After Trump’s $2.2 billion threat, Harvard raises $1.14 million in 24 hours from donors

Harvard University appears to have turned political fire into fundraising fuel. In the 24 hours after interim president Alan M. Garber publicly pushed back against demands from the Trump administration, the Ivy League institution received 4,000 donations totalling $1.14 million, according to The Harvard Crimson.

The surge followed a $2.2 billion federal funding cut announced by the Trump administration, which also warned the university could lose its tax-exempt status — a move that could cost Harvard millions more each year. Within just four hours of the announcement, Harvard recorded nearly 1,000 online donations.

Donations soar 40 times higher than 2023 average

The university, which saw several donors pull back last year amid allegations of failing to address antisemitism on campus during the Israel-Gaza war, is now receiving an average of 88 online donations per hour, more than 40 times the daily average from April 2023.

Supporters see this moment as crucial. "It's a time of special need, and I have faith in the current (Harvard) leadership," said donor Peter L. Malkin. Michael T. Kerr, former co-chair of the Harvard College Fund Executive Committee, called it a “critical point in time” and said, “We are back on track, and at long last we can reconnect and start to make the lockdown commitments.”

Foreign students and free speech at stake

The administration’s crackdown also includes a proposed ban on international student enrollments — a move that could drastically impact Harvard, where foreign students make up over 27% of current enrollments.

At the core of the standoff is Trump’s demand that Harvard reform its hiring, admissions, and teaching practices to address antisemitism on campus. Garber responded strongly, stating: “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”