Harvard Law School Raises Record $135 Million in Fiscal Year 2026

Harvard Law School raised a record $135 million dollars in fiscal year 2026, surpassing its two most recent fundraising years by more than $50 million, according to a person briefed on the giving.

The Law School rode to the record fundraising year on the back of a $31.4 million gift from former Board of Overseers President Morgan Chu, an intellectual property attorney who graduated from HLS in 1976. The gift — the largest in HLS history — endows six new professorships across the school.

The fundraising haul follows two slower years of giving for the Law School. The School brought in roughly $73 million in 2025 and roughly $84 million in 2024, according to a person briefed on the figures. Both the fundraising figures and Chu’s gift were presented last Friday during a combined meeting of the Law School’s Dean’s Advisory Council and Leadership Council, the person said. The person was granted anonymity to discuss a private meeting.

University Professor Noah R. Feldman ’92 called Chu an “incredibly loyal and very impressive” alumnus and said the donation was a “very fitting marker of his deep commitment over the years to the law school.”

“I joined the faculty in 2007 and have had many fun opportunities to talk to and interact with loyal alums,” Feldman said. “He’s one of the people who it’s always the most fun to see and chat with because he’s so engaged and focused and tuned in.”

HLS spokesperson Jeff A. Neal did not respond to a request for comment.

Early signs of the fundraising turnaround were evident by the start of this year. The school got off to its fastest-ever start, raking in at least $61 million during the first six months of the fiscal year, The Crimson previously reported. In a January meeting, HLS fundraising officials projected the school could raise $100 million by June 30.

The fundraising numbers also appear to wipe away lingering concerns internally that the Law School’s fundraising operation would be hindered by Harvard’s political fights. In January, despite the strong numbers, a gifts officer flagged internally that a settlement with the Trump administration could shift donor sentiment.

But nearly 10 months later, the University is still locked in a costly legal standoff with the White House — and fundraising numbers are stronger than ever.

The University flipped a $113 million operating deficit in fiscal year 2025 to a $100 million surplus in its 2026 financial report, supported largely by increased giving. Harvard reported a record $684 million in current-use gifts in the report, a nine percent increase from the previous year. Harvard’s total reported fundraising grew to more than $1.5 billion, accounting for 48 percent of operating revenue.

Some schools have seen particularly large returns. Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences drew in roughly $800 million in fiscal year 2026, cruising past a $500 million target. The FAS also raised $100 million to fund Ph.D. fellowships and announced a campaign for a second $100 million last month.

Harvard’s next fundraising efforts are still taking shape. The University is quietly weighing a $500 million push to bolster scientific research funding as uncertainty over the availability of federal grants continues to swirl.

Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 separately convened a committee this summer to plan a new vision for scientific research over the next decade — one that is explicitly linked to future fundraising.

Some schools have independently discussed diversifying funding streams. The Harvard School of Public Health’s Health Policy and Management Executive Council privately weighed partnerships with several prominent healthcare companies — including CVS Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and Tenet — last year to shore up research support.

—Staff writer Hugo C. Chiasson can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at hcc.35. Follow him on X @HugoChiassonn.

—Staff writer Elise A. Spenner can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at elisespenner.82. Follow her on X @EliseSpenner.