Donald Bren's philosophy regarding his support for education is simple yet powerful: "Children are our future."
"There is no wiser investment we can make as individuals and as a company than in our children…they will be our enduring legacy. They are the leaders of the future, and the quality of education they receive today will directly impact the success and prosperity of our communities tomorrow."
— Donald Bren
Through the Irvine Company and the Donald Bren Foundation, Donald Bren has generously provided more than $200 million to support education in California. His gifts have touched tens of thousands of students and educators at all levels, from K-12 to higher education, and underscore Mr. Bren’s deeply held passion for helping ensure children’s and young adults’ access to quality education.
Following are a few examples of Mr. Bren’s long history of commitment to educational philanthropy:
- Grade-School Enrichment Programs: $20 million gift to Irvine Unified School District ensured continuation of critical enrichment programs for 4th- through 6th-graders in this region. "We owe it to our children and to our community," Mr. Bren said in announcing Excellence in Education Enrichment Fund.
- Major Gifts to Help At-Risk Schoolchildren: Multiple gifts totaling $10 million allowed THINK Together, a provider of free after-school tutoring services for underprivileged youth, to expand programs throughout Santa Ana Unified School District and Eastern Los Angeles County; this was among the largest gifts ever provided to after-school program in California history.
- Science Education: $2.5 million pledge for K-12 science education initiatives in Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
- UC Irvine Law School: $20 million gift to help newly-established law school attract nationally prominent scholars and a strong student base.
- UC Irvine Computer Sciences: $20 million gift to continue the advancement of the school, establishing a national stature; the university renamed the school in Mr. Bren’s honor.
- Environmental Science Endowment: Major gift to support teaching and research at the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara.
- Endowed University Chairs: Mr. Bren endowed more University of California chairs than any individual ever and in 2004 received the UC Presidential Medal—the university system’s highest honor. Additionally, he endowed chairs at Caltech and Chapman Universities.
