{"id":4402231487766,"date":"2026-05-06T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/?p=4402231487766"},"modified":"2026-05-05T16:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T20:55:08","slug":"what-yale-got-right-that-other-nonprofits-keep-getting-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/opinion\/what-yale-got-right-that-other-nonprofits-keep-getting-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"What Yale Got Right That Other Nonprofits Keep Getting Wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Keep up with everything happening in<\/em> The Commons<\/em><\/a> by<\/em> signing up for our monthly newsletter.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last month, Yale University did something that doesn’t come naturally to elite institutions: It engaged in rigorous self-reflection and then actually shared the results with the world.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cReport of the Committee on Trust in Higher Education<\/a>,\u201d which was commissioned by Yale President Maurie McInnis and produced by a 10-member faculty committee, didn\u2019t emerge out of nowhere. In recent years, Yale has repeatedly found itself on the front lines of the American culture wars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Related Content<\/div>\n
\n
\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\"Members <\/a>\n <\/figure>\n \n
\n
\n The Commons | Opinion<\/a> <\/div>\n\n

\n \n Why Jewish Staff Are Quietly Leaving Progressive Nonprofits <\/a>\n <\/p>\n\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n
\n
\n The Commons | Opinion<\/a> <\/div>\n\n

\n \n Why Social Media Is Now the Place to Build Trust <\/a>\n <\/p>\n\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

\n \n
\n
\n The Commons | Opinion<\/a> <\/div>\n\n

\n \n How Museums Can Help Rebuild Trust in a Divided\u00a0America <\/a>\n <\/p>\n\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Here are just a few examples: In 2015, a Yale faculty member became the target of protests<\/a> when she sent an email questioning a university directive asking students to avoid culturally insensitive Halloween costumes. She ultimately resigned.In 2021, a conservative Yale Law School student was the subject of multiple complaints, and an official inquiry<\/a>, for a party invitation he sent out referencing a \u201ctrap house.\u201d (Cue social media firestorm.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yale has also been the subject of a Department of Justice suit<\/a> over alleged discrimination of Asian Americans in admissions and enmeshed in national controversies over pro-Gaza student demonstrations<\/a> and widespread grade inflation<\/a>. Given this level of negative press, almost any institution would see its approval ratings go down.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When confronted with bad news, there is an enormous temptation for institutional leaders, including those heading nonprofits, to engage in hand-waving<\/a> and deflection. To its credit, Yale chose a different path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cReport of the Committee on Trust in Higher Education\u201d is a good-faith effort at earnest public accounting. It begins with a clear framing of the problem, arguing that the decline in public confidence in universities is “real, urgent, and must be addressed.” It presents uncomfortable data without flinching, including a survey finding that nearly a third of Yale undergraduates don’t feel free to express their political views on campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the committee identified a number of problems that have contributed to declining trust, including outlandish tuition prices, at the heart of its analysis are the intersecting issues of ideological conformity and self-censorship. It offered commonsense recommendations to improve the intellectual climate on campus, including the creation of a universitywide mission statement and the reaffirmation of the university\u2019s commitment to free speech.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n
\n