Endowment


Critics Says Harvard’s Endowment Is Underperforming and Overly Secretive. Is It?

The lackluster performance of Harvard’s endowment — the largest in the world — has sparked concerns about the stewardship and transparency of the endowment under Harvard Management Company CEO N.P. “Narv” Narvekar.


Harvard Climate Advocates Cautiously Optimistic After Release of Climate Report

Harvard affiliates gave mixed reactions to Harvard Management Company’s publication of its annual climate report. The report, released last week, details a drop in the Harvard fossil fuel investments, which are now less than 2 percent of the endowment.


Ivy League Federal Lobbying Expenditure Rose 12% in 2023, Harvard Spent $530,000

Harvard spent $530,000 on lobbying the federal government in 2023, the lowest amount spent by the University in the past nine years.


Harvard Endowment’s Fossil Fuel Investments Drop Below 2%

The Harvard Management Company — which stewards the University’s $50.7 billion endowment — reported the endowment’s investments in fossil fuels have fallen below 2 percent, as the University remains on pace to fully divest from the industry by 2050.


Harvard Attracts Investors, Selling $750 Million in Taxable Bonds

After two credit rating agencies affirmed the University’s AAA rating, Harvard sold $750 million in taxable bonds at an advantageous rate, demonstrating strong investor faith in the school despite weathering a series of scandals last fall.


Harvard Slashes Healthcare Investments, Tech Rises to 98% of Portfolio

The Harvard Management Company increased its direct holdings of Alphabet and Meta and continued its major sell off of biopharma holdings — which now make up less than 1 percent of the portfolio — during the last three months of 2023.


Harvard Endowment Executives Meet with Silicon Valley Investors Amid University Turmoil

Harvard Management Company executives met with leading venture capital and private equity investors in Silicon Valley last week amid investor concerns over the University’s response to the Israel-Hamas war and allegations of antisemitism on campus.


House Committee Suggests Harvard Could Lose Tax-Exempt Status in Letter to Garber

The House Ways and Means Committee suggested Harvard’s tax-exempt status could be at risk over its response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel and concerns of antisemitism on campus in a letter to interim President Alan M. Garber ’76 on Wednesday.


Ten Stories That Shaped 2023

In 2023, Harvard had a tumultuous year. Claudine Gay’s first semester ended amid a leadership crisis as she came under fire for her response to tensions on a campus divided by the Israel-Hamas war and faced allegations of plagiarism. Harvard’s legacy and donor preferences in admissions also faced national scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling striking down the University’s affirmative action policy. Across campus, scandal after scandal hit parts of the University. Here, The Crimson looks back at the 10 stories that shaped 2023 at Harvard.


HMC Managing Director Joined Business Leaders and Investors in Exclusive Israel Trip

Managing Director of Investment for the Harvard Management Company, Adam Goldstein, joined 65 business leaders and investors for a five day trip to Israel this week.


New Harvard CFO Ritu Kalra Says University Has ‘Repair Work To Do’ Amid Controversy Over Israel-Hamas Response

Harvard Chief Financial Officer Ritu Kalra acknowledged that officials tasked with fundraising have their work cut out for them as they rebuild relationships with donors dismayed by the controversy enveloping the University over its messaging on the Israel-Hamas war.


Harvard Management Co. Decreased Investments in Meta and Alphabet, Sold Biopharma Holdings in Q3

The Harvard Management Company sold a significant percentage of its direct holdings in Meta and Alphabet, as well as the entirety of its direct holdings in several acquired biomedical and pharmaceutical companies, during the third quarter of 2023.


By the Numbers: Harvard’s Fiscal Year 2023 Financials

Harvard released its Annual Financial Report on Thursday, which offers a rare glimpse into the University’s finances and investment strategy. Here’s a closer look at the data revealed by this year’s disclosures.


Outgoing Harvard CFO Says ‘It’s Time to be Very Cautious’ Amid Rising Economic Turmoil

Outgoing Harvard Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Thomas J. Hollister said in a Thursday interview that the University should be “very cautious” in its financial management as the school confronts an increasingly uncertain economic climate.


Missing from Harvard’s Annual Endowment Report This Year: Underlying Data

Each fall, Harvard releases an annual financial report that provides insights into the University’s budget and investment strategy. For years, the endowment section of the report looked largely the same, with data on HMC’s targets, as well as returns across asset categories. But this fall, it abandoned the longtime practice of disclosing investment performance by asset class.


Harvard Endowment Value Falls $2.3 Billion Following First Negative Returns Since 2016

The value of Harvard University’s endowment fell by $2.3 billion in fiscal year 2022 after the Harvard Management Company delivered a 1.8 percent loss on its investments — its first year of negative returns since 2016.


Harvard Has Reported Positive Endowment Returns for Five Straight Years. That Could Change this Year.

With high inflation and rising interest rates rattling financial markets, the Harvard Management Company, the University’s investment arm, could be on the brink of delivering its first negative annual returns in five years.


Harvard Says the Endowment Tax Is a Blow to Higher Education. Is It?

Harvard has decried a bill passed under the Trump administration that includes a tax on wealthy university endowments. But is the impact of the provision as significant as the University claims it to be?


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