Major Gifts

Hamilton College has received its largest gift ever — from a foundation headed by the inventor of an anti-cancer drug who planned to be a writer when he came to the college in 1942.

"I went to Hamilton to major in English,” recalled Edward Taylor, who is giving $16 million to the college through his SunUp Foundation. “I was required to take a science course in my first semester. I flipped a coin and it turned out to be chemistry instead of biology. I owe my lifelong fascination with chemistry to Hamilton.”

San Diego developer and philanthropist Conrad Prebys has given Scripps Health $45 million for its new cardiovascular institute in La Jolla, Calif., making the donation the largest in Scripps’ history and the biggest Prebys has given any organization.

Scripps officials plan to announce that the $456 million center being built at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla will be named the Prebys Cardiovascular Institute.

Warren Buffett, who is urging fellow billionaires to commit most of their wealth to philanthropy, gave away stock valued at about $1.5 billion in his annual gift to the foundation established by Bill Gates.

The donation of 19.3 million Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A) Class B shares was made Thursday, according to a filing.

Buffett has pledged the majority of his holdings to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and to charities run by his three children and one named after his first wife, Susan Thompson Buffett, who died in 2004.

First, you must understand how you define a major donor and why. Then, use these 10 ideas when calling your major donors.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research seems to have it all wrong, going against conventional fundraising wisdom at seemingly every turn. Yet the $57 million MJFF raised last year ($50 million of which went toward its mission) tells a different story. The foundation, which has funded more than $240 million in research since its founding 10 years ago, is light on its feet and built for speed.

The campaign to equip the new Oakville Hospital has received a further boost thanks to a $6 million gift from Oakville, Ontario, philanthropists June and Ian Cockwell.

The couple, with their family foundation Amarna, is donating $4 million to the campaign and has pledged an additional $2 million as part of a multi-strategy community challenge. The purpose of the challenge gift is to encourage as many people as possible to support the new Oakville Hospital.

The Weatherhead Foundation has pledged another $50 million to Tulane University to fund scholarships for students with a passion for community service. The new Weatherhead Scholars Program will be the first program of its kind in the country sponsored by a single donor. Its vision is to advance the overall reputation and community engagement impact of the entire Tulane University community.

As fundraising requests go, it started out small: Would Sidney and Lois Eskenazi consider donating $250,000 in return for their names on a hospital room?

Officials at the Wishard Foundation, the fundraising arm of Wishard Health Services, hoped the Eskenazis would consider a six-figure gift to help with a $50 million philanthropic drive to help build the new hospital.

Initially, Sidney Eskenazi resisted, but the Wishard Foundation pressed on. After a meeting and then discussions, both sides agreed to a $40 million gift by the Eskenazis in exchange for the naming rights to the hospital and foundation.

Veritus Group co-owner Jeff Schreifels started the Passionate Giving blog last month, and he's already posted some pretty interesting stuff — like his "10 Reasons Why Most Major Gift Programs Suck!"

Veritus Group co-owner Jeff Schreifels started the Passionate Giving blog last month, and he's already posted some pretty interesting stuff — like his "10 Reasons Why Most Major Gift Programs Suck!" Here are Nos. 6 and 7. Check out the final three next Tuesday.