and distance student-interns piloted the program, in which they designed and implemented social marketing strategies for the nonprofits.

Reach Out and Read CEO Earl Martin Phalen discusses his organization and its fundraising techniques.

Just in time for Christmas, N.C. State University is getting the biggest gift in its 123-year history. Lonnie C. Poole Jr., who made a fortune in the garbage-hauling business, and his wife, Carol Johnson Poole, are giving the university $40 million. That single gift will swell NCSU's entire endowment by nearly 10 percent and instantly boost the profile of the university's young management college, which is getting most of the money.

The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) New York division awarded grants to eight not-for-profit organizations at its year 2010 benefit dinner.

It chose organizations that focus on education, children at risk, the environment, and disaster preparedness.

The grant recipients are Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York; Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation; Community Mainstreaming Associates; Covenant House of New Jersey; Hudson River Sloop Clearwater; Starlight Children’s Foundation NY•NJ•CT; and World Cares Center.

Grasping a handful of balloons, special education teacher Denise Dudley was reeling from a small surprise celebration honoring her as Teacher of the Year by the Arc of Dallas.

As several of her fellow teachers looked on and cheered, Dudley was honored with two checks, each for $1,500 – one for her personal use, and the other for the district's special education programs.

Months after winning $700 million in the federal Race to the Top competition, New York state's education department says it needs another $18 million, and is turning to foundations, hedge fund managers and other private donors for the money.

The $18 million will pay for systems, technology and research that will help ensure that the state spends the $700 million effectively, education department officials said.