Major Gifts

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.

The W. M. Keck Foundation on Monday will announce a $150 million gift to boost scientific research at USC's medical school and at two affiliated hospitals, adding to the university's recent success in attracting supersized donations.

The gift is the single largest in the 57-year history of the Keck Foundation, which has backed many scientific projects, including the famous Keck Observatory and telescopes in Hawaii. For USC, the money marks the third mega-gift since March, for a total of $460 million.

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!"

Pierre Omidyar, the French-born founder and chairman of eBay, is giving $3 million to the American Friends of the Louvre that will go toward funding educational and scholarly programs on Persian art and culture at the Paris museum. The announcement comes just a few months after Iran declared that it would cut ties with the Louvre over a dispute involving the exhibition of Persian artifacts.

Organizers said that income from the new fund will go toward projects at or in collaboration with the Louvre, including special exhibitions, installations, conferences and publications.

A UC Davis alumnus who says that some of his most powerful college experiences took place on the athletics field has made a $2 million commitment to Intercollegiate Athletics — the largest single philanthropic contribution to athletics in the university's 102-year history.

Bruce Edwards, together with his wife, Diane, made the gift to support Aggie Stadium. Edwards is a 1960 graduate who played football and ran track for UC Davis. The funds will go toward the stadium’s maintenance and operations, and may be used for future enhancements or expansion.

Paul and Muffy Christen made a $20 million bequest to the South Dakota Community Foundation, which will provide the nonprofit agency with an estimated $562,000 per year in interest earnings to give to charities statewide.

The donation takes three parts. A quarter of it will be a donation to the South Dakota Fund, which makes unrestricted donations throughout the state. That $5 million grant is a "challenge grant," taking effect only when the foundation raises another $5 million to match it, for a total increase of $10 million.

It's difficult to resist petting these hard workers. But Freedom Service Dogs have a job to do. And the Englewood, Colo.-based organization that trains the canines and pairs them with people with disabilities who can benefit from these working dogs' help ensure that they're able to do that job.