(Inside Philanthropy)

Recent gifts by Apple and Toyota to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and four historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have not only helped support students in these institutions; they have also helped highlight the financial problems plaguing many HBCUs.

Apple recently committed $40 million to the Marshall Fund to help make STEM careers more appealing to African-American students, while Toyota gave $50,000 to four Alabama HBCUs. We’ve reported on a number of other gifts to HBCUs over the past year. Despite this support, many HBCUs struggle financially. read more…