A conservative non-profit student group has initiated a new project aimed at starving colleges of alumni donations, hoping "to combat rampant leftism at universities by striking colleges where they are most vulnerable: their wallets."
Turning Point USA said Thursday it already convinced donors to "de-commit" $7 million of pledged money to Harvard and Baylor University through its "DivestU" initiative, according to Fox News.
"For decades the radical left has used divestments as a tactic to try to push for divisive, Marxist ideas – conservatives have never used divestments as a tactic," Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk said. "We're telling donors they should no longer be writing these seven-figure checks to institutions that are, essentially, the root causes for a lot of the cultural regression we have seen in recent months."
Kirk said Turning Point is not asking donors to give the money to its activities, but asks them to redirect their money to other philanthropic endeavors.
"Some donors are just recommitting the money and putting it toward a hospital or a local food bank – they have lots of different types of plans," he said. "Some want to divest their dollars and then fund conservative speakers to come onto campuses. Whatever they decide to do with their money is within their own volition, but once the university no longer has that capital under their umbrella, it really does send a powerful message and a powerful signal that they are giving a vote of disapproval."
Among those who have joined DivestU's efforts is plastic surgeon and Baylor University alum Dr. Keith Rose.
"I could no longer be a spectator in the education of my kids," Rose writes on the Turning Point website. "I had to get involved."
Kirk told Fox News his organization was planning "dozens of other university announcements of major gifts and finalizing those figures right now."
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