Trojans are, as anyone who visits campus knows, faithful, scholarly, skillful, and ambitious. Add one more trait: Generous.

In addition to endowment gifts, Trojans and friends of the community gave more than $2 million unrestricted to the USC Marshall and Leventhal funds in the 2021-2022 school year, according to the recent IMPACT REPORT. These funds support the fundamental infrastructure of the Marshall and Leventhal Schools and help strengthen their mission.

“Gifts to our Marshall and Leventhal Funds truly make a difference in the lives of our Marshall faculty, students, staff and community,” said Chief Development Officer Rachel Morrell, who is also associate dean for external relations. “It is through unrestricted support that the school can identify and fund the highest priorities and needs in that given year. Together, all the annual donors are a powerful group and deeply appreciated.”

The majority of these funds went directly to help students access education and thrive.. Some 31 percent of the total was spent on experiential learning, that is, out-of classroom experiences such as the Global Leadership Program and GEMS (Guiding Exceptional Minds to Success) that help students develop their soft skills, while 29 percent went directly to fund financial aid and scholarships, including need-based and merit-based scholarships awards.

“We are thrilled to report that funds raised through the Marshall and Leventhal Funds helped us achieve gender parity in our undergraduate program for the second year in a row through funding scholarships to the best and brightest students,” said Morrell.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts also benefitted from generous support, with 15 percent of money raised going directly to new hires and the introduction of the LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CORE, a specially designed series of awareness courses for graduate students taught by Marshall faculty.