A generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous recently pledged $25 million to Columbia Business School, among the largest gifts ever made to the School. Of the total amount, $23.25 million will help support the construction of the School’s new home in Manhattanville, cutting-edge facilities that will be part of Columbia University’s expansion just north of its Morningside Heights Campus.
The donor joins Henry R. Kravis ’69, cofounder, cochairman, and co-CEO of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) and cochair of the School’s Board of Overseers, who pledged $100 million for the project in October 2010, and Leon Cooperman ’67, chairman and CEO of Omega Advisors and also a member of the board, who donated $25 million to the new campus in April. The School’s Manhattanville Campus — designed by renowned New York architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro — will reflect the fast-paced, high-tech, and highly social character of business in the 21st century. The new buildings will encompass approximately 450,000 square feet, resulting in a net additional 170,000 square feet. The facilities will create multifunctional spaces that foster a sense of community — spaces where students, faculty members, alumni, and practitioners can gather to exchange ideas.
The remaining $1.75 million of the gift will bolster the School’s Social Enterprise Program. Through initiatives of the program, students develop a perspective on how to apply business skills to social enterprise endeavors and align personal and professional values in careers that result in social benefits to the broader community.
To date, the School has raised more than $442 million as part of its capital campaign, including $173 million in pledges and gifts for its new facilities in Manhattanville. The campaign, which seeks to raise $600 million, was launched in 2004.