Invest In CUNY

Brooklyn College offers 70 undergraduate and more than 60 graduate majors, advanced certificates, and programs in the humanities, sciences, performing arts, social sciences, education, and pre-professional and professional studies. It is an innovative, fouryear liberal arts college whose core curriculum furnishes a rigorous foundation for further study in the arts and sciences, the fine and performing arts, journalism, business, teacher education and preprofessional programs leading to medicine and health-related careers, law and engineering. Princeton Review consistently ranks Brooklyn College among “America’s Best Value Colleges.”

Philanthropic Support FY00-FY09 — $112,359,335
Projected Philanthropy Target through FY2015 — $200,000,000

Philanthropic support totaled over $112 million from 2000 to 2008, including restricted gifts supporting student success, faculty excellence and capital projects. Unrestricted gifts to the annual fund support scholarships, co-curricular student-learning opportunities, equipment for classrooms and laboratories, facilities, special seminars and faculty development initiatives.

Gift Highlights

Look Who's Investing in Brooklyn College

The Leonard and Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts

In 2004, Brooklyn College identified the need to significantly upgrade its performing arts complex. Alumni Leonard and Claire Tow heard the call, and The Tow Foundation issued a challenge: It would provide $10 million in seed funding if the college could raise an additional $15 million in private funds and sufficient public funding to complete it. In 2007, Brooklyn College met the challenge and obtained significant additional public support, including an $8-million match from CUNY. As a result, this year will see the groundbreaking of a $76-million state-of-the-art facility. The new performing arts center will serve the Conservatory of Music and the Department of Theater with a 250-seat performance space, a recording studio, student lounge, lobby and box office. Theater students, faculty and staff will enjoy the use of a rehearsal room and set construction shop as well as much needed storage space for sets and props. Spaces dedicated to music will include rehearsal rooms for instrumental ensembles and for chorus/opera, 25 soundproof practice rooms, nine teaching studios, a rehearsal/work space for music technology and a piano-technician workshop.

The Magner Center for Career Development and Internships

“Brooklyn College fostered a lifelong love of learning and gave me the education I needed to succeed in life. I am proud to have the opportunity to give back to the college community and help ensure the successful future of this indispensable city institution.”

— Marge Magner

Marge Magner is a 1969 alumna of Brooklyn College and has been chair of the Brooklyn College Foundation Board of Trustees since 2005. She is a managing partner of Brysam Global Partners and formerly served as chairman and CEO of the Global Consumer Group at Citigroup. In September 2003, she pledged $1 million to establish a center to support the professional development of students at the college. The Magner Center for Career Development and Internships provides comprehensive career programs that assist students in developing professional skills, securing internships and connecting with alumni mentors. Through partnerships with employers and the college’s faculty and staff, students are offered the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to thrive in today’s globally interdependent world. The Magner Center is the only career center in CUNY that offers an extensive internship stipend program, enabling students to take paid internships, which not only provide career experience but also help offset their expenses. In the 2007-2008 academic year, 2,801 Brooklyn College students completed internships; those in the stipend program received more than $224,050.

The Carol L. Zicklin Chair in the Honors Academy

“Much of the good that has happened in my life came about as a result of the education I received at Brooklyn College and Larry received at Baruch. The City University did us a great favor at a time when we needed it. It is a privilege and an honor to return the favor.”

— Carol L. Zicklin

Carol L. Zicklin is a 1961 alumna of Brooklyn College, a retired teacher and educational consultant and vice-chair of the Brooklyn College Foundation Board of Trustees. In 2003, she pledged $1,500,000 to the Brooklyn College Foundation to establish the Carol L. Zicklin Chair in the Honors Academy, the first endowed chair at Brooklyn College. The Carol L. Zicklin Chair is the intellectual anchor for the Honors Academy. The chair is held by sociologist Tammy Lewis (2008-2010), who specializes in environmental, conservation, sustainability and globalization studies. The first occupant of the chair was the distinguished historian Lee Quinby (2005-2007), who worked on apocalyptic and millennial systems of belief in American culture.