Mo Money: Oprah Winfrey Donates $13 Million To Morehouse College

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Oprah Makes A Generation Donation To Morehouse College

Oprah Winfrey has been big on donations lately, and most recently, the mogul donated a whopping $13 million to Morehouse College on Monday.

Winfrey topped her own $12 million donation that she made to the historic Atlanta college 30 years ago. Together, this $25 million contribution is the largest endowment in the history of the school. “I was really surprised to learn that it’s been 30 years since I made that $12 million donation to Morehouse, so today I would like to add $13 million to that,” Winfrey announced to an excited crowd at the school.

The entirety of the $13 million will go solely to the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program, which was created with her gift back in 1989. Since then, approximately 600 students have been educated through the program over the years.

Oprah made the exciting announcement this week after meeting with 47 Oprah Winfrey Scholars, whom she called her “sons,” according to a news release from the college. The college also presented Winfrey with a painting of her likeness during her visit to the institution.

This gift is definitely needed at the school, as Winfrey’s donation comes less than two weeks after the college announced several budget cuts to help with the school’s cash flow problems. The TV host and entrepreneur was in Atlanta on Saturday for the grand opening of Tyler Perry Studios.

The college’s president, David A. Thomas, commented on the generous donation in a statement, saying the following:

“I’m grateful to Oprah Winfrey for her generosity. I am also feeling hopeful for Morehouse and what it has garnered in terms of philanthropic support with gifts like Oprah’s and Robert Smith’s. I am hopeful that this will also get others to step up with their support of Morehouse, but even more broadly, historically black colleges and universities.”