Key Takeaways
- Miami University gift: up to $100 million from the Farmer Family Foundation, the largest donation in the school's 217-year history.
- Miami University gift schedule: $55 million over three years, an average of $18.3 million a year.
- Matching contributions: the remaining pledge, $45 million if the full $100 million is paid, depends on matches.
- Farmer Family Foundation assets: the pledge equals 41.3 percent of its $242.2 million in total assets at the end of 2024, per the most recent Form 990-PF that ProPublica lists for it, matched by name only.
The Miami University up to $100 million gift from the Farmer Family Foundation was reported on November 5, 2026, making it the largest gift in Miami University history. The first $55 million will be distributed over the next three years, and the remaining funds are contingent on matching contributions.
ProPublica lists the Form 990-PF for the fiscal year ending December 2024 as the foundation's latest, matched to the donor by name only. A Form 990-PF is the annual information return that private foundations file with the IRS. That filing reports total assets of $242,185,397. Dividing the up to $100 million pledge by those assets gives 41.3 percent. The WLWT report does not give the foundation's assets.
Miami University gift schedule: $55 million over three years
WLWT reported that the first $55 million will be distributed over the next three years. Dividing $55 million by three gives an average of $18.3 million a year. The remaining funds are contingent on matching contributions. If the full $100 million is paid, the portion contingent on matching contributions is $45 million, or 45 percent of the pledge.
The WLWT report does not give a match ratio or a deadline. The timing of that $45 million therefore cannot be confirmed from the reporting.
Farmer Family Foundation Form 990-PF: pledge equals 41.3% of assets
The foundation's latest Form 990-PF on ProPublica covers the year ending December 2024. It reports charitable disbursements (the money the foundation paid out for charitable purposes that year) of $50,843,203, total assets of $242,185,397 and net assets (what the foundation owns after subtracting what it owes) of $241,330,668.
Three comparisons follow from those figures. The pledge of up to $100 million equals 41.3 percent of total assets. The first $55 million equals 22.7 percent of total assets. The average of $18.33 million a year ($55 million divided by three) equals 36.1 percent of the foundation's 2024 charitable disbursements.
This filing is matched to the Farmer Family Foundation by name.
What the gift will fund: faculty, student projects and hands-on learning
WLWT reported that the funding will support faculty, student projects and hands-on learning opportunities. University President Greg Crawford said students should begin seeing the impact relatively soon. WLWT also reported that the pledge is one of the biggest ever made to a public undergraduate business school in the nation.
Darroch said: "So the gift allows us to develop our people, develop students as people knowing that a careers is just an outcome." Darroch also said the gift allows the university to place more weight on experiential, or hands-on, learning.
The Cincinnati Business Courier said the foundation, one of the biggest names in local philanthropy, is gifting $100 million to its namesake school at Miami University.
Why the matching condition matters for the remaining $45 million
Contingent on matching contributions means the remaining money is paid only if the match is met. Only the first $55 million has a stated schedule.
That leaves the timing of the $45 million contingent on matching contributions unknown from the sources. Any estimate of when Miami receives it would depend on terms that the sources do not report.
People Also Ask
How much of the Farmer Family Foundation pledge to Miami University is scheduled?
WLWT reported that the first $55 million of the up to $100 million pledge will be distributed over the next three years. The remaining funds to Miami University are contingent on matching contributions.
Is the Farmer Family Foundation pledge the largest gift in Miami University history?
Yes, according to WLWT. The report says the up to $100 million pledge from the Farmer Family Foundation is the largest donation in Miami University's 217-year history and one of the biggest ever made to a public undergraduate business school in the nation.
How large is the Farmer Family Foundation?
The Form 990-PF that ProPublica lists under the Farmer Family Foundation's name, matched to the donor by name only, covers the year ending December 2024 and reports total assets of $242,185,397. The up to $100 million pledge to Miami University equals 41.3 percent of those assets.
What will the Farmer Family Foundation gift to Miami University fund?
WLWT reported that the Farmer Family Foundation's gift will support faculty, student projects and hands-on learning opportunities at Miami University. University President Greg Crawford said students should begin seeing the impact relatively soon.
Sources: Cincinnati Business Courier, WLWT, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.