Back in April 2024, billionaire Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced he was pulling his support for his alma mater, Columbia University, over treatment of Jewish students and faculty during pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
That was a massive change for Columbia, as the center for Jewish student life there bears Kraft’s name. He had made a major $15 million gift toward the center, which opened in 2000 as the on-campus home for Columbia/Barnard Hillel. He wasn’t alone: The move came amid a wave of major donors, including billionaire investor Leon Cooperman and Third Point’s Dan Loeb, moving support from Columbia to other causes. Columbia’s response to Kraft’s pulled funding was that they were “grateful” he had donated in the first place, according to Forbes.
Kraft, who graduated as part of the class of 1963, was a university trustee. He had made several other major gifts to his alma mater, including a $5 million pledge in 2007 to launch the Columbia Campaign for Athletics, $1 million toward the Baker Field dome, and $500,000 to establish a fund supporting student- and university-led dialogue on interfaith and intercultural issues. He also announced in 2024 that he would continue supporting the Kraft Center specifically.
