A roundup of notable gifts compiled by the Chronicle:
Catholic University
William and Joanne Conway pledged $20 million to speed the construction of a new nursing and sciences building. They gave a previous $20 million to the effort last year, prompting university officials to then name the School of Nursing for the Conways. William Conway co-founded the Carlyle Group, a private-equity firm in Washington.
In addition to the donations for the new building, the Conways have given a total of $20 million since 2013 to back scholarships at the nursing school. They’ve also given the University of Virginia’s nursing school a total of $35 million, including a $20 million pledge in January, and at least $17.2 million to the University of Maryland School of Nursing.
University of Oklahoma College of Law
Rick Moore left $5 million to create the Rick Moore Endowed Scholarship, which will provide full tuition for an eligible law student who earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from the university.
Moore was a partner at the Oklahoma City law firm of McKinney & Stringer, P.C., earlier in his career and then went on to lead two family foundations in San Antonio, Tex., including the Linda Pace Foundation, where he served as president until his death last year.
Moore earned a law degree from the university in 1985 and an accounting degree there before that.
Pacific Symphony
Howard and Roberta Ahmanson gave $2 million to support the Frieda Belinfante Class Act program for another eight years through the symphony’s 50th anniversary in the 2028-2029 performance season.
The program enhances music-education efforts at some elementary schools in Orange County, Calif., and provides classroom lessons, teacher workshops, ensemble performances, assemblies, and an interactive performance on-site for younger students and a youth concert at the Orange County Performing Arts Center for older pupils.
Howard Ahmanson is an heir to a banking fortune. His late father, Howard F. Ahmanson Sr., founded Home Savings Bank. Roberta Ahmanson is a former schoolteacher and reporter. Howard Ahmanson Jr. and his wife run their foundation, Fieldstead and Company.
Feeding America and Food Banks Canada
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively gave $1 million to be split equally between the two food-bank organizations.
The couple directed the portion going to Feeding America to back the organization’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which Feeding America established last week to support member food banks across the country as they help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Reynolds is a movie actor who has starred in the Deadpool movie franchise, and Lively is best known for her leading role in the television show Gossip Girl.
Foundation for the Carolinas and United Way of Central Carolinas
Howard Levine donated $1 million through his Howard R. Levine Foundation to back the two organizations’ joint COVID-19 Response Fund, which will assist people who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Levine is the former chairman and CEO of Family Dollar, which his father, Leon Levine, founded in 1959. In 2014, Howard Levine oversaw the buyout of Family Dollar by Dollar Tree in a deal that totaled $8.5 billion.
The billionaire financier David Tepper also gave $1 million to the joint response fund. Tepper founded Appaloosa Management, a Miami hedge fund, and he owns the Carolina Panthers, a professional football team.
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and her fiancé, Tom Bernthal, gave $1 million to help the food bank establish the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Feeding Families to help needy people in the Silicon Valley area during the crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Sandberg is a billionaire and serial philanthropist who has primarily supported nonprofits that help women, gender-equality groups, food banks, education, and charities that fight poverty. She has appeared on the Chronicle’s annual Philanthropy 50 list of the biggest donors four times since 2016. Bernthal founded Kelton Global, a marketing consultancy.
To learn about other big donations, see our database of gifts of $1 million or more, which is updated throughout the week.
