NEWS: Anonymous Donor Leaves Naropa University $1 Million in Her Will

Naropa University, my beloved graduate alma mater, was given an amazing gift this week: an anonymous individual bequeathed the institution $1 million in her will.

    It’s the largest such posthumous gift in the school’s 34-year history, and comes with some intriguing question marks.

    “Part of the mystery and the power of this gift is we don’t know what her precise connection was to the university,” said Christopher Dwyer, vice president for institutional advancement.

    The bequest will be distributed in segments to Naropa through 2011. The first amount has gone into the endowment fund. The president and its board of trustees will determine future placements. No strings are attached to the money.

    [...]

    The anonymous donor gave once before, $2,000, in 2004. But when Naropa officials did a follow-up after the donation, the woman declined further contact.

All that is known about the donor is that she was a woman in her sixties.

What she did for the university will benefit it enormously. Naropa is one of those precious places that has so incredibly much going for it–so many wonderful people, so much remarkable work. A gift like this will do so, so much to further support the efforts of the students and the faculty there.

As a proud alumnus, I would like to express the deepest gratitude to our late and mysterious angel. Thank you, friend. And farewell.