Happy Labor Day, recognising that for many, this is not a holiday but a work day. Best wishes for you and yours on Labor Day when we honour all workers.

Everything you do contributes to our economic system. 

I just read an article on donations to colleges and universities and how they failed to vet the source of donations — namely from Jeffrey Epstein.

The Higher Education Times said anonymity was an approach although not fully protective.

Here are 3 thoughts:

1. How carefully ARE donations actually vetted in real life on campuses? Sure, smaller colleges can vet more, and big donations stand out everywhere as worthy of vetting. But how much money comes in from sources that, if we looked, would be deemed institutionally unacceptable?

2. Cozying up to donors is a big part of fundraising. So didn’t these institutions meet and stay in touch w/ Epstein? Harvard said it isn’t returning the $$ it got. Is that because it was received before convictions? Didn’t Harvard send updates/reports to him? Couldn’t Harvard show some grace and donate an identical amount to fund for his victims? Ok: just return it.

3. Wouldn’t it be easy to fool a college/university as to a donation’s source? Just create layers. Now ask: Is Sackler money being returned or just new $$ not bring taken by educational institutions?

I’d say we need to do more thinking about donor source. Honorary Degrees too.